Master of Arts in Special Education

Course Requirements • Program Delivery • Admissions

The Reich College of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The special education program (476) is housed in the college's Department of language, Reading and Exceptionalities. Requirements for this degree were designed, and have been approved by the appropriate bodies at the state level, to meet the advanced competencies as mandated in the North Carolina Excellent Schools Act for Master-level teacher education programs.

The Master of Arts is Special Education program, with concentrations available in Emotional/Behavioral Disorders (476B) intellectual Disabilities (476C), or Learning Disabilities (476D), prepares teachers and others to work with students with intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and/or students with emotional/behavioral disorders. Persons graduating from the program fulfill the competencies required for the advanced competencies licensure from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and are eligible for employment in a variety of special education settings to include public and private schools. Students are expected to complete products of learning to demonstrate the skills of a master teacher, and they must complete a portfolio and action research project for the degree.

In cooperation with the Office of Extension and Distance Education, the Reich College of Education delivers this degree program to selected off-campus settings throughout western NC. (For a listing of locations of upcoming programs, see Proposed New Programs.)

Courses taught by Appalachian in the Off-Campus Special Education Program

A total of 39 semester hours of approved study and the product of learning are required for graduation. Courses are listed below and are each 3 semester hours except where noted).

Core Courses :
SPE 5595	Individual Differences
SPE 5205	Inclusion
SPE 5030	Research Informing Practice in Special Ed
SPE 5045	Adv Topics in Diversity
SPE 5584	Special Ed Law & Leadership
SPE 5610	Adv Studies in Classroom Mgt
SPE 5630	Collaboration & Advocacy
SPE 5640	Individualized Planning at the Secondary Level
SPE 5900	Internship (6 sh)
Concentrations:
Emotional/Behavior Disorders (476B):
SPE 5210	Psychoeducational Approaches to E/B Disorders
SPE 5646	Adv Studies in E/B Disorders
Intellectual Disabilities Concentration (476C):
SPE 5230	Assessment & Instruction of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities
SPE 5626	Adv Studies in Intellectual Disabilities
Learning Disabilities (476D):
SPE 5220	Characteristics, Assessment & Identification of Individuals with LD
SPE 5636	Adv Studies in LD
Guided Elective: To be chosen in consultation with advisor (3 sh)

Off-Campus Program Delivery:

The courses required for the MA degree in Special Education are delivered to the designated off-campus site. Appalachian State University faculty teach each course; and, a combination of instructional strategies and course delivery systems are employed. The modes of delivery may include: the instructor's being present at the site, web-based instruction, and/or live interactive two-way, audio-video sessions via the North Carolina Information Highway (NCIH) network. Generally, two courses are provided each term. Face-to-face courses are conducted primarily during the evenings or on selected weekends. The program is cohort-based, meaning the group of identified students who enter this program begin together and continue together through the specified sequence of required courses leading to the degree. The courses in each cohort are offered only once, so a student must be prepared to take the courses as they are made available.

Requirements for Admission:

In order to be considered for admission to this program, an individual must possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and hold a NC "A" teaching license or the equivalent from another state. In addition to the application form, applicants must present Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores, three letters of recommendation, and a letter of intent. A candidate will be selected based upon the strength of her/his undergraduate career, GRE or MAT test scores, and endorsements expressed in the letters of recommendation.

For additional information about making application to the off-campus MA degree in Special Education program, please contact the Office of Extension and Distance Education at 800/355-4084 or submit the request form.

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