Overview

All Special Education candidates take the Special Education Core (22 credits) and the Specialty Courses in at least one area (10-15 cr.) which leads to Special Education licensure in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Developmental Disabilities (DD- available only for ABS licensed teachers), Emotional Behavioral Disabilities (EBD), or Learning Disabilities (LD).

Candidates are welcome to pursue more than one licensure area. Students add the Portfolio (2 cr.) and Research Component Courses (8 cr.) to complete the 34 credits required for the M.S. in Special Education.

The Mission

The mission of teacher education program at Southwest Minnesota State University is to create inclusive communities of practice where each learner is an active participant in the investigation of learning, teaching and leadership processes. Teachers and learners will engage in educational theory, research, inquiry, critical reflection, and application in pursuit of excellence in a culturally responsive education.

The program is offered in two formats:

On-campus: Courses offered as a balance of weekend, D2L, evening courses, and summer sessions.
Off-campus: Learning Community (LC): The learning communities are conveniently located at off-campus sites in locations close to where educators live and work. Each learning community studies together for two academic years, meeting an equivalent of twenty times, or ten weekend meetings per year.

The Program

This program supports the departmental concept of “Communities of Practice Investigating Learning and Teaching.” The standards and best practices of the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) and its various divisions are embedded in the competencies of this program of study.

Participants will build knowledge in subject matter, instructional practices, and the learning/teaching process. Participants will integrate current research into effective practices and develop the leadership capacities necessary to implement effective educational practices in local settings. When participants complete the program, they continue to take responsibility to expand their own learning and leadership capacity.

Candidates demonstrate competencies through a portfolio process.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Assessment & Educational Planning & Lab
Curriculum Design & Implementation in Special Education
Positive Behavior Support in Special Education
Collaboration in Educational Settings
Procedural Safeguards in Special Education
Autism Spectrum Disorders: Issues & Needs

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-08-22 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-06-30 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2026-01-09 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-11-30 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

IELTS

6.5

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PTE Academic

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TOEFL^® IBT

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Duolingo English Test

105

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Credits

34 SCH

Delivered

Online

Campus Location

Marshall, United States

Disciplines

Special Education View 484 other Masters in Special Education in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

IELTS

6.5

Free IELTS Mock Tests!

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

Check IELTS test dates and locations. Book an IELTS test now!

Other requirements

General requirements

Students must have earned a bachelor’s degree and hold a valid teacher’s license prior to admission to the graduate program.
Students may transfer a maximum of six (6) semester credits of previous graduate work, including up to four (4) in specialty areas, from other accredited universities to SMSU.
A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required to complete the graduate program.
Online Application
$30 (Non-Refundable) Application Fee
Official transcript from an accredited college or university stating a Bachelor's degree (B.S. or B.A.) has been completed. If you attended a Minnesota State College or University, SMSU should be able to view your transcript without you having to request one to be sent.
**International Students, please submit an evaluation of your transcripts so we can receive a calculation of your GPA. We currently accept evaluations from SpanTran, WES, and ECE.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

6036 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 3018 USD per semester during 12 months.
National

6036 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 3018 USD per semester during 12 months.
In-State

6036 USD/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 3018 USD per semester during 12 months.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Special Education.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

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