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Programs

Graduate Programs

M.S. in Special Education

The third option to obtain a Mild Intervention Teaching Certification is to satisfactorily completing graduate coursework in Special Education and research methods to complete the Master of Science in Education with a major in Special Education. You are eligible to complete the coursework if you hold a current general education teaching license and wish to continue on for the special education certification and masters degree.

A master of science in education program requires a minimum of 36 credit hours. Up to 6 credits may be undergraduate course credits at the 300 and 400 level. (Courses counted in a bachelor's degree may not be counted in a master's degree.)

The final course in the masters program is the Masters Thesis. Students will complete a master's thesis and must enroll in 3 credit hours of K599 Master's Thesis as part of the minimum 36 credit hour requirement for the degree. A master's research committee will be appointed. This committee consists of two or three faculty members. The thesis director must be from the special education area of specialization. The thesis study must include the gathering of information or data to answer a question that has been posed that is pertinent to the area of special education. A thesis manuscript must be written and submitted to the research committee.

The required courses are listed below; you can find a course description under the course information on this site. Please check Oasis for the most current course offerings. The first course is EDUC K 505. The other prerequisites and co-requisites are listed with each course. For both courses EDUC K 535 and EDUC K 536 there is a co-requisite course (M501) which consists of 30 hours each of field experience in a school with P-12 students with disabilities. If the student is currently employed by a school system arrangements can be made for the 60 hours to be incorporated into your duties of your classroom or school. One of the last courses in the program of study is EDUCK 595 which is a practicum in special education. In order to meet the state of Indiana licensing requirements this practicum must be completed within the duties of the special education teacher (not a general education teacher of an inclusive classroom). This practicum may require you to make modifications to your current work position and/or responsibilities. Please talk with a Special Education Faculty advisor about your specific situation.

Masters of Education in Special Education Program Foundation Block: (27 semester hours )

  • EDUC K505 Introduction to Special Education for Graduate Students
  • EDUC K525 Survey of Mild Handicaps
  • EDUC K535 Assessment and Remediation of the Mildly Handicapped I (Co-requisite: EDUC M501 Service Learning for Diversity)
  • EDUC K536 Assessment and Remediation of the Mildly Handicapped II (Co-requisite: EDUC M501 Service Learning for Diversity)
  • EDUC K541 Transitions across the Life Span
  • EDUC K553 Classroom Management and Behavior Support
  • EDUC K565 Collaboration and Service Delivery
  • EDUC K595 Practicum in Special Education (3 credit hours)
  • EDUC K500 Current Trends in Special Education
  • Research Block: 6 semester hours
  • EDUC P501 Statistical Method Applied to Education
  • EDUC P503 Introduction to Research
  • Capstone to M.S. Program: 3 semester hours (Last Course)
  • EDUC K599 Master’s Thesis in Special Education
  • Three Portfolio Checkpoints:
    • After 18 hours credit in M.S. program
    • After 33 hours credit in M.S. program
    • Exit at completion of EDUC K599
  1. It is recommended that students take EDUC P503 and EDUC K505 as the first courses in their programs. The last courses will be EDUC K595 and EDUC K599.
  2. Students will meet with a committee of faculty for each of the three portfolio checkpoints for a review of portfolio contents associated with program standards.
  3. At least 24 of the 36 total credit hours toward the M.S. degree must be completed at IPFW.

For more information about the Special Education Certification Options and Masters of Education in Special Education Contact:

Dr. Jane Leatherman, Coordinator
260-481-5742
leatherj@ipfw.edu