M.A. in Special Education and Inclusive Practices

All students in this MA in Special Education must successfully complete six core courses. In addition, each student must select from and successfully complete coursework in one of the following areas of focus in this program. The total number of required credits varies from 33-36 depending upon the option selected during the application process.

Option I: Graduate Endorsement is designed for those who wish to qualify for State of New Jersey Teacher of Students with Disabilities (TOSD) Certification while simultaneously earning their Master’s degree. This is the only area of focus that leads to a state-approved Special Education certification.

Option II: Learning Disabilities is designed for teachers who are looking to broaden their knowledge and skills to better serve students with exceptional learning needs. This focus area is for advanced content knowledge only and does not lead to any certification or endorsement.

Option III: Early Childhood Special Education is designed for education professionals who are looking to broaden their knowledge and skills to better serve young children at risk for and with diagnosed disabilities and their families across diverse birth-to-five (5) settings. This focus area is for advanced content knowledge only and does not lead to any certification or endorsement.

Option IV: English as a Second Language (ESL) is designed to use multifaceted understandings of the unique needs, challenges, and experiences of ESL students to advocate for their academic, social, and emotional success; plan for instruction, create curriculum, and develop assessments that use research-based practices and that integrate language and content for ESL students at various levels of English proficiency; and support ESL students’ acquisition of social and academic language and impact their learning. This focus area does lead to a NJ K-12 certificate in English as a Second Language, contingent on also passing the OPI (or OPIc) and WPT to demonstrate English proficiency.

Option V: Foundations of Special Education certificate is designed for general education teachers who wish to increase their knowledge of special education, as well as special education teachers who wish to pursue further coursework at the graduate level. The goal of this program is to provide teachers with an overview of the salient issues in special education, as well as opportunities to focus on the essential aspects of evidence-based practices. Collectively, these courses ensure program graduates acquire the foundation-level knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to best serve students with disabilities. (This option does not lead to a certification/endorsement.)

For a list and schedule of program courses, see the MA in Special Education Handbook.

For more information about admission requirements please visit Global Learning and Partnerships of Rowan University.

For Financial Aid Information click here.

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