Special Education, Master of 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 lead to initial teaching certification.
- Must hold valid teaching certificate for admission into program.
- This program meets the requirements for an add-on endorsement in the State of Washington.
- This is an online accelerated program with 6-week academic sessions. For more information about this program visit our website.
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.
Through this program, certified Washington educators will be eligible to earn a P-12 Special Education endorsement upon successful completion of the WEST-E to add to their teaching certificate.
Admission Requirements
- Have earned a baccalaureate degree (either a BA or BS) from an accredited institution of higher education.
- 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.
- 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 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.