Special Education

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UND College of Education & Human Developments online Master of Science in Special Education program prepares you to serve students and other individuals with mild to moderate disabilities by qualifying you to:

* diagnose difficulties and exceptionalities for children and young adults
* plan curricular approaches
* develop and deliver instructional programs with the help of other pertinent professionals in the school, hospital, and other human service agenices

Through online courses, you will:
* learn concepts, practices, and approaches that benefit children and young adults with various difficulties and exceptionalities.
* apply what you have learned in a practicum/internship setting so you can further refine diagnostic and prescriptive skills.
* become familiar with issues, trends, and research that mark contemporary education.
* be encouraged to have an inquiring and questioning attitude toward your profession.
* become conversant with the literature of the field and be encouraged to be a lifelong learner.

Specialization Areas
Depending on your interests, you may focus your coursework in one of the following specialization areas:

* Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
* Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
* Emotional Disturbance (ED)
* General Special Education
* Gifted/Talented (G/T)
* Intellectual Disabilities (ID)
* Learning Disabilities (LD)
* Special Education Strategist (SES)
* Visual Impairment (VI)

To earn your Master of Science in Special Education, you must complete a minimum of 32 credits in one of the specialization areas listed below. If you are seeking teacher certification or endorsement, you may be required to complete additional credits beyond the 32-credit minimum.

If you do not wish to pursue your masters degree, you also have the option to take select courses to meet certification or endorsement requirements in your state. Please check with your states teacher certification board for details.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
The Autistic Spectrum Disorders specialization focuses on children, adolescents, and adults with ASD. It addresses several aspects of ASD including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies, interagency collaboration/support, and application in a field setting.

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
The Early Childhood Special Education specialization focuses on children from birth to age 9. It covers various disabilities (primarily developmental in nature) as well as several aspects of ECSE, including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies, all forms of development (e.g., language, physical), and application in a field setting.

Emotional Disturbance (ED)
The Emotional Disturbance specialization focuses on children and adolescents with both emotional and behavior disorders. It covers several aspects of ED, including characteristics, assessment, behavior and academic methods/strategies, and application in a field setting.

General Special Education
The general specialization is a design your own program option. You will work with faculty advisors to develop a program of study that includes any of the courses offered by the special education program.

Gifted/Talented (G/T)
The GT specialization area focuses on children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience or environment. The specialization area addresses characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies, and application in a field setting.

Intellectual Disabilities (ID)
The Intellectual Disabilities specialization focuses on children and adolescents with developmental disabilities (the federal law refers to this population as those with mental retardation). It covers several aspects of ID including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies, and application in a field setting.

Learning Disabilities (LD)
The Learning Disabilities specialization focuses on children and adolescents with learning problems that are not due to developmental, emotional, or cognitive disabilities. It addresses several aspects of LD, including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies, and application in a field setting.

Special Education Strategist (SES)
The Special Education Strategist specialization is a cross-categorical area that encompasses all of the courses in the specialization areas of intellectual, emotional, and learning disabilities. Because it addresses three disability areas, the SES specialization requires the highest number of credits.

Visual Impairment (VI)
The Visual Impairment specialization focuses on children and adolescents who are visually impaired or blind. It addresses several aspects of VI, including characteristics, assessment, braille code, methods/strategies, orientation/mobility, and application in a field setting.

* Bachelors degree from a regionally accredited college or university. * An undergraduate GPA of 2.75 overall or a GPA of 3.00 in the last 2 years of your undergraduate program. * A typed, one-page Personal Statement (instead of the standard Statement of Goals & Objectives) that addresses the following questions: * What have you already done professionally or personally of which you are proud? If applicable, include a chronological history of all professional teaching and administration experience, as well as academic honors or achievements you have earned. * What are the characteristics, attitudes, values, and/or skills that you think will make you a good candidate for your professional role? * Describe several personal and professional goals you would like to achieve in the next 5 years. Include in your description reasons why these goals are important to you.If you do not meet these admission standards, you may be admitted on a provisional basis with continued enrollment contingent on successful completion of prerequisite coursework and/or successful performance in the program. English Language Requirements IELTS band: 6.5 TOEFL paper-based test score : 550 TOEFL iBT® test: 76 Technological Requirements Although specific technical requirements may vary by online course or program, the following general technical requirements are required for all online courses. Active E-mail Account Current Operating System: Windows or Macintosh Internet Connection: DSL/Cable (recommended) Note: A wireless or satellite connection should not be used for taking exams/quizzes and is not recommended for "Live" Web classes. Current Internet Browser: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari Word Processing Software: Microsoft Word (recommended) Additional Free Software Downloads (as necessary) IMPORTANT! For more specific information about technical requirements, refer to the UND Center for Instructional & Learning Technologies (CILT), your course syllabus (available approximately 1 week prior to your course start date), or contact your instructor.

Accreditation

NCATE Accreditation
The UND College of Education & Human Development is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Through the process of professional accreditation of schools, colleges, and departments of education, NCATE works to make a difference in the quality of teaching, teachers, school specialists, and administrators. NCATE believes every student deserves a caring, competent, and highly-qualified teacher.

Regional Accreditation
The University of North Dakota as a whole is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. UND has been accredited since 1913, when the Association was first organized.

Why is accreditation important?
Accreditation assures the quality of higher education institutions and programs. In the United States, accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental, peer-review process that determines if established quality standards are being met.

* Accreditation is a major way for students, families, employers, government officials, and the media to know that an institution or program provides a quality education.
* Accreditation helps students choose quality college programs that qualify for federal financial aid.
* Accreditation enables employers to recruit graduates they know are well-prepared. Many employers will only provide tuition assistance to employees for accredited programs.
* Accreditation is used by registration, licensure, and certification boards to screen applicants.
* Accreditation gives colleges and universities a structured mechanism to assess, evaluate, and improve the quality of their programs.