Master of Education: Special Emphasis (M.Ed.)
Admission Requirements
1. Completed admission application and application fee.
2. Official transcripts from all institutions attended. A Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution with a preferred GPA of 2.75 or above in undergraduate work and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in any graduate work.
3. A statement of purpose. Write a statement of purpose addressing the following points: your reasons for entering the teaching profession, any personal or professional experiences and/or qualifications related to your intended field of study, and your perspectives on the relevance and role of cultural competence in teaching. Your statement should be approximately 500-words in length and typewritten.
4. One letter of recommendation from an individual qualified to evaluate the candidate's potential to be a competent educator. Letter must be from an individual who can knowledgeably comment on applicant's academic skills, employment/volunteer experience, leadership potential, and professional abilities.
Additional Requirements for Concentrations in: Inclusive Education, Early Childhood Special Education, Bilingual Education, and Reading Instruction
- Basic Skills Requirement (CBEST or Equivalent).
- Current TB Clearance.
- Prerequisite teaching credential
- For the Early Childhood Special Education concentration, the prerequisite credential must be an Education Specialist: Mild-Moderate or Extensive Support Needs credential.
Additional Requirements for the Bilingual Education Concentration
- Interview with Chair of BILA program
- SOLOM - Oral language assessment in Spanish
- Statement of Purpose written in Spanish
- Reading assessment in Spanish
Degree Requirements
Total Program: 33 semester hours
Core Courses
9 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 501 | Educational Assessment | 3 |
| EDUC 504 | Methods of Research | 3 |
| EDUC 590 | Issues in Teaching | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 9 | |
Culminating Activity
3 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 596 | Graduate Seminar | 3 |
| Total Semester Hours | 3 | |
Area of Concentration
21 semester hours
Choose from the options below:
Option #1 Area of Concentration: Inclusive Education
minimum 21 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPED 420 | Foundations of Inclusive Education | 3 |
| SPED 421 | Literacy Assessment and Intervention Practicum 1 | 1 |
| SPED 422 | Literacy Assessment and Intervention Practicum 2 | 1 |
| SPED 430 | Assessment Practices and IEP Development | 3 |
| SPED 450 | Inclusive Educational Systems - Law, Behavior, and Case Management | 3 |
| SPED 497A | Introduction to Supervised Teaching - Mild/Moderate Accelerated Pathway (OR) | 3 |
| Introduction to Supervised Teaching - Extensive Support Needs Accelerated Pathway | ||
| SPED 498A | Advanced Supervised Teaching - Mild/Moderate Accelerated Pathway (OR) | 3 |
| Advanced Supervised Teaching - Extensive Support Needs Accelerated Pathway | ||
| Plus elective(s) | 4-6 | |
Option #2 Area of Concentration: Early Childhood Special Education
minimum 21 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SPED 555 | Characteristics of Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers with IFSPs and IEPs | 3,4 |
| SPED 556 | Collaborating with Families of Young Children with Special Needs | 3,4 |
| SPED 557 | Infant/Preschool Assessment and Instruction | 3,4 |
| SPED 567 | Teaching 0-2, Preschool, TK, and Kindergarten | 3 |
| Plus electives | 9 | |
Option #3 Area of Concentration: Bilingual Education
minimum 21 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 431 | Spanish for Educators | 3 |
| SPAN 414 | Spanish Composition & Advanced Grammar | 3,4 |
| EDUC 434 | Learning About Latino Cultures | 3 |
| EDUC 435 | Methodology for Primary Language Instruction in a Bilingual Environment | 3 |
| EDUC 436 | Bilingualism and Bilingual Education (Plus electives) | 3 |
| Plus electives | 9 | |
Option #4 Area of Concentration: Reading Instruction
minimum 21 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| RDG 510 | Foundations of Emergent Literacy Instruction | 3 |
| RDG 516 | Processes of Comprehending and Composing | 3 |
| RDG 520 | Principles of Adolescent Literacy Development | 3 |
| Plus electives | 12 | |
Note: The Reading Certificate program is pending CTC approval at the time of this catalog publishing date.
Option #5 Area of Concentration: Teacher Leadership
minimum 21 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ASCD 503 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| ASCD 530 | Motivation in Education | 3 |
| ASCD 550 | Human Development | 3 |
| Other faculty approved ASCD & ORGL course(s) | 12 | |
Culminating Activity: Instead of EDUC 596 Graduate Seminar, students pursuing the Teacher Leadership Concentration will complete ASCD 596 Graduate Seminar.
Option #6 Area of Concentration: Transitional Kindergarten
24 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 480TK | Development of the Young Child | 4 |
| EDUC 481TK | Transitional Kindergarten Observation and Assessment | 4 |
| EDUC 482TK | TK Childhood, Family, and Community Relationships | 4 |
| EDUC 483TK | TK Childhood Language and Literacy Development | 4 |
| EDUC 484TK | TK Childhood Math and Science Development | 4 |
| EDUC 485 | Social Emotional Learning | 4 |
Note: The TK courses must be completed prior to admission to the M.Ed. Special Emphasis program.
Option #7 Area of Concentration: Individualized Plan
minimum 21 semester hours
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses are selected from established courses and/or faculty-approved independent studies | ||
Student who have completed graduate level credential/certificate courses through the University of La Verne may apply a maximum of 24 semester hours towards a University of La Verne master's degree. Courses must be completed within five years of admission to the master's degree with a grade of B or better.