内华达里诺大学

Our Special Education program has a variety of program options for candidates interested in starting a career in special education, as well as for experienced special education and general education teachers. Each of our suggested programs of study is tied to Nevada licensure requirements.

The Master of Education in Special Education focuses on the preparation of teachers to work with students with disabilities in PK-12 schools. Teachers may also be prepared to work with infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families. The program has an emphasis area that the Association for Behavior Analysis International has verified toward the coursework requirements for eligibility to take the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (Option 1) examination.

Two types of master’s degrees in special education are offered, the Master of Education (M.Ed.) with out a thesis and Master of Education (M.Ed.) with a thesis. These programs have differing emphases and so it is recommended that students meet with a faculty advisor in selecting the most appropriate program.

Emphasis areas include:

• mild to moderate disabilities (K-12),
• intellectual disabilities: moderate to intense needs,
• applied behavior analysis in special education,
• autism and related disorders (K-12),
• advanced studies in behavior analytic intervention, and
• early intervention/early childhood special education.

Students will develop an in-depth understanding of special education policy and law, student characteristics, instructional methods, assessment, behavior management, and working collaboratively with families. They will be familiar with the professional literature related foundations and research in special education related to their area of emphasis. Teacher leadership is stressed with graduates able to interpret and evaluate research findings and apply them to special education and early intervention settings.

Program Requirements

The MEd Degree in Special Education requires students to develop a program of study in conjunction with their advisor and committee that includes a minimum of 34 graduate credits, at least 15 of which must be at the 700-level.

Program Hours

A minimum of 33 credits are required. All degree candidates are required to complete one or more research courses. Some emphasis areas offer, and students choose to complete, a six-credit thesis as part of the program, resulting in a program of at least 39 credits. A maximum of six graduate credits of S/U grades may be applied toward a master's degree.