Master of Education - Special Education

Plan Description

The M.Ed. program is designed to meet the needs of persons who hold a baccalaureate degree and wish to earn a master’s degree in special education or early childhood education special education, with or without licensure. Students are expected to develop a plan of study that is most relevant to their educational purposes. Students seeking a license to teach should be aware that certification or endorsement requirements might limit their choices. A number of specific focus areas are available and can lead to the following Nevada Department of Education endorsements: Autism, Early Childhood Special Education, Learning Disabilities, Generalist-Mild Disabilities, Gifted and Talented, Emotional Behavioral Disorders, Intellectual Disabilities, Applied Behavioral Analysis (BCBA), or other professional areas The Master of Education – Special Education program requires 36 credits of graduate-level coursework. Additional credits may be required for endorsement or licensure purposes.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Learning outcomes for specific subplan tracks can be found below:

• Master of Education - Special Education; Emphasis in Generalist (K-12)
• Master of Education - Special Education; Emphasis in Gifted Education
• Master of Education - Special Education; Emphasis in Intellectual Disabilities
• Master of Education - Special Education; Teaching English as a Second Language

Plan Admission Requirements

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

In addition to meeting the admission requirements of the Graduate College, as outlined in the front of this catalog, applicants must also meet the requirements established by the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education. They are:

1. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a 3.00 grade point average for the last two years of undergraduate work. Admission to a master’s degree program in special education requires that students with a GPA of less than 2.75 be admitted to the graduate program with provisional status; and
2. A letter of application/intent.

Applications are processed when all credentials required by both the Graduate College and the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education have been received by the Graduate Coordinator. The Graduate Coordinator evaluates the applicant’s credentials and recommends either 1) admission to full, contingency, or provisional graduate standing (depending on the strength of the applicant’s academic credentials); or 2) denial. Those who wish to begin studies but who miss the application deadline may enroll as a non-degree graduate student. However, since there is no guarantee that courses taken as a non-degree student will count toward a degree, and since a maximum of 15 hours taken prior to admission to the program may be used to meet degree requirements, candidates are urged to seek advisement prior to registering for any course(s).

Applicants should log back into their online applications to monitor the status of the application. Official decision letters will be posted in the online application once a decision has been made. Hard-copy letters are not issued. The online decision letter will include the name of the student’s advisor. Students are responsible for contacting their advisors.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

See Subplan Requirements below.

Subplan 1: Applied Behavioral Analysis Track
Subplan 2: Autism Track
Subplan 3: Emotional Disturbance Track
Subplan 4: Generalist – Mild Disabilities Track
Subplan 5: Gifted and Talented Track
Subplan 6: Intellectual Disabilities Track
Subplan 7: Learning Disabilities Track
Subplan 8: Other Professional Areas Track
Subplan 9: Early Childhood Special Education Infant Track
Subplan 10: Early Childhood Special Education Preschool Track
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Subplan 1 Requirements: Applied Behavioral Analysis Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 2 Requirements: Autism Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 3 Requirements: Emotional Disturbance Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 4 Requirements: Generalist - Mild Disabilities Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 5 Requirements: Gifted and Talented Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 6 Requirements: Intellectual Disabilities Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 7 Requirements: Learning Disabilities Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 8 Requirements: Other Professional Areas Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 9 Requirements: Early Childhood Special Education Infant Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 10 Requirements: Early Childhood Special Education Preschool Track

Total Credits Required: 36

Plan Degree Requirements

1. Previous course work included in submitted graduate plans of study must have a grade of B or better. Only two subsequent grades of less than B- (one with an ESP or ECE prefix and one with any other prefix) will be permitted in a submitted plan of study. Under no circumstances will a Grade Point Average (GPA) of less than 3.00 be allowed on a finished plan of study. Failure to meet these standards will result in suspension from the degree program.
2. For Nevada state licensure, students must complete a total of 8 credits of fieldwork; any additional credits will not count towards the degree program.
3. In order to be endorsed in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) the following four courses must be completed in addition to the courses required as part of the degree program:

TESL 751 – Theories of second language acquisition
TESL 752 – TESL Methods and Materials
TESL 753 – TESL curriculum
TESL 754 – TESL Assessment Procedures

4. Students must successfully complete and pass a comprehensive examination.
   1. The comprehensive examination is taken during the student’s last semester of coursework or in the semester immediately following completion of coursework listed on the student’s Program of Studies. If students opt to take the comprehensive exam the semester after completion of the coursework listed on their Program of Studies, they must enroll in ESP 766 or another graduate course. Per Graduate College Guidelines, students must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 hours of coursework the semester they graduate.
   2. Students must apply to take comprehensive examinations. Specific application deadlines are available in the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education.
   3. If a student does not pass their comprehensive examination on the first attempt, they must wait 30 days after written notification from the department to reschedule the exam. This will be done in consultation with the student’s advisor.
   4. A student may retake their comprehensive examination once.
5. Master’s degrees must be completed within a six-year period and continuous enrollment must be maintained throughout the six years, unless a formal request for a leave of absence is approved by the department and Graduate College.

Plan Graduation Requirements

The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements for the program.