Early Childhood Education and Special Education, M.Ed.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Learn more about the Master of Education in Early Childhood Education and Special Education.
About the Program
The Early Childhood Education and Special Education graduate program is designed to prepare students for dual teacher certification in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, grades pre-Kindergarten to 4.
Time Limit for Degree Completion: 4 years
Campus Location: Main
Full-Time/Part-Time Status: The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Evening classes on Main campus start at 5:30 p.m. Students also complete fieldwork in a classroom about one day a week throughout each academic term.
Accreditation: The program is approved as a teacher certification program by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).
Job Prospects: Graduates typically pursue early childhood and special education teaching positions in school settings in grades pre-Kindergarten to 4.
Licensure: Upon successful completion of the degree requirements and passing all required licensure examinations, candidates may apply for a Pennsylvania Instructional I Teaching Certificate.
Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Students may take up to, but not more than, 9 credits of graduate study in the program before being admitted to the program. The credits transfer into the program, if the student is admitted. Students completing non-matriculated courses before being admitted to the program are NOT guaranteed admission.
Financing Opportunities: Financial support opportunities may include scholarships, tuition remission, and other financial aid such as grants, loans, and federal work study.
Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadline:
Fall: March 1
Spring: November 1
Applicants should submit all required admissions documents by the application deadline to receive priority consideration for admission and financial support.
APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.
Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 2
From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained to provide insight regarding the applicant's academic competence. References from college/university faculty are recommended.
Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Prerequisites for admission to the Early Childhood Education and Special Education M.Ed. program include courses taken at the undergraduate or graduate level with a grade of "C" or better earned in the following areas:
- At least two courses (or 6 credits) in college-level mathematics, thus excluding remedial or developmental courses.
- At least two courses (or 6 credits) in language arts/English, including one course in writing/composition and one literature course.
- At least one course (or 3 credits) each in science, history (American and World History recommended), and art or music.
A prerequisite evaluation is conducted upon receipt of the application and all official transcripts. All required prerequisites must be fulfilled before an applicant is eligible for admission.
Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A bachelor's degree is required. A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is expected.
International applicants should also submit an official document that validates completion and conferral of a degree, diploma, and/or certificate. While not required, international applicants are encouraged to submit transcript(s) to the World Education Services (WES) for evaluation.
Statement of Goals: In 500 to 1,000 words, outline your interest in seeking a master’s degree with a specific focus on the career to which you aspire, your interests, and your academic and job-related experiences that are relevant to the program.
Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:
- TOEFL iBT: 79
- IELTS Academic: 6.5
- PTE Academic: 53
Resume: Current resume required.
Transfer Credit: Courses may be transferred from an accredited institution provided they were completed less than five years ago and are relevant to the program. The academic advisor makes the decision about the relevancy of the courses that the student desires to transfer. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 6.
Clearances: A Pennsylvania criminal background check, a federal criminal history check, a child abuse clearance, and a TB test are required upon enrollment.
Other Requirement: Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from all accredited institutions attended and/or from which credit was earned must be submitted.
Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 49
Required Courses:
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Foundation Course | ||
EDUC 5402 | Child and Adol Develop | 3 |
Early Childhood Education Courses | ||
ECED 5107 | Mathematics Education for the Early Years: PreK-4 | 3 |
ECED 5108 | Social Studies Education for the Early Years: PreK-4 | 3 |
ECED 5109 | Science Education for the Early Years: PreK to 4 | 3 |
ECED 5206 | Literacy Foundations for the Primary Grades: First through Fourth | 3 |
ECED 5502 | Cognitive Development | 3 |
Special Education Courses | ||
SPED 5105 | Assessment in Special Education | 3 |
SPED 5106 | Literacy Instruction for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
SPED 5109 | Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support | 3 |
SPED 5201 | Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities: Effective Teaching Strategies | 3 |
SPED 5211 | Effective Instruction for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
SPED 5402 | Effective Transition Practices for Students with Mild Disabilities | 3 |
SPED 5666 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
TESOL Course | ||
TESL 5631 | Foundations of Language Teaching: Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners | 3 |
Culminating Courses | ||
EDUC 5409 | Research Methods and Induction Capstone | 3 |
EDUC 5888 | Supervised Teaching | 4 |
Total Credit Hours | 49 |
Culminating Events: Supervised teaching and its related research methods and capstone course are the culminating events for this program.
Early Childhood Education Courses
ECED 5106. Early Literacy and Language Development: Birth-Kindergarten. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
ECED 5107. Mathematics Education for the Early Years: PreK-4. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
ECED 5108. Social Studies Education for the Early Years: PreK-4. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
ECED 5109. Science Education for the Early Years: PreK to 4. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
ECED 5206. Literacy Foundations for the Primary Grades: First through Fourth. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
ECED 5370. Sem Early Child Lit Edu. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
ECED 5502. Cognitive Development. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
Special Education Courses
SPED 5105. Assessment in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5106. Literacy Instruction for Students with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5107. Understanding and Using Special Education Research. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5108. Assistive Technology and Universal Design. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5109. Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5111. Educating Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings. 2 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Co-requisites: MGRE 5102, SPED 5187.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5187. Graduate Assessment Practicum in Early Childhood Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Co-requisites: MGRE 5102, SPED 5111.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SPED 5201. Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities: Effective Teaching Strategies. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5211. Effective Instruction for Students with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5287. Integrated Literacy and Special Education Practicum. 2 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Co-requisites: MGRE 5102, SPED 5111.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
Pre-requisites:
(EDUC 5402|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently
AND MGRE 5101|Minimum Grade of B-|May not be taken concurrently)
SPED 5301. Building Communication in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Severe Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5302. Effective Teaching Strategies and Academic Interventions. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5303. Ethics and Applied Behavior Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5304. Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5305. Single Subject Research Design. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5401. Students with Mild Disabilities: Effective Teaching Strategies. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5402. Effective Transition Practices for Students with Mild Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5501. Learning Environments. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5511. Managing Learning Environments. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5512. Methods and Curriculum. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5521. Issues in Social, Emotional, and Physical Development. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5522. Cognition, Language, and Literacy. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5587. Special Education Practicum. 6 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SPED 5611. Total Inclusion Seminar. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 5666. Introduction to Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 8101. Trends and Issues in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 8701. Proseminar in Individual Differences. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 8711. Seminar in Special Education Research. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 8741. Seminar in Exceptionalities. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 8742. Seminar in Exceptionalities. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.
SPED 9187. Practicum in Special Education. 3 to 9 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SPED 9287. Practicum in Special Education. 3 to 6 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SPED 9387. Practicum in Special Education. 3 to 6 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SPED 9485. Augmen Comm Empow Intern. 1 to 3 Credit Hour.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
SPED 9489. Fld Exp Spec Ed Supervis. 3 Credit Hours.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Graduate.
Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.
Contacts
Program Web Address:
Department Information:
Dept. of Teaching and Learning
College of Education and Human Development
1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6091
215-204-0999