MA in Special Education with Licensure
Designed for candidates with a bachelor degree who are pursuing both an advanced degree and a Wisconsin teaching license in an area of special education.
- The Master of Arts in Special Education Degree program and the Teacher Licensure program are separate programs, although courses taken for licensure may be used to complete master degree elective requirements. Acceptance into both the degree and the licensure programs are required for this option.
- Initial and add-on teaching licensure requires candidates to meet all of the Teacher Education Program requirements and follow all Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requirements, policies, and procedures for state licensure. Initial licensure will require a sequence of undergraduate prerequisite courses prior to registering for Cross Categorical or Categorical Special Education graduate courses. Refer to licensure options and requirements.
Entrance Requirements
The Master of Arts in Special Education degree requires 33 graduate credit hours. The candidate’s plan of study is developed when the candidate applies for acceptance into the degree program.
This degree is designed for the candidate who meets one of the following:
- Has a bachelor degree, a license in special education, and is pursuing professional growth
- Has a bachelor degree, a license in special education, and is pursuing a second special education license
- Has a bachelor degree and is pursuing an initial special education license
- Is enrolled in a Silver Lake College undergraduate teacher education program and has completed the required 120 credits for graduation
The Master of Arts in Special Education degree may be completed in conjunction with a Wisconsin teaching license in which the 18 elective credit requirements for the degree are chosen from licensure courses. These electives must be taken for graduate credit and meet the minimum required grade of “B-.”
Completion Requirements
To qualify for graduation with a Master of Arts in Special Education Degree, candidate must:
- Complete master’s course work with a 3.0 overall grade point average on a 4.0 scale with no individual grade below a “B/C.”
- Implement Best Practice Research which results in a measurable increase in student outcomes.
- Complete a thesis or a classroom action research based on best practice.
- Present an oral synthesis of the Best Practice Research with the body of knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the course of study.
- Obtain faculty recommendation for graduation.
- Complete all requirements for the master’s degree within seven consecutive academic years.
