The Elementary Special Education concentration in the 4+1 track of the M.Ed in Exceptional Children and Youth program is for current UD undergraduate secondary education majors and K-8 teacher education majors in the ESL, middle school, or urban education concentrations. This five-year program combines undergraduate and graduate coursework. Students will earn a bachelor’s degree in their major at the end of four years and a M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth in one additional year. Students who complete the M.Ed. requirements during the +1 year are eligible for teacher certification in special education.

Application

Students apply to the M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth by December 15th of their junior year and are admitted as seniors.

Information about how to apply to the M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth is available online. Some application requirements specific to this track are:

• Cumulative GPA
• Three letters of recommendation.
  • Two of those letters must be from a UD professor (in the School of Education for ETE majors, in Human Development and Family Sciences for ECE majors, or in the College of Arts and Sciences for secondary education majors) who can speak to your academic abilities.
  • The third recommendation should be from an individual who has observed you teach or work with children in some capacity and will comment on your capabilities. This person could be a methods supervisor or a supervisor a part-time job with children (e.g., as a tutor, summer camp counselor, YMCA staff).
• Essay. This personal statement must specify the intention to pursue the 4+1 track with an Elementary Special Education concentration.
• Graduate Course Approval Form
• No application fee is required
• No test scores are required

Course Requirements

Students complete 33 graduate credits for the M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth program. During the senior year, students complete 9 graduate credits (which may be in lieu of 9 undergraduate credits) and complete all remaining undergraduate requirements. During the +1 year, students complete 18 credits of graduate coursework plus 6 credits of a graduate teaching internship in special education in local K-8 schools.

• EDUC 653: Assistive Technology: High Incidence Disabilities
• EDUC 673: School-to-Adult Life Transitions and Disability
• EDUC 679: Special Education Instruction and Curriculum: Advanced
• EDUC 680: Educational Evaluation: Exceptional Children and Youth
• EDUC 681: Techniques for Behavior Change and Positive Behavior Support
• EDUC 682: Special Issues in Special Education
• EDUC 745: Collaborative Teaming in Special Education
• EDUC 750: Graduate Teaching Internship (6 credits)
• EDUC 754: Special Education Instruction and Curriculum: Elementary
• EDUC 757: Diagnosis and Instruction in Literacy: Grades 4-12

Internship Requirement

To fulfill the 6-credit internship requirement, students are placed for 16 hours each week for nine months as exceptional education graduate teaching interns in a local partnership school. Students receive supervision from UD and school staff.

Exit Requirements

• One of the exit requirements is the Praxis II Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications test.
• In addition, students must also complete a performance assessment as required by the state.