Professional Studies in Education - CSU, Chico
MA Degree in Education with a Special Education Option
- Introduction
- Mission & Goals
- Program Structure and Requirements for MA in Education with Special Education Option
- MA Written Comprehensive Examination Option
Introduction
The following information is intended for students wishing to pursue a Master of Arts in education with a special education option. Ordinarily, students are advised to complete an education specialist teacher preparation program in either Mild/Moderate Disabilities (earlier named Learning Handicapped) or Moderate/Severe Disabilities (earlier named Severely Handicapped) authorizing them to serve in special education classrooms in California. Many courses within these special education teacher preparation programs are also applicable to the MA degree. The attached information sheet demonstrates this relationship between the teacher preparation programs and the MA degree.
Students interested in pursuing the MA degree need to apply to the Graduate School and follow the Graduate School directions for application and purchase the CSU, Chico Graduate School Handbook, A Guide to Graduate Studies, available at the Graduate School Office, Student Services, Room 440.
Following admission to classified status, MA students select a faculty chairperson and one or two other committee persons to direct their program and thesis or project. In addition to thesis and project options, the MA in education with a special education option allows candidates the alternative of completing a comprehensive written examination and research paper. Contact Dr. Teresa Davis, for further information about the special education option.
Mission & Goals
The mission of the School of Education graduate programs is to confront educational challenges in the belief that faculty, students, and educational partners will indeed make a difference in the lives of those who learn and teach. The programs instill in their graduates respect for educational research and applications, and a commitment to contribute to the heritage of scholarship in the field. The graduate program strives to improve the quality of education at all levels, to promote equality of opportunity for all learners, and to enhance the contribution that education can make to local communities and society in general. Implied in the mission statement are four major goals of the program:
Goal 1 - To Prepare Informed and Confident Professionals Who
- Are aware of education's past
- Confront the complex issues and educational challenges of the present
- Participate in determining the future of education
Goal 2 - To Provide a Rigorous Course of Study Based on Competent and Current Scholarship that
- Advances the knowledge and skills of educators at different stages of professional development
- Develops and demands skills of disciplined inquiry, critical thinking, and creative problem-solving
- Prepares educators to be intelligent and informed consumers able to appropriately utilize and contribute to the heritage of educational scholarship.
Goal 3 - To Prepare Educational Leaders Who
- Recognize and implement that which is legally necessary, ethically imperative, and morally sound
- Are empowered with the knowledge and skills required to make a difference in the lives of those who learn and teach
- Select to pursue more advanced study that may include the doctoral degree
Program Structure and Requirements for MA in Education with Special Education Option
30 semester units required within a seven year period
Required Courses (15 Units) |
|
| EDMA 610 | Introduction to Inquiry in Education - 3 Units |
| EDMA 611 | Research Seminar in Education - 3 Units |
| EDMA 600-608 | Foundations in Education (one course) - 3 Units |
| SPED 541/641 | Seminar for MA, Special Education Option - 3 Units |
| EDMA 699T/P | Master's Thesis/Project - 3 Units |
| Or | |
| EDMA 697 | Independent Study - 3 Units |
Elective Courses (select 15 units from the following choices) |
|
| Elective courses may be applied from the Specialist Credentials in Special Education, the generic courses, or level II courses. If you are transferring from another university, see guidelines for transfer credit in the handbook, "Making a Difference in the Lives of Those Who Teach and Learn," available from the Associated Student Bookstore. | |
| Elective Generic Courses | |
| BLMC 518 | The Language and Communication Skills of English Learners - 3 Units |
| PSYC 516 | Assessment and Evaluation in General and Special Education - 3 Units |
| SPED 691 | Collaboration in Education - 3 Units |
| SPED 670 | Home/School/Community Relations in General and Special Education - 2 Units |
| SPED 692 | Classroom Management for Individuals with Exceptional Needs - 3 Units |
| Or | |
| SPED 565 | Behavior Management - 2 Units |
| SPED 673 | Laws and Regulations in Special Education - 1 Units |
| SPED 671 | Technology in Specialized Instruction 2 - 2 Units |
| Electives from Mild/Moderate Disabilities Course work | |
| SPED 672 | Curriculum and Instruction -- Mild/Moderate Disabilities - 3 Units |
| SPED 636 | Advanced Curriculum Content -- Mild/Moderate - 3 Units |
| Electives from Moderate/Severe Disabilities Course work | |
| SPED 637 | Curriculum and Instruction -- Moderate/Severe Disabilities - 3 Units |
| SPED 638 | Instructional Strategies for the Behaviorally and Emotionally Disturbed - 3 Units |
| SPED 639 | Advanced Curriculum Content -- Moderate/Severe Disabilities - 3 Units |
| Electives from Level II Course work | |
| SPED 651 | Curriculum, Instruction, and Programming in Early Childhood Special Education - 3 Units |
| SPED 652 | Issues in Development and Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education - 3 Units |
| SPED 640 | Transition, Vocational, and Career Education - 2 Units |
| SPED 642 | Consultation and Staff Development - 3 Units |
| Other courses as approved by your committee. | |
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MA Written Comprehensive Examination/Scholarly Paper Option
Offered as an alternative to thesis or project options
- The candidate enrolled in the examination option will register for EDMA 697, Independent Study.
- The candidate will be guided by the special education faculty member through the exam process.
- The candidate's MA contract will specify the details, procedures, and sample questions to be researched for the comprehensive examination.
- The questions to be researched will represent topics from the following categories:
- Assessment in special education
- Laws and regulations in special education
- Integration of special needs students into general education and community settings
- The consulting teacher's roles and responsibilities
- Curriculum methods and materials for students with special needs
- Counseling and guidance of special needs children and their families
- Vocational education, careers, and transition planning
- Current issues in special education.
- Subject matter knowledge
- Pedagogical knowledge and skills
- Assistive technology
- Knowledge about disabilities.
- The candidate will be given selected questions to which he/she will respond.
- In addition, the candidate will develop a scholarly paper, following APA format, and of a quality judged by the committee to be "publishable" in a contemporary special education journal. Focusing on an area of particular need to the student, its purpose is to demonstrate scholarly writing and research skills. It is to be filed with Graduate School, not library.
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