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16 credit hours with 60 clock hours of clinical experiences
601 Leadership: Issues and Ethics
This course is an examination of special education issues in regard to barriers that impact programming and service delivery. Aspiring leaders will learn educational leadership styles, the function of roles, responsibilities, communication, and interpersonal skills. Essential knowledge and skills will be applied to cultivate school environments to foster collaboration. Management of diverse stakeholders’ expectations from within the community, school, outsourced services, and parents/families will be included. Areas of teacher competency for professional improvement and collegial coaching and mentoring that leads to quality programming and services will be included in regard to cultivation of learning environments. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
605 Educational Evaluation and Programs (Individualization, Programs, and Diagnostics)
This course is an advanced study of diagnostics and programs for individualization. Through this study, disability impact across lifespan is explored and the involvement of various stakeholders. This incorporates stakeholders changing roles and responsibilities. Candidates’ competencies are developed through coursework in current issues related to diagnostic assessment, programs, and individualization. Models and range of service delivery and transitions are examined to design programs that individualized. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
610 Neurocognitive Science and Teaching
Advance understanding of cognitive processes to inform and enhance educational practices. Examine how the brain regions’ development, learns, retains information, and adapts.This includes cognitive load theory in relation to teaching and learning. Critically interpret current neuroscience research and neurodiversity of cognitive processes to inform and design teaching practices for students. Individualize and tailor practices for assessment, communication, and interventions aligned to current neurodivergent research to optimize learning experiences and outcomes. Apply research to create environments conducive to learning. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
615 Transition for Beyond School
Prepare individuals for quality lives through a critical analysis of programming. Examine various delivery models related to education and vocations through research, state and federal laws governing transition as they influence and inform service deliveries. This is applied to create realistic plans aligned to students and families’ goals using a collaborative process. The collaboration process infuses vocational and non-vocational planning in school curricula for work-based learning that is between school and community businesses, adult transition services and education, as well as transition agreements. Gain skills to promote students’ empowerment and self-determination skills to self-advocate needs and make decisions about futures. Have the ability to deepen special education mentoring with colleagues in designing effective transitions. This course included 10 hours of clinical experience. (2 credit hours)
620 Advanced Curriculum and Instructional Design
Advancing candidates’ knowledge and skills in designing curriculum and instruction for diverse learners is the focus of this course. Topics covered include models/types of curriculum designs, school policies and practices on curricular reforms, theories of learning for modern society, and technology for instruction, access, and teaching. Special education leaders will apply their understanding of research and theories to incorporate technologies, core content areas, and practices for effective programs and evaluations. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours).
625 Law and Advocacy
In this course candidates will delve into the legal landscape to examine policies and funding. The examination includes current legal trends, issues, and changes in regard to legislation and judicial decisions related to individuals with disabilities. School regulations along with funding from the federal and local levels impact on professional responsibilities of special education leaders to balance compliance with challenges in the field. Content within the course includes homeless students, twice exceptional, diverse disabilities, programming, and advocacy. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (2 credit hours)
(9 credit hours with 30 clock hours of clinical experiences)
602 Nature and Identity of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Introduces current research and theoretical models for understanding autism spectrum disorder and approaches. Emphasis on medical, human, personality, co-occurring disabilities, and social-emotional across lifetime are examined in regard to research and models. Candidates engage in topics related to educational, social-recreational, and vocational long-term challenges to develop applicable plan for a case study. The involvement of families and individual with autism are included. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
607 Analytic Assessment of Behaviors Interventions
Advance skills in behavior interventions to evaluate functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans including the resulting effects from implementation procedures. Apply analytic principles, research, and theories for empirically-supported interventions in the evaluation process. This would include identifying issues related to implementation fidelity, professional and ethical conduct, and the home-school connection. Examine practices for compassionate interventions accounting for individualization, sensory sensitivities, and mental health masking. Promote social skills, self-regulation-management, and social communications. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
617 Language and Literacy
Typical and atypical language development that includes receptive, expressive, semantic, phonological, social, morphological, and syntactical domains regarding autism are analyzed. This includes evidence-based practices for speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Advance skills to apply the science of reading to effect students’ reading and their communication skills. Evaluate assistive technology needs in a systematic process that includes evaluation, selection, and training with family involvement. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
(9 credit hours with 20 clock hours of clinical experiences)
SED 530 Foundations of Special Education
