Minimum 33 credit hours (additional hours may be needed to meet content and/or research/applied project needs)

You are eligible to apply to the M.Ed. in Special Education program if you meet the following requirements: Earned, or will have earned, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution before the date of enrollment at the University of Georgia Completed training in a teacher education field and have a current teaching certificate Minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.0 for all courses taken This program takes a holistic approach to admissions and does not require standardized testing scores to be submitted; no GRE or M.A.T. scores are required. Application Process: Complete the Graduate School Application and include: Unofficial transcripts to the Application Three letters of recommendation Resumé/vita A statement of purpose outlining your teaching philosophy, experience and career goals, as well as answering responses to the written prompt found on the program webpage: https://coe.uga.edu/academics/degrees/med-special-education-birth

English Proficiency Exam Scores for international students: International applicants will also need to score a minimum of 20 points each on the Speaking and Writing sections of the TOEFL with an overall minimum score of 80. Test scores must be within 5 years from the date of application. Program Deadlines to Apply: April 1 (Summer and Fall) November 1 (Spring)

Core

EDSE 5050E/7050E

Positive Behavior Supports

3

EDSE 5160/7160

Communication and Language Development in Young Children

3

EDSE 5170/7170

Developmentally Appropriate Programming and Curricula for Infants and Toddlers

3

EDSE 5180/7180

Developmentally Appropriate Curricula for Children Aged 3-5

3

EDSE 7100

Foundations and Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education

3

EDSE 7200

Methods and Curriculum in Early Childhood Special Education

3

Core Elective

Choose 1 course(s) from the following:

Elective to be selected with advisor (3 hours)

Research Courses

ERSH 4200/6200  (6 hours)

Methods of Research in Education

3

Choose 1 course(s) from the following:

ERSH 4300/6300

Applied Statistical Methods in Education

3

ETAP(QUAL)(ERSH) 7500

Action Research

3

Applied Practice and Research Project

EDSE 7460

Internship in Special Education

1-12

EDSE 7650

Applied Project in Special Education

1-12

Students are encouraged to take elective courses in areas that complement the required components of their program of study as approved by faculty advisor.

Select additional courses, as needed, in consultation with an advisor to meet the minimum number of required credit hours for this program.

Prepare to work with children birth through age 5 both with and without disabilities. The birth through kindergarten/preschool special education emphasis promotes developmentally appropriate inclusive and collaborative teaching practices. Our graduates specialize in providing engaging instruction and support to young children and their families. The special education program recommends to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission that a graduate be awarded a clear renewable teaching certificate in birth through kindergarten and preschool special education. Training in this program prepares pre-service teachers to teach in inclusive early learning, preschool, prekindergarten, and kindergarten programs, along with early intervention (0-3) and preschool intervention (3-5) programs.

Transfer of credit may be allowed when recommended by the student’s major professor and graduate coordinator, and when approved by the dean of the Graduate School. Please see the UGA Graduate School policy linked here: UGA Graduate School policy on Transfer Credit: https://grad.uga.edu/admissions/requirements/acceptance-of-credit-by-transfer/#:~:text=calculating%20cumulative%20averages.-,All%20requests%20for%20transfer%20credit%2C%20with%20accompanying%20official%20transcripts%2C%20must,Georgia%20are%20eligible%20for%20transfer.

Qualified students will be nominated for applicable and available Graduate School awards, departmental graduate assistantships, training grants, and research grant assistantships. Coral Jo Bishop Fellowship: https://coe.uga.edu/students/financial-aid/coral-jo-bishop/ Jan L. Branham Scholarship: https://coe.uga.edu/students/financial-aid/jan-branham/

Aligning with the program of study, students may complete a supervised teaching internship and are encouraged to pursue additional internship experiences that support their professional development and career aspirations.

Dyslexia Endorsement: https://coe.uga.edu/academics/non-degree/dyslexia-endorsement/ Preschool Special Education Endorsement: https://coe.uga.edu/academics/non-degree/preschool-special-education-endorsement/

Graduate Student Association: https://els.uga.edu/uga-student-government/gradstudents/ Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) BrainIAC Communicaid+Nation Minorities in Education (MIE) Information for other organizations can be found at: https://resources.coe.uga.edu/students/student-organizations/

Ed.S. in Education/Special Education: https://coe.uga.edu/academics/degrees/eds-education-special-education/ Ph.D. in Special Education: https://coe.uga.edu/academics/degrees/phd-special-education/