Master of Science in Special Education (PreK-8) for Initial Licensure
The Master of Science in Special Education for Initial Licensure is intended for professionals with a variety of work and educational backgrounds, including recent liberal arts or education graduates, mid-career teaching professionals, and adults seeking a career change. The program is designed to provide very high quality preparation while minimizing the financial and time commitments often associated with earning a graduate degree by providing paid internships and compressing the program into 14 months.
Students enrolled in this program benefit from paid full time internships with close professional supervision, allowing them to explore and implement ideas learned in the classroom. They also develop close long-lasting relationships with their faculty, who have both theoretical knowledge and practical experience working in the Special Education field.
Signature Course
All of the graduate programs in Special Education incorporate one signature course into the curriculum.
Racial and Cultural Identities (EDU 505): This course is distinctly different from the offerings of other schools because its focus is on the self rather than the other. It requires participants to consider their own social identity in terms of race, ethnicity, social class, gender, citizenship; and to think about how their identity will influence and inform their work with students and their families.
For a detailed list of courses, please go to the graduate section of our catalog in .pdf and click on School of Education and Child Life: Special Education.
Certification
Successful completion of this program qualifies students to be eligible for endorsement for the Massachusetts Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8) initial license. To qualify for this endorsement, the student must receive a passing score on the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL), as required by the Massachusetts Department of Education. Required MTEL sections include Literacy and Communication, General Curriculum, and Foundations of Reading.
Internship Experience
A minimum 300-hour supervised teaching placement is required as part of this program. A majority of the students elect for a full-time paid internship or enter the program already hired as a head teacher or assistant teacher working with children with special needs (i.e. self-placement). In either case, all placements must be approved by the Field Experience Office and Special Education Faculty.
For more information on Graduate Internships contact the Field Experience Office at feo@wheelock.edu or go to the Field Experience Graduate FAQ's Page.
FAQs
Q: How many credits is this program?
A: 30-36, depending on prior education and experience. If
you have questions about how many credits will be required for you
to complete the program you should contact the Office of Graduate Admissions
at graduate@wheelock.edu or
(617) 879-2206, and they will schedule an interview for you with a
representative of the Special Education department.
Q: When can I enroll in this program?
A: The preferred start time is the summer semester
(June). This start term allows students to complete required
coursework during the summer term and then begin a full-time internship
in the fall. However, it is possible to begin in the spring or
fall semesters. Students who begin their coursework in the spring
semester (January) are able to get a head start on their coursework,
allowing more flexibility in their internships semesters. Those
wishing to begin in the fall semester (September) will need to speak
with a faculty member first. If allowed to enter in the fall,
applicants should either have met with the Field Experience Office
and arranged an internship for the fall, have received approval for
a “self-placement,” or recognize that they may not be able
to do their internship until the following fall semester.
Q: Do I need to be a full-time student to participate in
this program?
A: Students may begin their course work on a part-time
basis, but must enroll full-time during semesters in which the internships
are completed.
Q: How many hours are the internships?
A: A minimum of 300 hours in total will be spent in
internships.
Q: Can I be paid for my internship?
A: Yes, the internships are often full-time paid positions
or stipend.
Q: Will I be able to use my current job as a placement
opportunity?
A: In some instances students can use their current
job as their internship, referred to as a “self-placement”. Students
should discuss this with the program coordinator or faculty advisor
as well as the Field Experience Office. The Special Education
Department needs to approve of a self-placement to ensure that the
teaching experience will meet state licensure requirements as well
as program standards.
Q: Do I need experience working with children to qualify
for admission to this program?
A: Preference is given to applicants who have previous
experience working with children and families, but such experience
is not required.
Q: What if I already have an initial license?
A: Applicants who have received their initial licensure
but are interested in pursuing a graduate degree may be interested
in our Master of Science in Educational Studies: Special Education
program, however it does not provide for additional licensure. Refer
to the Master of Science
in Educational Studies Program for additional information.
Q: Do I have to interview for admission to the program?
A: Yes, interviews are required as part of the application
process. Informational interviews to learn more about the graduate
programs in Special Education can be scheduled at any time. To
schedule an interview with a faculty member, email the Office of Graduate
Admissions at graduate@wheelock.edu. Interviews
for admission to the program normally take place in the early spring.
Q: What will I need to submit if I apply to this program?
A: A graduate
program application, a 3-5 page essay, a copy of your resumé,
copies of your academic transcripts and 3 letters of reference. For
full details of required admissions materials visit our Graduate
Admissions site.
Applying to a Wheelock College Graduate Program
Go to our application process web page to find out more on how to apply to this program.
If you have any questions about this program, other graduate programs at Wheelock College, or about applying to Wheelock College, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions at graduate@wheelock.edu or call (617) 879-2206 (toll-free (800) 734-5212), or visit the Office of Graduate Admissions Web Site.
