Master of Science in Special Education

Master of Science in Special Education candidates complete an 11-course (33 credit hour) program, including:

three foundation courses (multicultural education, advanced educational psychology, and educational research)
six special education courses
two related courses Course selection to meet the special education and related requirements is typically driven by candidates’ licensure programs.

Graduate courses taken for the mild intervention and/or the intense intervention licenses also count toward the master’s degree in special education. For those who are already licensed in special education and those who are not seeking licensure, the six required special education courses and the two related courses are electives. Candidates must be formally admitted to this degree-seeking graduate program. Please see Entering Our Programs.

12-Hour Rule

Up to four appropriate graduate courses (12 credit hours) taken as a post-baccalaureate (temporary, non degree-seeking) candidate may be counted toward the degree. Any courses beyond 12 credit hours will not count toward the degree unless the candidate has been formally admitted as a master’s degree-seeking candidate.

Five-Year Rule

No course older than five years at the time of graduation may be counted toward the degree.

Transfer Courses

Up to 15 hours of equivalent coursework taken for a letter grade at other accredited universities and colleges may be transferred into this program. Only courses with a grade of B or better are accepted.

Tips to Make Things Go Easily

Once you are admitted to a program, understanding administrative procedures will make your experience more enjoyable and positive. The following tips will help you find your way through the bureaucracy and finish your program in a timely and successful manner.

All of our graduate programs are housed in the Department of Graduate Studies in Education (GSE) office. We are located in the GYTE Annex, Room 122; our phone number is 219-989-2326. The office personnel are Virginia Rhodes, secretary, and Dr. Robert Colon, Department Head.

During the admissions process, please check with Graduate Studies in Education Secretary Virginia Rhodes regularly to make certain that necessary paperwork is completed on time. Your admission to a program will not occur until all of the required materials are received. It is your responsibility to make certain that all necessary documents are requested and sent to our office. You can save yourself time and trouble by being conscientious in the gathering of required documentation.

Once you are admitted, you must register for classes. Your advisor, Dr. Mihail, can register you in his office during early/open/late registration. Office hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00-4:30 during early and late registration. Extended office hours are available during open registration.
Purdue Calumet allows registration online. However, you cannot register for courses in GSE programs without permission from your advisor. It is important, therefore, to find out when registration begins each semester, to see your advisor about appropriate coursework, and register in a timely fashion. Failure to get your advisor’s permission may result in your being dropped from a course for which you registered. Because of state and federal requirements, it is necessary for us to sequence our programs and supervise enrollment carefully. Please don’t cause difficulties for yourself by omitting this important step. Registration dates are posted on calendars located throughout the campus, including our GSE office.

Another necessary step towards completion of a graduate degree program is the plan of study (POS). It is the official paperwork for graduation. The POS is completed by Dr. Mihail and signed by you. The “trigger” for completing the POS is when you register for your last course(s) to complete your program, during the semester before you graduate. It is your responsibility to request that a POS be completed. Again, please heed this reminder so that you do not delay your graduation.

Curriculum and Assessment

Standards-Based Curriculum

Candidates seeking this degree demonstrate mastery of the Indiana Department of Education standards for Teachers of Students with Exceptional Needs and Department of Graduate Studies in Education standards. Syllabi reflect these standards and include key assignments to be submitted through TaskStream, an online assessment system.

TaskStream is a program evaluation tool which supports accreditation documentation and encourages candidates to create an electronic portfolio. Whether you create a portfolio is optional; however, as a candidate for licensure, you will be required to use the system to submit specific artifacts (assignments) in your courses, as directed by your instructors. A TaskStream account costs $75, which is good for two years, with an option for renewal. To get an account, please make arrangements to see Virginia Rhodes (rhodesv@calumet.purdue.edu or 989-2326) in the Graduate Studies in Education office (ANNX-122).

Performance-Based Assessment

Course syllabi contain one or more assignments which are scored using a rubric that documents successful performance on the State and department standards. These artifacts include papers, projects, computer-based teaching materials, videotaped instruction, K-12 student products, and evidence of reflective practice.

Unit Assessment System (Gates)

The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Indiana Office of Educator Licensing and Deployment require that a unit assessment system provides for a data driven monitoring system for all candidates. Our unit assessment system includes three gates through which the candidates must successfully pass to enter, move forward in, and complete, the licensing program.

Plan of Study

Official graduation paperwork, the Plan of Study, is prepared by the academic advisor and signed by the candidate. It must be approved by an advisory committee, chaired by the academic advisor; the Head of Graduate Studies in Education; and the Graduate School Dean in West Lafayette. The “trigger” for this summative documentation of coursework is when the candidate registers for his/her last course. The Plan of Study must be prepared, signed, and submitted during the semester before the semester of graduation.

Admission, Retention, and Completion

Admission (Gate 1)

Although a new cohort of mild intervention licensure candidates is admitted each fall and a new cohort of intense intervention licensure candidates is admitted each spring , those who are also seeking a master’s in special education may begin working on their degrees during any semester. There are three foundation courses (multicultural education, advanced educational psychology, and educational research) required for the degree that are not part of the licensure programs.

Mild intervention licensure candidates may also take the required literacy and math courses during any semester. Intense intervention licensure candidates who are required to take additional coursework because they do not have a mild intervention license may take those four courses during any semester. Also, EDPS 591A (Integrating Students with Special Needs) may be taken during any semester.

Those who are seeking the master’s degree, but are not pursuing licensure, may enter the program during any semester.

Candidates for the Master of Science in Special Education are admitted based on a 3.0 minimum grade point average, three recommendation forms, teaching or related human service experience, a written statement addressing their reasons for pursuing graduate studies (which serves to reflect dispositions and as a writing sample), and an interview.

Retention (Gate 2)

Once admitted, in order to continue in the program, the candidate must meet the following requirements, which are evaluated at the halfway point of each candidate’s program (completion of five specific courses):

maintain a minimum 3.0 (B) grade point average; and
earn a minimum 2.0 (competent) average e-portfolio score (rubric scores are 3 = exemplary; 2 = competent; 1 = developing; 0=unacceptable).

Completion of Program / Approval for Licensure (Gate 3)

To be recommended to the State of Indiana for Intense Intervention K-12 Licensure, the candidate must meet the following requirements:

successfully complete all required coursework;
achieve a minimum 3.0 (B) grade point average; and
achieve a minimum 2.0 (competent) average e-portfolio score, providing evidence of professional performance on criteria associated with
- Department of Graduate Studies in Education Standards and
- Indiana Department of Education standards for Teachers of Students with Exceptional Needs: Intense Intervention.
The official paperwork for graduation, the Plan of Study, provides summative documentation of the candidate’s coursework. It must be filed with the main campus in West Lafayette during the semester before the semester in which the candidate graduates.