Master of Arts in Special Education

Graduate Studies Catalog Main>>

Traditional - 39 or 36 Credits

39 Credits for Students working towards Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification

36 Credits for Students who enter the program with Teacher of the Handicapped Certification

The Master of Arts in Special Education is designed to provide students with the ability to understand and embrace diversity, the ability to meet the needs of exceptional learners and the ability to guide individuals to maximize their educational potential. They will be able to lead others toward change in creating a learning environment in which all individuals are allowed and encouraged to maximize their potential. This degree reflects upon the commitment of Centenary College to produce “broadly educated” graduates who are committed to personal values, to their communities, and to their profession and its standards of excellence.

Graduate Grading Policy for Education Degrees

Graduate students must:

• achieve a grade of "B" or higher in each course
• must have a GPA of 3.0 in order to receive a degree
• Any graduate student who receives more than one grade of C (to include C+, C, and C-) will be dismissed from the program.
• A graduate student who has received a grade of C must repeat the course.
• No grades of D will be given (anything lower than a C- is an F). A grade of F will result in dismissal from the program.
• If a student repeats a course in which a grade of C has been received, both the original grade and the repeated grade will count in the GPA. The original grade of C will be used to determine eligibility to stay in or to be removed from the program.

Admissions Requirements

• Completed application.
• Bachelors Degree.
• Teaching Certification - Please send a copy of your standard certificate or your Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing with your application. (If you do not have a teaching certificate please contact Elyse Clark at extension 2162.)
• Original transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
• Minimum GPA 2.8.
• No GRE/GMAT required.
• Two professional or educational letters of recommendation.

Program Goals

• Provide up-to-the-minute training in the midst of major changes in the field of special education
• Prepare students so that they will act as role models/change agents in the field
• Prepare students who can accommodate diversity
• Offer a broad-based program of study that will allow graduates to understand the needs of diverse learners from multiple perspectives

Audit Sheets

Students are required to take core courses in Fundamentals of Special Education, Teaching Strategies, Techniques and Interactions, Psychological Aspects, Research, Evaluation and Assessment, Concentration Courses in Special Education, and the Special Education Capstone Course.