MEd in Special Education - High Incidence

The Master of Education or endorsement in special education - high incidence at Wichita State University prepares educators for teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities. The program is designed to develop reflective practitioners who possess both theoretical understanding and practical skills related to a) the field of special education for students with functional learning needs, b) effective communication and collaboration, and c) research-validated practices. The special education - high incidence program prepares professional practitioners to make curricular and instructional modifications in order to facilitate successful student learning. Courses are offered online enabling graduate students to earn their degree while employed full time and balancing other obligations.

For more information, visit the program website1.

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Admission

To be considered for admission to the special education high incidence program, applicants must meet the following requirements: 
  • For full admission, students must have a GPA of 2.750 or better;
  • Applicants with a GPA below 2.750 are required to meet one of the following: 
    • GRE scores of at least 150 in verbal reasoning, 148 in quantitative reasoning, and 3.5 in analytical writing;
    • Miller Analogies Test (MAT) score of 400 or above;
  • A current Kansas initial teaching certificate/license (or eligible for a certificate/license) is required for admission; and
  • Full admission to the WSU Graduate School.
Applications are evaluated when received for the the special education high incidence program

Program Requirements

The fully online Master of Education in special education — high incidence may be earned under a nonthesis option — 30 credit hours of coursework, practical experience and the culminating experience. Candidates may elect to complete only the 23 credit hours of required courses as preparation to apply for an endorsement.

Background Check

Upon admission and prior to their first semester, all applicants admitted to this program must clear a criminal background check. There are two reasons for this requirement. First, it is part of the university’s due diligence before placing students in field settings. Second, the check may alert applicants or students to issues that may subsequently affect their ability to work in their chosen field. In instances when a person’s criminal history raises reasonable concerns that should be cleared to engage in the field experiences and/or subsequently obtain licensure/endorsement, WSU may take a range of actions, including rescission of admission or dismissal from the program, depending on the nature of the concern.

MEd in Special Education — High Incidence Track

Course Title Hours
Required Courses
SPED 784Foundations of Special Education3
SPED 724Introduction to Teaching Strategies for Students with High-Incidence Disabilities3
SPED 749APracticum: High Incidence Learners 22
SPED 796Family and Professional Collaboration2
SPED 817Language to Literacy: Meeting the Needs of Students with High Incidence Disabilities 33
SPED 817AInternship/Practicum: Language to Literacy 2, 42
SPED 812Transition Across the Life Span2
SPED 818Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Exceptionalities 53
SPED 818AInternship/Practicum: Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Exceptionalities 2, 61
SPED 822Principles of Nondiscriminatroy Assessment for Students with Exceptionalities2
Research Component
CLES 801Introduction to Educational Research3
or CLES 723 Single Subject Design
SPED 862Capstone Research Project: Project Development 62
SPED 863Capstone Research Project: Project Completion 72
Total Credit Hours30
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Requires a B- or better. 

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Must be taken with SPED 817A.

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Must be taken with SPED 817.

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Must be taken with  SPED 818A.  CLES 721 course option is only for students who are also completing the ABA Graduate Certificate program.

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Must be taken with  SPED 818, or after taking  CLES 721.

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Requires completion of core courses and  CLES 801 or  CLES 723.

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Requires completion of  SPED 862

 

Note: After successful completion of the first 9 credit hours, the candidate is eligible to apply to KSDE for a two-year provisional endorsement. A second two-year provisional may be applied for if the candidate has continued to make adequate progress in the program. Please contact the Licensure Office in College of Applied Studies Advising, 316-978-3300, for information on the licensure application to submit.

Applied Learning

Students in the MEd in special education - high incidence track are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met in part by completing a capstone research project in which the emphasis is on applying professional practices to research and is directly linked to applied learning. In addition, students must complete at least 135 hours of field experience/internship in special education classrooms as evidenced by successful completion the following courses: SPED 818A, SPED 749A and SPED 817A.