M.Ed. in Special Education—Program of Study
Coursework for the master of education degree is based on the Special Education Endorsement. (See the full description on the Special Education Endorsement website.) Students who select this option will enroll in a total of 37 semester hours, the first 18 of which coincide with the Special Education Endorsement. The remaining 19 hours of the M.Ed. program are designed collaboratively with an advisor.
Requirements for the M.Ed. in Special Education
37 semester hours, distributed as follows:
Required Endorsement Courses (500 level on campus; 600 level off campus)
SPED 510 Educating Students with Special Needs: Learning and Legal Issues, 2 semester hours or SPED 626 (3 semester hours)
SPED 511 or 629 Behavior Change Interventions for Student with Serious Emotional & Behavioral Disorders, 2 semester hours
SPED 513 or 632 Assessment & Diagnosis, 3 semester hours
SPED 514 or 633 Curriculum & Instruction for Students with Special Needs, 3 semester hours
SPED 516 or 628 Interventions for Severely Challenged Students, 2 semester hours
SPED 517 or 627 Teaching Reading to Students with Special Needs, 2 semester hours
SPED 535 Current Issues in Special Education, 2 semester hours or SPED 636 (1 semester hour)
SPED 545 or 645 Practicum I (fall semester), 1 semester hour
SPED 546 or 646 Practicum II (winter/spring semester), 1 semester hour
Required Degree Courses
SPED 523/623 Special Topics Seminar, 2 semester hours
Additional Degree Courses
SPED 512/631 School-Based Consultation, 2 semester hours
SPED 520/620 Advanced Instructional Decision Making, 3 semester hours
SPED 521/621 Effective Program Development for Students With Serious Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 3 semester hours
SPED 522/622 Program Development for Severely Challenged Students, 2 semester hours
LA 500/634 Language Acquisition and Development, 3 semester hours including practicum
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About the Core Program
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Core Program classes give students the opportunity to explore the graduate school’s central values of creativity, compassion, and commitment through cross-disciplinary collaboration across all of our programs. All master’s degree students are required to complete two credits of Core courses and attend the graduate school Convocation. More information about the Core Program is available on the Core website.
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Graduate Core Requirement
A minimum of 2 semester hours and one Core convocation
Additional courses as determined with advisor may include courses in the Reading, Math, or ESOL endorsement programs. See the inservice programs page for more information.
Full course descriptions are available in the graduate school catalog.
Register for courses through the Registrar's office.
Practicum
In the Lewis & Clark Special Education Program, practicum experiences are embedded in all courses. Specific school-based practica are SPED 545/645 and SPED 546/646. Each specific practicum course involves extensive school-based experiences covering all aspects of the special education process: referral, evaluation, eligibility, IEP, and placement, including curriculum and instruction to improve student outcomes. One credit of the practicum is taken during the fall semester in conjunction with SPED 513/632, Assessment & Diagnosis. The second credit of the practicum is taken during the spring semester in conjunction with SPED 514/633, Curriculum & Instruction. The intent is to ensure a full year experience in conjunction with course work. Lewis & Clark faculty observe candidates during practica work to support candidates’ skill development in special education. Teachers who are not currently teaching (but have an Oregon teaching license) work with college faculty to obtain a practicum site in a special education setting.
Endorsement Authorization Level
For holders of Oregon Initial or Continuing teaching licenses, practicum work must be completed while working with students in the grades levels for which the endorsement will be granted—either early childhood/elementary or middle level/high school. A candidate who wishes to add the second paired set of authorization levels must hold or be eligible for a Special Education endorsement and complete a practicum at the additional paired authorization levels and inform the program advisor. (Holders of Oregon Basic or Standard teaching licenses will automatically be eligible for the license in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.)
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