Master of Education in Special Education (With Licensure)

The program provides advanced course work in the education of learners with exceptional needs. Program options permit concentrated study in one of three areas: Early Childhood Special Education, Learners with Mild/Moderate Educational Needs, and Learners with Moderate/Intensive Educational Needs. While all three concentrations include course work and fieldwork that may be applied toward Ohio licensure as an Intervention Specialist, eligibility for such licensure may require further study, depending on the student's previous educational background. If courses were taken previously as part of a Cleveland State baccalaureate degree program, special education courses generally need not be repeated. However, students need to select appropriate graduate elective offerings in consultation with an academic advisor to make up the requisite number of credit hours for the desired concentration. The College of Education and Human Services is committed to preparing special educators to work within diverse educational settings and communities. Therefore, all three program options require that students have a working knowledge of issues related to the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students, gifted children, children with special needs, and gender issues in education concentrations. To that end, completion of EDC 500, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite to all special education concentrations. The goal of the Early Childhood Intervention Specialist concentration is to prepare professionals to work with children from birth to age eight who have special needs. In addition to Ohio licensure as an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist, this concentration provides course work and fieldwork needed for the Mental Retardation/ Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD) Early Intervention Certificate. The Moderate/Intensive Intervention Specialist concentration prepares teachers and professionals from related disciplines to work with children and youth ages 5 through 21 who have moderate, severe, or profound mental retardation; severe emotional disorders; or multiple disabilities. The professional who completes this concentration will have advanced skills in curriculum design and implementation, interdisciplinary teaming, and working with parents of children with exceptional needs.