This course is a study of the special education profession, encompassing the philosophical, historical, ethical, and legal foundations of special education. The responsibilities and rights of students, their parents, all involved educators, and other professionals are studied as they relate to meeting the needs of exceptional learners. Course content addresses P-12 students regarding early intervention, human growth and development, individual differences, diversity, and families and communities to meet the needs of students with disabilities. (3 credit hours)
SED 555 Methods of Special Education
This course prepares students to apply an understanding of academic subject matter content of the general curriculum and specialized curricula to inform programmatic and instructional decisions for learners with exceptionalities. Students are required to use knowledge of individuals' development, learning needs, and assessment data to inform decisions about effective instruction. Students will implement explicit, systematic direct instructional strategies in core content areas to individualize instruction to support students with exceptionalities. Includes a field experience component. (3 credit hours)
SED 560: Science of Reading: Instruction and Intervention in Special Education
This course introduces special education teachers to literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Emphasis is placed on evidence-based instructional and assessment practices that support students with disabilities. Topics include phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension, with spelling and writing instruction embedded throughout. The course addresses diagnostic assessment, progress monitoring, and data-informed instructional decision making, as well as the implementation of direct, explicit, systematic, and multisensory reading interventions in special education settings. A field experience component provides opportunities to apply course concepts in authentic instructional contexts. (3 credit hours)
(9 credit hours with 75 clock hours of clinical experiences)
SED 575 Low-Incidence Disabilities-Instruction and Learning
This course is designed for candidates to operationalize knowledge of the curriculum principles to design systematic instruction for individuals with intense disabilities. The focus is on research-based strategies for promoting academic and social-emotional success. Historical and legal aspects will inform instruction to meet students’ current learning needs as well as preparation for adulthood. Candidates will relate characteristics and etiological backgrounds of preschool children through adolescence with intense disabilities to assess and design individualized and effective instruction. The roles and types of technologies in the teaching and learning process will be included. This course includes a field experience teaching students with intense disabilities. (3 credit hours)
SED 580 Low-Incidence Disabilities-Independence and Self-Determination
This course provides candidates with the skills to evaluate and design effective individualized programs based upon instructional needs related to independence and self-determination for students with intense disabilities. An informed decision-making process based upon student, family, and diagnostic procedures are the focus. Theories and principles related to the skills for independence and self-determination are applied to design individualized programs to address daily living, job and community, and self-management of behaviors for students. This course includes a field experience teaching students with intense disabilities. (3 credit hours)
SED 590 Low-Incidence Disabilities-Collaboration and Individualized Programs
The course focuses on the application of effective strategies of communication and collaboration for promoting the success of children and adolescents with intense disabilities. The consultative and collaborative skills and roles of special education teachers will be applied to advance the learning experiences and outcomes for students. Content includes current issues and trends related to various programs, and services. Culturally competent services, parent involvement, and the role of students with intense disabilities are addressed. This course includes a field experience teaching students with intense disabilities. (3 credit hours)
(5 credit hours with 20 hours of clinical experiences)
630 Capstone Project: Thesis Research
The Capstone Project: Thesis Research introduces thesis writing at the graduate level. This will be applied to a thesis paper proposal development and approval which will progress to a final paper. A special education topic to further professional skills will be the focus of the investigation. Engagement includes the formulation of a research question, literature review interpretation, methodology identification and selection, and data collection with analysis. The thesis is composed with a synthesis of the research process and evaluation of findings as evidence for professional proficiency within the field. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
640 Capstone Project: Action Research
The Capstone Project: Action Research introduces a graduate-level approach to action research which will included a proposal development and proposal approval process which culminate in a final project. The project will focus on a practical application to address a specific problem or improve practice that will further professional skills. Engagement includes problem identification, literature review interpretation, methodology planning, and data collection with analysis. The project is developed with a synthesis of the research process and evaluation of findings as evidence for professional proficiency within the field. The course includes 10 hours of clinical experience. (3 credit hours)
635 Capstone Project: Thesis Research Clinical
The Capstone Project:Thesis Research Clinical engages students in experiences related to the selected capstone project. This is a course continuation to refine the thesis research paper with a clinical participation. As a preparation to launch career goals and interest in connection to the field of special education, individualization will be the focus in the clinical experience design and research completion. At capstone thesis paper and clinical completion findings will be presented. 10 clock hours of clinical experience aligned with capstone project. (2 credit hour)
645 Capstone Project: Action Research Clinical
The Capstone Project: Action Research Clinical engages students in experiences related to the selected capstone project. This is a course continuation to refine the action research project with a clinical participation. As a preparation to launch career goals and interest in connection to the field of special education, individualization will be the focus in the clinical experience design and research completion. At capstone action research project and clinical completion findings will be presented. 10 clock hours of clinical experience aligned with capstone project. (2 credit hour)