About
Do you feel called to teach? Do you seek a fulfilling career you are excited about, a career through which you make a real difference in the lives of people with special needs?
The special education program at East Carolina offers a rich combination of mentoring and course work coupled with extensive field-based practices to further your knowledge and skills to teach students with special learning needs. The MAEd program in special education is the only totally online accredited program in the state. It is designed for you to take graduate courses part-time while continuing to work in your local community. The part-time program generally takes two years to complete, but you do have the option of full-time graduate studies.
All MAEd students are required to complete a series of core courses, followed by additional course work provided in your choice of four categorical areas: intellectual disabilities (ID), learning disabilities (LD), behavioral/emotional disabilities (BED), and low-incidence disabilities (LID).
Throughout this program, you will become a savvy consumer of education research in your licensure area and well poised to select and use evidence-based practices to further learning of your students. During your capstone action research or thesis research experience, you will extend your knowledge of assessment, technology, and culturally responsive teaching.
Institutional and Professional Licensure Disclosures for Enrolled and Prospective Students
ECU degree programs satisfy the professional licensure and/or certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for these exams. However, requirements in other states may be different.
If you are considering a degree program that may, would, could or potentially lead to a professional license and/or certification, please note that at this time ECU may or may not be able to advise whether a program meets requirements outside of North Carolina. Prior to enrolling in a degree program, please discuss this important topic with your program of interest.
ECU Advantage
Candidates in the program participate in a two-semester in-depth case study project that incorporates knowledge and history of the field, student characteristics and learning needs, and educational programs with application of current research-based models, interventions, and strategies in a classroom setting. To complete this project, candidates work with one student with learning disabilities, teachers, other service providers, and families to plan and implement an evidence-based intervention to improve academic skills. Technologies such as video-recorded teaching demonstrations and teleconferencing are used to share information and provide feedback to candidates.
What You Will Study
Choose one course from the following:
- EDUC 6480 - Introduction to Research OR
- EDUC 6482 - Trends and Issues in Educational Research for Practitioners OR
- SCIE 6500 - Understanding and Engaging in Educational Research
- SPED 6010 - Issues, Trends, and Law in Special Education
- SPED 6012 - Assessment in Special Education
- SPED 6014 - Positive Behavior Intervention and Support
- SPED 6015 - Facilitating Systems Change through Collaboration and Co-Teaching
Choose one of the following concentrations:
- SPED 6023 - Instructing Students with Behavioral/Emotional Disorders
- SPED 6027 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning for Students with Behavior Disabilities
- SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education
- SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education OR
- SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education
- Approved elective
- SPED 6020 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning in Special Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
- SPED 6021 - Instructing Students with Intellectual Disabilities
- SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education
- SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education OR
- SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education
- Approved elective (3 s.h.)
- SPED 6022 - Instructing Students with Learning Disabilities
- SPED 6025 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning for Students with Learning Disabilities
- SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education
- SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education OR
- SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education
- Approved elective (3 s.h.)
- SPED 6030 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning in Special Education for Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities
- SPED 6031 - Instructing Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities
- SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education
- SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education OR
- SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education
- Approved elective (3 s.h.)
Requires the demonstration of field-based master teaching, research, collaboration, and leadership skills throughout the Special Education, MAEd program.
All ECU graduate programs require students to successfully complete a comprehensive assessment. This program requires the completion of a thesis (SPED 7000) or an action research project (SPED 7002). Both require a presentation to faculty and students.
The Special Education, MAEd leads to a NC Advanced, M Level license in one of four licensure areas. The licenses issued with this degree will be one of the following: Behaviorally/Emotionally Disabled Grades K-12, Learning Disabled Grades K-12, Mentally Disabled Grades K-12, or Severely/Profoundly Disabled Grades K-12. Candidates may be admitted to the Special Education, MAEd if they do not hold the valid NC initial, A level license in one of the four special education licensure areas noted above, including anyone with a license in another area, with an out-of-state license, or with no license at all. These candidates will be required to sign the LNNC Waiver and by doing so are duly informed that they will not receive the NC recommendation for the chosen area of the Special Education Grades K-12 advanced, M level licensure until the NC initial, A level licensure requirements in the same area are met, which will include additional NC licensure tests and may include additional coursework. The LNNC Waiver can be located at https://education.ecu.edu/graduate/. The waiver should accompany the application for admission to the MAEd. ECU degree programs satisfy the professional licensure and/or certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for these exams. Requirements in other states may be different. Upon successful completion of ECU educator preparation program degree requirements and licensure requirements for the State of North Carolina candidates will be eligible for an ECU recommendation for a NC license. However, final licensure granting decisions are the sole responsibility of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction not ECU. Candidates who seek out of state employment or out of state licensure will have to meet the receiving state's requirements. There is no automatic licensure reciprocity between states. ECU will verify the completion of an approved, accredited program for candidates who seek this verification, but those candidates will be responsible for working with the receiving state to complete any additional requirements to obtain the license and/or employment in the receiving state.