The Master of Education or endorsement in special education — low incidence at Wichita State University prepares educators for teaching students with moderate to severe disabilities. The program is designed to develop reflective practitioners who possess both theoretical understanding and practical skills related to:

  • The field of special education for students with functional learning needs,
  • Effective communication and collaboration, and
  • Research-validated practices.

The special education — low 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.

Admission

To be considered for admission to the special education low 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 low incidence program.

Program Requirements

The fully online Master of Education in special education — low 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-hour core 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.

For more information, visit the advanced programs background check requirement1.

MEd or Endorsement in Special Education - Low Incidence Track

Course Title Hours
Required Core Courses
SPED 784Foundations of Special Education3
SPED 742Introduction to Teaching Strategies for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities 23
SPED 749FPracticum: Low Incidence Learners2
SPED 796Family and Professional Collaboration 22
SPED 820Adv Teaching Strategies for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities 2,33
SPED 820AInternship/Practicum: Low-Incidence Learning Needs 2,42
SPED 812Transition Across the Life Span 22
SPED 815Intensive Academic and Behavioral Interventions2
SPED 818Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Exceptionalities 2, 53
or CLES 721 Fundamental Elements in Behavior Change and Specific Behavior Change Procedures
SPED 822Principles of Nondiscriminatroy Assessment for Students with Exceptionalities 22
Research Component
SPED 851Special Education Research 5, 63
or CLES 723 Single Subject Design
SPED 862Capstone Research Project: Project Completion 2,73
Total Credit Hours30
1

Link opens new window.

2

Requires a B- or better.

3

Must be taken with SPED 820A.

4

Must be taken with SPED 820.

5

CLES 721 and  CLES 723 course options are only for students who are also completing the ABA Graduate Certificate program.

6

Requires completion of all required core courses.

7

Requires completion of all required core courses, as well as completion of SPED 851 or CLES 723.

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 - low incidence are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirements 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 by successfully completing the following courses: SPED 749F and SPED 820A.