MSE Special Education

Welcome!

Welcome to the Special Education web-page. The Master’s program in Special Education is a 30 credit hour on-line program designed to meet the performance standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), and the Teacher Evaluation Systems (TESS).

While we welcome any out of state candidates, completion of any program, other than an initial licensure program, may not lead to licensure or endorsement in Arkansas or in the state in which you reside. It is your responsibility to check with your state’s department of education to determine if the license or endorsement requirements are met through the program of study. If you are a potential out of state candidate, please contact the program coordinator directly.

State Department of Education Contacts

The site below provides the contact information for the Departments of Education in each U.S. state and territory.  Contact your state’s department of education for specific licensing requirements for your state.

www2.ed.gov/about/contacts/state/index.html

Special Education Faculty

Master’s Program in K-12 Special Education

The special education graduate program leading to a M.S.E. is located in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education. Its main purpose is to prepare collaborative special education teachers skilled in providing quality instruction to students representing a broad scope of abilities. (Graduate Bulletin)

The program offers a broad range of opportunities for candidates to learn about special education litigation and legislation, assessment, behavior guidance, instructional strategies, and best practices in serving persons with disabilities and their families.

The Master’s program is a 30-graduate credit hour program that can be completed in two years. Students can fulfill the Arkansas Department of Teacher Licensure requirements for Special Education licensure through this program. Using a variety of software such as Collaborate and Blackboard, all classes are offered online as a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions. The program of study includes the following courses:

• ELSE 6300 Philosophical, Historical & Legal Aspects of Special Education
• ELSE 6304 Behavior Management and Analysis in Special Education
• ELSE 6308 Educational Assessment in Special Education
• ELSE 6333 Math and Science for Diverse Learners
• ELSE 6348 Multisensory Approach to Language I
• ELSE 6349 Multisensory Approach to Language II
• ELSE 6366 Educational Programming for Students with Mild Disabilities K-12
• ELSE 6367 Educational Programming for Students with Significant Disabilities K-12
  
• ELSE 6384 Research and Best Practices in Special Education
• ASTL 6380 Research Methods

Admission into the master’s program will be selective and competitive. Potential students must submit a Graduate School application to the Graduate School. In addition, applicants must have an Arkansas valid standard educator license. For individuals who have an out-of-state educator license, contact the department at 501-450-3172 for additional information.

All our graduate programs in special education are online programs, delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous formats. Master level students are required to attend one face to face session to take comprehensive exams. In addition, optional face to face sessions will be offered to help students complete their special education portfolios.

With approval, a maximum of six hours may be transferred from another institution of higher education. These six hours must be approved by the department chair.

Courses in the program ensure the progressive building of a common core of candidate knowledge, skills, and dispositions as described in the Arkansas Instructional Specialist Principles and CEC standards. The program offers a context for NBPTS Exceptional Needs standards. Candidates interested in National Board Certification must meet with a designated faculty advisor prior to completing nine hours of graduate course work.

Advising – Students are required to be advised every semester prior to registration for classes. As a general rule, it is recommended that students contact their advisor prior to advanced registration. For early registration information, monitor the Office of the Registrar webpage for information concerning advance registration. The Schedule of Classes is usually updated 2-3 weeks prior to advance registration.

Additional Information – Programs in the College of Education that lead to licensure relating to P-12 schools require a passing score on the appropriate Praxis exam(s) and satisfactory completion of all key assessments identified by the program area. Candidates cannot complete their program unless these criteria have been met.

K-12 Special Education Graduate Certificate Program

The requirements for an Arkansas K-12 Special Education License can be met with 21-24 hours of the M.S.E. listed below. Upon successful completion of all required model assessments and the Praxis II, candidates are eligible for an Arkansas license endorsement in Special Education K-12. The program of study includes:

• • ELSE 6300 Philosophical, Historical & Legal Aspects of Special Education
  • ELSE 6304 Behavior Management and Analysis in Special Education
  • ELSE 6308 Educational Assessment in Special Education
  • ELSE 6333 Math and Science for Diverse Learners
  • ELSE 6348 Multisensory Approach to Language I
  • ELSE 6349 Multisensory Approach to Language II *
  • ELSE 6366 Educational Programming for Students with Mild Disabilities K-12
  • ELSE 6367 Educational Programming for Students with Significant Disabilities K-12

*Graduate candidates entering the GC program without meeting both phases of proficiency pathway which includes the Foundations of Reading assessment are required to take ELSE 6349 as a program prerequisite by the completion of their program of study.

Required Courses for the Special Education Resource K–6, 7–12 Endorsement

This 12-hour graduate-level program of study is designed to prepare licensed teachers who desire to work with students with exceptionalities typically served in an inclusive, co-taught, and/or resource classroom setting. With completion of the program and Praxis Licensure Test, candidates will be eligible for the Arkansas Licensure Endorsement in Special Education Resource K–6, 7–12.

Birth-Kindergarten Graduate Endorsement

This 15-graduate credit hour program is designed to provide advanced knowledge and skills in the area of early childhood and early childhood special education including foundations, development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, instructional strategies and planning, learning environments, guidance and behavior management, communication, working with families, assessment, and professional and ethical practice. Upon successful completion of the program of study and Praxis content tests, candidates will be eligible for the Arkansas Early Childhood/Special Education Integrated B-K Endorsement License. The program of study includes:

• ELSE 6300 Philosophical, Historical, and Legal Aspects of Special Education
• ELSE 6309 Solution-Focused Learning
• ELSE 6327 Educational Programming for Young Children
• ELSE 6336 Advanced Studies in the Guidance and Management of Young Children
• ELSE 6338 Instructional Strategies and Assessment of Young Children

Scholarship/Grants:

Federal TEACH Grant
 Up to $4,000 per year

State Teacher Education Program (STEP)
Loan repayment up to $3,000 per year

The Teacher Opportunity Program (TOP) offers tuition reimbursement grants to Arkansas teachers and administrators. Teachers and administrators may apply for reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses paid for up to six (6) college credit hours completed for each academic year, not to exceed $3000.