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Master of Science in Education in Special Education

The M.S. Ed. in special education is designed to serve the needs of both experienced and beginning special education teachers who have baccalaureate degrees or are seeking career changes at the master’s level. In addition to an on-campus program, the department offers off-campus Masters’ degree courses, information on which can be obtained from the department. 

For students who already hold a special education certificate, the faculty of special education offers individualized programs of study. Interested students should contact the department for further information. 

Students seeking certification must successfully complete the Illinois State Certification Testing System Test of Basic Skills prior to admission to the Teacher Education Program in special education. Students must provide a photocopy of the test results to the following address:

Graduate Secretary
Department of Teaching and Learning
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115

Students must also complete the test required by their certification field prior to student teaching. Completion of all program requirements satisfies the requirements for Illinois teacher certification as Learning Behavior Specialist I. 

Admission

From among the applicants satisfying the requirements for admission to the Graduate School, the faculty select the most qualified, utilizing the General Test of the GRE and ordinarily requiring a GPA of higher than 3.00 for the last two years of undergraduate work.

Checklists for Admissions:

Requirements

Each student must select a specialization. Each specialization requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of study which must include a research course approved by the adviser (3). Specific courses for each specialization are listed below. Elective courses are selected with the approval of the student’s adviser. A student wishing to write a thesis may, with the approval of the adviser, include 3-6 semester hours of credit in TLSE 599 in the elective portion of the program. 

For a student whose undergraduate major was in special education. Course work in other appropriate fields may be substituted for a portion of the special education course work, with the approval of the student’s adviser. However, in all cases, at least 50 percent of the semester hours required for the degree must be in special education. For students whose undergraduate major was not special education or who have limited background in their chosen specialization, deficiency requirements may be established by the department. Deficiency course hours will not be counted toward the minimum 36 semester hours of the master’s degree program. 

Graduate students applying for a M. S. Ed in special education should be proficient with fundamental operations and concepts of computer technologies to facilitate learning in today's P-12 classrooms. This proficiency should include both concept and applications of the following topics: basic computing skills (including file management), word processing, presentation software, spreadsheet applications, and internet skills. Students lacking these skills may obtain them at their local community college or take any number of instructional technology courses offered at NIU.

Course Prerequisites for Graduate Level Special Education Programs

The following is a link to the current course prerequisites for Graduate level Special Education program. Prerequisites can be waived for students who have completed the appropriate prerequisites at another institution. If you believe you have completed the appropriate course elsewhere you should discuss this with your adviser. Students will not be admitted to courses with out the appropriate prerequisite or equivalent

Additional information

For information on important deadlines please go to http://www.cedu.niu.edu/tlrn/important_dates.html

If you are ready to start classes prior to being admitted to the Graduate School you can start taking classes as a Student-at-Large (SAL). To start classes as an SAL you can submit an SAL application electronically via Graduate School web site and after 4 working days you will be able to enroll in courses.

As a student-at-large you can take both undergraduate and graduate courses. These courses are offered at the DeKalb, Naperville, and Hoffman Estates campuses in the evenings. The current on-line schedule of classes is located here. Information about tuition and fees is located at the Graduate School web site. You can also find the Graduate catalog with descriptions of these classes on line located here.

For information on course work to take as a student-at-large please contact Leslie Hecht

Immunization Requirements

Students taking more than one class at the DeKalb campus may have a Health Hold put on their records if their immunizations are not up-to-date. This may delay registration for classes. Please check with University Health Services to determine if your immunization record is up to date. For additional information please visit the UHS web site.

Substitution of Life Experience for Clinical Hours 

If you want to substitute life experience for clinical hours discuss this option with your advisor during your first advising meeting. Your advisor will to determine whether and to what extent life experience can be substituted for initial clinical, internship and/or student teaching experiences.

To substitute life experience for clinical hours you must have documentation of the life experience that is equivalent to the clinical or student teaching experience. You will need a letter on appropriate stationary from the direct supervisor of your experience in the school or other appropriate setting. The letter should include: the age and grade level of the students you worked with, the length of time of the experience, how many total hours you worked with the students, your overall responsibilities in the classroom and an evaluation by your supervisor of the experience. Equivalency is dependent on the length of time, responsibilities carried out by the student, evaluation of your performance by your direct supervisor and the type of student you work with.  Your assignment must been "consistent with a teacher holding a special education certification".

Cancellation/Postponement of Clinical Experience

When graduate students apply for student teaching, they must notify the clinical office in writing of the slightest possibility of substituting a life experience for either their elementary or secondary experience or both. Please send all requests to Darla Massier, Coordinator of Special Education Placements, Department of Teaching and Learning, Northern Illinois University , DeKalb , IL 60115 . Once a student notifies the clinical office, it is with the understanding that that the process of finding placements for their secondary and elementary placements will not begin until the decision of substituting a life experience has been made. After a decision has been made, the clinical office will begin the process of finding a placement for the student. Students need to understand that at this point a placement may not be necessarily guaranteed. If the process begins, however, before the semester prior to student teaching is to begin, the chances for finding a placement is much greater than if the process begins during the semester before student teaching. Students also need to understand that placements will not necessarily be based on student preference or location if the process begins the semester before student teaching. If the student fails to notify the clinical office of even the slightest possibility of a substitution of life experience and a placement has been procured, the student will be required to fulfill his/her obligation to the designated school or district and must satisfy all the expectations and requirements of student teaching.

A grade of unsatisfactory will be given to all students (graduate and undergraduate) who do not demonstrate competency in the classroom; do not complete expectations, assignments or requirements; or whose teaching, personal, and/or professional abilities indicate that they would be a liability to the teaching profession. Students will also be subject to remediation components such as writing contracts to address specific concerns and student performance reviews.

In addition, all graduate students applying for student teaching must be admitted into the graduate program before they turn in their paperwork to the clinical office.

Web Connect 

To access the Web Connect Services, a student is required to logon onto the service using their Z-ID and password OR their Social Security Number and Personal Identification Number.

Description of Web Connect Services: Application Status, Change of Address, Class Schedule, Course Availability, Financial Account Information, Encumbrances/Holds, Registration Permits, Semester Grade Reports, Schedule Changes, Student Directory Informatin, TRACS Registration Timeslot, and Web TRACS - Register for classes.

For additional information on your Z-ID please click here.

Postgraduate Study 

Students with a baccalaureate degree who wish to take teacher certification at the undergraduate level should apply as a postgraduate. These students should complete the undergraduate application form and indicate they are applying as postgraduate. For more information about the undergraduate teacher certification program in Special Education please contact Sharon Wyland (815-753-8359). 

Financial Aid and Scholarships 

There are numerous awards and scholarships that are available for students some are specifically for teacher education. Other aid may be based on financial need, talent or to members of particular groups. Some web sites that are available at NIU are the College of Education, the Scholarship Office, and the Financial Aid Office. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) has a program for individuals who are seeking their initial teacher certification in Special Education. This is a tuition waiver program for undergraduate or graduate students who are willing to teach in Illinois for two years after their initial certification. Information on this program can be located Here.  

The core standards for Special educators, the Standards for the Learning Behavior Special I, and additional special education information can be located at Illinois State Board of Education web site. 

Other Links:

If you have any additional questions, please contact Leslie Hecht at (815) 753-8457

                
Department of Teaching and Learning ( tedu@niu.edu )
Copyright © 2003. Northern Illinois University. 
All rights reserved. 

Revised June 11, 2007