Special Education M.Ed.- The Master of Education in Special Education program prepares teachers for working with students with disabilities in preschool through twelfth grade. Ideally, students in this program are currently working in the K–12 public school system. Internships in this program involve working with a current K-12 SPED teacher, therefore, access to a classroom is essential. Coursework is organized to provide a grounding in the knowledge and skills generally recognized by the special education profession and specifically meeting or exceeding the Washington State requirements for an add-on endorsement in special education. 

This program does not meet initial certification requirements in the State of Washington. For people who have a valid teaching certificate in Washington, this program meets the requirements for an add-on endorsement in special education in the State of Washington. The Special Education add-on endorsement prepares teachers for working with students with disabilities in P-12. The program focuses on the use of specially designed instruction in school settings.

For candidates who currently possess a Washington State Teaching Certificate.

This is an online accelerated program with 6-week academic sessions. For more information about this program visit our website. For information about internships for this program, visit our internship website. 

Admission Requirements

1. Have earned a baccalaureate degree (either a BA or BS) from an accredited institution of higher education.
2. Have earned a grade point average ≥3.0 on a 4-point scale during the final 90 quarter credits (or 60 semester credits) of enrolled coursework.
3. Applicants for the SPED concentration must also submit a copy of an educator certificate.

Required Core
EDUC 505	CURRENT ISSUES IN EDUCATION	4
EDUC 507	PHILOSOPHY AND ORGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN SCHOOL	4
EDUC 520	METHODS OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH	4
EDUC 522	TRANSFORMATION OF LEARNING AND TEACHING	4
Area Specialization
SPED 507	FUNDAMENTALS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION	4
SPED 517	SOCIAL/BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES	4
SPED 527	TEACHING STUDENTS WITH MILD/MODERATE DISABILITIES	4
SPED 537	TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES/AUTISM	4
SPED 547	ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION AND DATA-BASED DECISION MAKING	4
SPED 557	SPECIAL EDUCATION LAW, IEP DEVELOPMENT AND COLLABORATION	4
Internship
SPED 607	SPED INTERNSHIP I	2
SPED 608	SPED INTERNSHIP II	2
SPED 609	SPED INTERNSHIP III	2
Portfolio
SPED 610	SPECIAL EDUCATION PORTFOLIO	4
Total Credits		50

Students who successfully earn a Master of Education in Special Education and Elementary Education from EWU should be able to:

• administer, interpret, use and communicate assessment information in the delivery of special education services;
• collaborate with families, teachers, school staff and the community in the delivery of special education services;
• deliver specially designed instruction that meets Federal and WA State legal requirements, is evidence-based, and improves the lives of students with disabilities;
• demonstrate an understanding about the field of special education and disabilities as measured by passing the WA State Exit exam (currently the NES);
• demonstrate the ability to think critically about current issues and research in the fields of education and special education and apply this information to problems of practice;
• produce legally correct and professionally appropriate special education documents (i.e., IEPs, evaluation reports, FBAs, PBS Plans and lessons plans) and communicate the contents of these documents as appropriate and needed for the delivery of special education services;
• support the inclusion of students with disabilities in the K–12 public school system.