Special Education, M.Ed.

About the Program

The Special Education (SPED) program in the College of Education and Human Development equips teachers with deep understanding of the socio-cultural context of education; high-impact instructional practices; and empirically supported, preventative approaches to provide equitable education to children with disabilities. The program features uphold and further both the College’s and the University's mission in the following ways:

Promoting evidence-based practice and effective implementation in the classroom;
Recognizing and ameliorating the impact of socio-cultural factors on the education of children with disabilities;
Advocating inclusive practices both within schools and within society as a whole; and
Emphasizing preventative approaches to support improved teaching and learning.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 5 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students complete the degree program through classes offered after 5:30 p.m. The degree program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.

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).

Areas of Specialization: The scope of the Special Education certificate is grades PreK-8.

Job Prospects: The market for highly qualified special education teachers remains unabated. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports an increased need for special education teachers. The shortage of special education teachers has been identified regionally (i.e., Pennsylvania and New Jersey) and is particularly prevalent in urban centers in the immediate environs of Temple University.

Licensure: Upon successful completion of the degree requirements and passing all required licensure examinations, candidates may apply for Pennsylvania Special Education PreK-12 certification.

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 and should ideally attest to the candidate's academic ability and readiness to work with students at the middle- and secondary-grade levels. References from college/university faculty are recommended.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration: Significant coursework (i.e., the equivalent of a minor or better) and/or professional experience related to the intended certification area are preferred.

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: All admitted students must submit copies of the required Pennsylvania criminal background check, FBI criminal history, Child Abuse check, and TB test to the College of Education and Human Development's Office of Field Placement prior to enrolling in their first term. These clearances are required by law prior to entering pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade classrooms to complete field experience requirements, starting with the first term and continuing throughout the program.

Pennsylvania clearances are not required for application completion. All new students who possess required Pennsylvania clearances more than one year old must submit updated clearances to the Office of Field Placement. Please note that obtaining these clearances may take up to six weeks. For instructions, please visit the Office of Field Placement's website at https://education.temple.edu/ofp/clearances.

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: 37

Required Courses:

Course List
Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
EDUC 5402	Child and Adol Develop	3
SPED 5105	Assessment in Special Education	3
SPED 5106	Literacy Instruction for Students with Disabilities	3
SPED 5107	Understanding and Using Special Education Research	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 Disabilities	3
SPED 5666	Introduction to Special Education	3
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		37