Master of Education (M.Ed.) in either general or special education and dual PA Instructional Level I Certificates (PreK-4 and Special Education PreK-8) (54 credit hours min.)

The dual certification teacher preparation program leads to an M.Ed. degree in education and to Instructional I certificates in both PreK-4 and Special Education PreK-8 that will qualify the candidate to teach both general education and special education in the public schools of Pennsylvania.  The program is designed for the college graduate who, as an undergraduate, specialized in a field other than education and who is capable of beginning his or her study of professional practice at an advanced level.

All students must successfully pass the PRAXIS examinations in both the Pre-Professional Skills Test (Reading, Writing, Listening, Mathematics) as well as in their area of certification (Special Education).

Our program requires the completion of 54 credits and is designed for the individuals who want to pursue certification in special and general education at the masters level. In addition, students must complete their program with no less than a 3.00 cumulative graduate GPA.

MASTERS GRANT SUPPORT
There are various types of funding opportunities available for masters students. You can review these by clicking here.

COURSES/COURSEWORK

Core Course Work (21 credit hours)
SpEd 332. Education and Inclusion of Individuals with Special Needs in K-12  (3)
TLT 380. Child Development and Cognition  (3)
SpEd/TLT 404. Diversity, Families, and School Collaborations in K-12  (3)
SpEd/TLT 405. Principles and Applications of K-12 Assessment  (3)
TLT 407. Instructional Design for K-12 Classrooms  (3)
SpEd/TLT 409. K-12 Classroom Environment and Management  (3)
SpEd/TLT 411. Early Childhood Education  (3)

Development of Professional Skills (18 credit hours)
TLT 412. Social Studies in PreK through 4th Grade  (3)
TLT 420 Reading and Literacy in PreK through 4th Grade  (3)
TLT 422. Language Arts in PreK through 4th Grade  (3)
TLT 426. Science in PreK through 4th Grade  (3)
TLT 428. Mathematics and Numeracy in PreK through 4th Grade  (3) 
SpEd 465. Advanced Inclusionary Practices in K-12  (3)

Additional Special Education Professional Skills (12 credits)
SpEd 419. Academic Interventions: PreK-8  (3)
SpEd 418. Alternative Curricular Approaches  (3)
SpEd 428. Positive Behavior Support  (3)
SpEd 452. Assessment in Special Education  (3)

Extended Field Experience (3 credit hours)
TLT 442: Special Education and General Education Student Teaching and Seminar (3) [Student teaching in the dual certification program is addressed through a 14-week combined special education/elementary education experience.]

In order to be eligible for PreK-4 certification, by the time a student finishes the program he or she must have demonstrated competence in the core content areas for that certification (English, mathematics, science, social studies). At time of acceptance, each student will be informed of any additional content-area coursework he or she will be required to complete in order to demonstrate competence in the PreK-4 core content areas (language arts, mathematics, science and social studies). The student is responsible for completing this coursework prior to applying for PreK-4 certification. The credits for this additional coursework are not included in the master’s degree.