MEd in Special Education with Emphasis in Early Childhood Special Education
The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Program is a graduate program that provides students with the necessary experiences and information to work with young children, both typically developing and those with disabilities, and their families in a variety of settings, including both home and school. The program also focuses on working effectively with families and children from a variety of cultures and how to provide intervention in a culturally consistent manner.
Degree Requirements
The Masters program in ECSE is 30 credit hours. In the campus program there are six required courses. Additional coursework is negotiated with the advisor.
The online program coursework is set and can be found at Missouri Online.
| Degree Prerequisite | ||
| SPC_ED 7300 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| Core Courses | 24 | |
| SPC_ED 8350 | Research with Exceptional Children | 3 |
| SPC_ED 8440 | Advanced Behavior Management: Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| SPC_ED 8485 | Introduction and Methods of Early Intervention | 3 |
| SPC_ED 8490 | Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| SPC_ED 8495 | Introduction and Methods of Early Childhood Special Education | 2-3 |
| SPC_ED 8605 | Young Children with Autism | 3 |
| LTC 8614 | Language and Early Literacy Development | 3 |
| LTC 8600 | Home-School Partnerships: Working with Families | 3 |
| Electives | 6 | |
| LTC 8914 | Culturally Responsive Pedagogy | 3 |
| LTC 8612 | Play, Inquiry, and Project-based Learning in Classrooms with Young Children | 2-3 |
| SPC_ED 7330 | Collaboration and Consultation in Special Education | 3 |
Admissions
Faculty selection committees review applications for admission into the various graduate programs. Factors considered in the graduate student review process include previous academic course work and performance, letters of recommendation from professors or professional supervisors and relevant professional work experiences. The letter of intent is evaluated for advising purposes and is an indication of the applicant’s motivation, professionalism and writing competencies. Interviews with faculty are often arranged as part of the admissions review process.
The Special Education graduate program cannot assure admission to all applicants who meet minimum standards specified for the degree program. Resource constraints do not permit the admission of all qualified applicants.
A committee of faculty reviews the credentials of each applicant. It is the responsibility of this committee to exercise professional judgment related to the criteria that applicants must meet in order to be considered for admission to the program.
Financial Aid from the Program
Some programs require an extra form or statement from those who wish to be considered for internal assistantships, fellowships or other funding packages. Check the program website or ask the program contact for details.
Retention
To remain in good standing in the master’s program and earn a master’s degree, each student must earn and maintain an overall grade point of 3.0 or higher in all required and elective course work each semester. If student’s GPA falls below 3.0 for any semester, they will be dropped from the degree program. If students receive a grade of “C” in any core or required course, remedial activities will be required. Students must also complete course work assigned a grade of “I” prior to the end of the following semester.
Degree Completion
Master's candidates must follow the guidelines of the Graduate School with respect to timeliness and committee formations and complete paperwork.
Satisfactory Progress
For information on general progress guidelines and the dismissal policy, see the Special Education website.