Special Education, M.Ed. - COLA, UNH

The philosophy which underlies the Special Education Program's curriculum and the activities of the program's faculty includes the following elements:

1. All students with disabilities have the right to the same life-enhancing opportunities and experiences as non-disabled students.
2. Educational services should be provided in settings which are culturally normative and in ways which minimize prejudice, stereotyping, stigmatization, and discrimination.
3. Education focuses not only on culturally-valued individual competencies, but also on attitudes, images, and barriers which may prevent students with disabilities from achieving full educational, social, vocational, political, and economic integration.

Mission

The Special Education program at the University of New Hampshire seeks to prepare highly qualified educators who possess the knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to take the lead in establishing effective teaching and learning environments for a diverse population of learners, who are capable of collaborating with classroom teachers as team teachers or consultants, and who utilize these skills within their school communities, and within the profession itself. "Leader" to us means someone who is knowledgeable in subject matter and educational theory and research, who can make well reasoned judgments in complex situations with competing viewpoints, who is exemplary in his or her own practice and who both takes initiative for planned change, and collaborates effectively with others in the improvement of education.

After admission to the program, a student will be assigned an advisor with whom the student will meet to plan the details of his or her program. The plan is developed in consideration of the requirements of the degree, the student's previous training and experience, and the student's career goals.

All graduate work for the Master's degree must be completed in four (4) years or less from the date of matriculation in the program. Each student will be encouraged to complete a minimum of eight (8) graduate credits each academic year.

A maximum of 12 credits earned in UNH graduate courses campus may be applied to a student's degree program if taken prior to or in process when the official letter of admission is written. A student may petition for the transfer of a maximum 2 courses, up to eight (8) graduate credits, earned at another accredited graduate school provided that these credits are of a grade of at least B. These credits may be applied toward the degree only if recommended by the advisor and approved by the Graduate School. The student should consult the Graduate Catalog for other specific information on academic regulations and degree requirements.

Students can download a copy of the M.Ed. in Special Education (Ages 5-21): Teacher Certification Requirements Checklist to assist with planning coursework. As degree completion requirements are subject to change, students should always work with their advisor to ensure that they are viewing the most up-to-date worksheet. 

All students will be required to spend at least two semesters in a supervised internship setting. This experience is individualized and determined by the student's needs. For students with minimal experience and no educator license(s), the first part of the internship allows movement from exploratory experiences and observations to responsibility for preparing and implementing a program for one learner, to small group instruction, to responsibility for the total educational program for a full class of learners. Those students having an educator license and more experience, in conjunction with their advisor and internship coordinator, may determine other activities to expand their experiences or to develop other competencies.

Interns are expected to identify their own internship sites. Some students will choose an internship in which they are not paid. Other students may work as aides or paraprofessionals. In these cases, it must be clearly delineated that their role as an intern goes beyond the typical expectations for an aide/paraprofessional. Positions as one-to-one para-professionals are not acceptable as internship placements. Still other interns may choose to complete their internship in their own classroom.

Internship sites must be approved by the internship coordinator. All interns are expected to spend a significant proportion of each day in an inclusive setting. Interns will be expected to participate in all phases of the special education process from observations of children who may be referred, to making classroom modifications, to implementing a child's IEP.

Interns will work under the direct supervision of a school staff member designated as a clinical educator. These are experienced teachers who serve as role models providing daily support and guidance. Other students who may have some experience and prior licensure choose to complete their internship in their own classroom. These interns must identify someone in the school with whom to develop a peer support and modeling relationship. In addition to the support, guidance and daily interactions with the clinical educator or peer, a university intern supervisor will provide supervision and feedback. It is expected that the intern, the clinical educator or peer, and the university supervisor will meet periodically to discuss the experience and professional growth of the intern. This is also a time to develop expanded goals and new experiences.

The university supervisors and the group of special education interns will participate in weekly seminars. These seminars allow interns to share experiences, analyze and integrate the practical experiences in their classrooms with their coursework, and lead and respond to the group process, as a critical component of working successfully with children. During these seminars, students will demonstrate new instructional techniques, share strategies for managing classroom behaviors, and use problem solving and critical thinking skills to deal with issues. Seminars will also allow students to obtain assistance in writing IEPs, conducting and interpreting assessments, and working effectively with children, parents, and other professionals. In addition to their experience teaching as interns, all students will be expected to observe or participate in other special education programs. A variety of programs, as well as age groups, is suggested. It is also expected that the intern will become a member of a professional organization and attend conferences/workshops.

