University of San Francisco - School of Education

Master in Special Education

Program Details

The Special Education master's program culminates in a Master of Arts in Special Education with Mild/Moderate Education Specialist Preliminary Credential.

Program Features

• Instruction and assignments are aligned to job demands, connecting theory and research to practice.
• Highly qualified instructors have extensive experience in diverse, multicultural, urban schools working with a wide range of students with disabilities.
• Students are members of a close-knit cohort in small, personalized classes.
• Students receive extensive supervision and mentoring, on the job and in class, providing the support interns need to meet job, program, and state requirements.
• Our intern teachers learn practical skills that they can apply the next day in their K-12 classrooms.
• USF helps find placement for our students in the paid internship positions.

PROGRAM DELIVERY

• Students attend an intensive summer program, from the beginning of June through mid-July, to prepare for their first teaching assignments.
• Students attend class in addition to working full-time as a paid special education intern teacher.
• Fall and spring classes are one night per week, on Wednesdays.
• Intern Teaching Seminar courses meet a few Thursdays each semester in year one and continue in year two on Wednesday evenings.

M.A. IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: ONE-YEAR PATHWAY FOR CREDENTIAL HOLDERS ONLY

Candidates entering into the one-year track of the Special Education master's program may be eligible to transfer up to nine credits of coursework*. Coursework must be have been completed within the last seven years for eligibility.

COURSE DETAILS | 30-39 CREDITS

SUMMER | 15 CREDITS

• L&I 675 - Data-based Instruction (3)
• L&I 659 - Consultation and Collaboration (3)
• L&I 641 - Research in Special Education (3)
• Offered in the early summer, addresses research in special education and writing the thesis.
• L&I 665 - Development of Legal and Educational Foundations for the Learning Specialist (3)
• L&I 636 - Educational Practices for the Learning Specialist (3)

*Transferable Courses – Up to 9 Credits

• TEC 604 - Multiple Subject Curriculum and Instruction: Math & Science (3)
• TEC 621 - Multiple Subject Curriculum and Instruction: Early Literacy (3)
• L&I 637 - Fieldwork Practicum: Teaching Diverse Groups (2)
• TEC 642 - Health Education (1) - Flexible - May be taken anytime during the two-year program on three successive Saturdays. Course may be waived for those who have a California Single or Multiple Subject credential within the last 7 years or prior qualifying health course.

FALL | 7 CREDITS

• L&I 633 - Assessment in Special Education (3)
• L&I 631 - Curriculum & Instruction for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities (2)
• L&I 639 - Intern Teaching Seminar I (2)

SPRING | 8 CREDITS

• L&I 676 - Behavior Management (3)
• L&I 622 - Instructional Uses of Technology for Learning Specialists (2)
• L&I 640 - Intern Teaching Seminar II (1)
• L&I 634 - Master's Thesis (2)

Thesis or Project Development is a directed study under the supervision of a full-time faculty adviser and requires the development of a field project or thesis.

M.A. IN SPECIAL EDUCATION (FOR NON-CREDENTIAL HOLDERS)

COURSE DETAILS | 42 CREDITS

FIRST YEAR

SUMMER | 14 CREDITS

• TEC 604 - Multiple Subject Curriculum and Instruction: Math & Science (3)
• TEC 621 - Multiple Subject Curriculum and Instruction: Early Literacy (3)
• The courses above may be waived for those who have a California Single or Multiple Subject credential within the last 7 years.
• (Courses may be transferred from another institution.)
• L&I 637 - Fieldwork Practicum: Teaching Diverse Groups (2)
• L&I 636 - Educational Practices for the Learning Specialist (3)
• L&I 665 - Development of Legal and Educational Foundations for the Learning Specialist (3)

FALL | 7 CREDITS

• L&I 631 - Curriculum & Instruction for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities (2)
• L&I 633 - Assessment in Special Education (3)
• L&I 639 - Intern Teaching Seminar I (2)

SPRING | 6 CREDITS

• L&I 622 - Instructional Uses of Technology for Learning Specialists (2)
• L&I 676 - Behavior Management (3)
• L&I 640 - Intern Teaching Seminar II (1)
• TEC 642 - Health Education (1 credit) - Flexible - May be taken anytime during the two-year program on three successive Saturdays. Course may be waived for those who have a California Single or Multiple Subject credential within the last 7 years or prior qualifying health course.

SECOND YEAR

FALL | 4 CREDITS

• L&I 675 - Data-based Instruction (3)
• L&I 678 - Intern Teaching Seminar III (1)

SPRING | 4 CREDITS

• L&I 659 - Consultation and Collaboration (3)
• L&I 679 - Intern Teaching Seminar IV (1)

THE MASTER'S DEGREE REQUIRES TWO ADDITIONAL COURSES.

The master's degree may be completed during the second year of the credential program or in an optional third year. | 6 credits

• L&I 641 - Research in Special Education (3)
  Offered in the early summer, addresses research in special education and writing the thesis.
• L&I 638 - Master's Thesis (3)

Thesis or Project Development is offered in fall or spring as a directed study under the supervision of a full-time faculty adviser and requires the development of a field project or thesis.

Learning Outcomes

The MA in Special Education with the Mild/Moderate Education Specialist Credential Program Learning Outcomes:

• Using a variety of instructional strategies, resources, and technologies to meet students' diverse learning needs.
• Monitoring student learning and adjusting instruction while teaching.
• Creating a rigorous learning environment with high expectations and appropriate support for all students.
• Using knowledge of students' academic readiness, language proficiency, cultural background, and individual development to plan instruction.
• Planning instruction that incorporates appropriate strategies to meet the learning needs of all students.
• Applying knowledge of the purposes, characteristics, and uses of different types of assessments.

THE M.A. IN SPECIAL EDUCATION WITH THE MILD/MODERATE EDUCATION SPECIALIST CREDENTIAL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:

• Students will be able to demonstrate advanced skill in selecting, designing, administering, and interpreting informal and formal reading assessments.
• Students will be able to use performance data and input from various sources to make or suggest appropriate modifications in a broad spectrum of learning environments.
• Students will be able to demonstrate differentiated teaching skills in his or her classrooms.
• Students will be able to describe a variety of instructional procedures and demonstrate the advanced ability to use appropriate instruction for students with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds across a variety of settings.

Careers

Graduates of Special Education master's program are educators who work in special education settings at public and private K-12 schools.

GRADUATES OF THE M.A. IN SPECIAL EDUCATION INCLUDE:

• Adjunct Professor
• Special Day Class Teacher
• Resource Specialist Teacher
• Program Specialist
• Intervention Specialist
• Instructional Coach
• Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Coordinator
• Special Education Department Head
• Transition Specialist
• Adaptive Technology Specialist
• Technology Consultant