Master of Education in Special Education (Diagnostician)
Website: https://twu.edu/teacher-education/graduate-programs/special-education/
The M.Ed. in Special Education prepares educators to teach, evaluate, and advocate for students with disabilities. Students will learn about and be able to apply evidence-based practices in special education. Students can elect to pursue an M.Ed. in Special Education with a focus on interventions or an M.Ed. in Special Education plus Educational Diagnostician certification. Students who already hold a master's degree may wish to pursue the certification-only Educational Diagnostician program or the Ph.D. in Special Education.
Highly-qualified special education teachers and Educational Diagnosticians are in demand across Texas, and our graduate programs in Special Education effectively prepare our students to meet this growing need. Students wishing to pursue Educational Diagnostician certification need to meet specific criteria, including applying to the TWU Educator Preparation Program (in addition to the TWU Graduate School), providing evidence of three years' teaching experience as the teacher of record at an accredited school, and meeting other criteria as determined by the program and the state. More information can be found on the Special Education site.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Effectively support those implementing evidence-based practices in the classroom.
- Collaboratively support the needs of students with disabilities and their families inside and outside of the education setting.
- (For those students seeking Educational Diagnostician certification) Knowledgeably, accurately, and effectively evaluate students for special education services.
- (For those students seeking Educational Diagnostician certification) Appropriately support and advocate for students and families during the special education eligibility determination process, applying knowledge of relevant cultural and linguistic considerations throughout.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
30 semester credit hours (SCH).
Students seeking Educational Diagnostician certification concurrently with the M.Ed. in Special Education will also need to meet requirements according to the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC), including a 160-hour supervised practicum experience at a TEA-accredited school site (completed in EDSP 5863) and successful completion of the TExES Educational Diagnostician state test. See the TWU Special Education website for more information.
Program of Study
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Exceptionalities | ||
| EDSP 5123 | Students with High-Incidence Disabilities | 3 |
| EDSP 5133 | Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities | 3 |
| Interventions | ||
| EDSP 5423 | Instructional Interventions for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3 | |
| Collaborating for Effective Intervention | ||
| Behavior Interventions for Students with Disabilities | ||
| Support | ||
| EDSP 5033 | Using Assessments for Effective Interventions | 3 |
| EDSP 5043 | Legal and Administrative Issues of Special Education Programs | 3 |
| Assessment | ||
| EDSP 5833 | Individual Diagnostic Assessment | 3 |
| EDSP 5843 | Special Education Evaluation | 3 |
| EDSP 5863 | Educational Diagnostician Practicum | 3 |
| Research (select one of the following with advisor) | 3 | |
| Single Subject Research | ||
| Research in Education | ||
| Total SCHs | 30 | |