Interns will also be expected to participate in a variety of interactions with parents. These experiences may include observation of and participation in the IEP meetings, individual parent conferences, or home visits. Interns will be expected to demonstrate the ability to develop positive parent-professional relationships.

The Special Education Internship Checklist will be used to document activities and skills during the Internship experience. Interns will also be expected, with the support of their supervisor, to develop a set of goals to individualize and structure the internship experience.

Internship Application

All students who are seeking to complete an internship in special education through UNH must file an "intent to intern" form for special education. This form must be filed by October 1 of the year prior to the internship. Students must file this form even if they have not been admitted to the program, but are in the process of applying. Due to limited internship spaces in the program, internship placements will be approved on a first filed, first placed basis.

Concluding Research Project for M.Ed. in Special Education

The research project is one option that may be pursued for meeting the requirements of the degree. In lieu of a project, the student may instead choose to complete a Thesis, conducted according to guidelines from the Graduate School. International students will typically choose to complete a thesis.

The project is defined below, followed by guidelines for proposal development, and the step-by-step procedures for completing the project.

I. Definition: A project is a thoughtful, carefully justified, structured analysis and intervention to a problem or cluster of concerns that arise in, or are directly related to, your teaching experience. For example, the Project may involve an analysis and intervention concerning aspects of curriculum design, implementation, and evaluation, behavioral planning, or it may focus on a study of larger policy issues within the school or region.

II. Proposal Development: All projects are to be planned in advance and in consultation with the advisor. Proposals developed during EDUC 981 and any preliminary data collected can only be used for the project if it is developed and collected in cooperation with the project committee as described in section III below. The process of completing a Project usually takes a minimum of one full academic year. The student is responsible for beginning and maintaining contact with the Project Advisor in a timely manner so that the Project can be completed in the time-line envisioned by the student.

III. Procedure:

A. Prerequisites. Before beginning the project, the student must have completed all prerequisite courses and have either completed or be currently enrolled in at least the first semester of the internship. The student must have either previously completed or be currently enrolled in EDUC 981 prior to the development of the project proposal.

B. Faculty advisor and project committee. The student will consult with a member of the special education faculty qualified to sponsor the Project and secure preliminary consent of that faculty member to serve as the Project Advisor. The student will then, in agreement with the Project Advisor, secure the preliminary consent of one additional faculty member, to serve on the student’s Project Committee. This information will then be entered in the student’s graduate file within the department.

C. Initial Project proposal approval. The student is required to prepare a short (2 –3 page) proposal for approval by the Project Committee before work on the Project is begun. This proposal should include a brief description of the need, purpose, and solutions, including methods proposed to gather data supporting a solution. In limited circumstances, preexisting data may be admissible with project committee approval.

D. Proposal development. The student will work with the Project Advisor, and the other committee member as needed, to develop the design of the project, to develop formal and informal evaluation procedures and to determine the relevant literature that will be reviewed to justify the project. The student in conjunction with the committee will refine the written design for IRB submission. (Information and forms for this are available at the UNH webpage Compliance and Safety.) Continuing contact with the committee is expected on a regular basis to review ongoing progress with the Project. This is especially important during the writing of the Project’s final report to avoid major revisions at that time.

E. Project report. All completed project reports must contain the following sections:

Introduction: The introduction should establish the importance and review of the relevant literature of the concerns or questions the project will address. It should contain a review of the relevant related literature. A good introduction is usually written in such a way as to build a convincing case for the need for a particular project.

Method: The project report should describe the participants, project activities, materials, and procedures, in enough detail so that the project could be replicated by others, if need be. Details of the evaluation procedure must also be explained.

Results, Discussion, and Implications: The project report must describe the outcome of the project and its evaluation. The results must be discussed, including descriptions of appropriate analyses made using the data. Relevant implications for further research and practice must be drawn from these data, and described in the report.

A project report must be submitted as a well-developed piece of writing using current APA format. Most students will write several drafts of the report with input and revisions from the Project Committee. Suggestions may be offered for revision of content, clarity, organization, and writing mechanics at each draft until the report is acceptable. Project reports are not acceptable until they are of ‘A’ quality.

F. Final Project Approval. A final meeting of the Project Committee and the student will be held at which time questions will be resolved, final revisions will be suggested, and recommendations will be made. Upon completion of recommended editing, final approval will be granted. Approval of the Project will be granted in writing by a unanimous favorable decision of the Project Committee. Final approval must be granted by the date for master’s thesis approval set by the graduate school. The student is responsible for consulting the Graduate School Calendar on the UNH website to identify the exact date as these dates vary each semester.

Division of Educator Preparation

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Division of Educator Preparation

Admission Information

Employment Resources

Financial Aid

Licensing

Related Links