Exceptional Education M.A., M.Ed.
Graduate Program
Department of Child, Family and Community Sciences
The Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree prepares exceptional education teachers to work in programs serving K-12 students with exceptionalities. The program is designed for teachers certified in an area of exceptional education.
The Master of Arts (M.A.) program is for non-education majors or previously certified teachers in another field. In addition to the required 36 credit hours, students must complete co-requisite and pre-requisite courses. Graduates must be eligible for certification by the completion of the degree program.
The Office of Graduate Studies provides leadership for and administers
policies on graduate education at the University of Central Florida.
Student services include graduate admissions, student records, thesis and dissertation support, graduate fellowships, and other
activities, programs, and services to provide an excellent experience
for UCF graduate students from inquiry to graduation.
Degrees Offered
a. Master of Arts in Exceptional Education
b. Master of Education in Exceptional Education
Admission
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions and Registration section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. Please be sure to submit all requested material by the established deadline(s).
In addition to the general admission requirements, applicants must provide:
a. Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), which must have been taken within the last five years
b. GPA of 3.0 and GRE of 840; if GPA is below 3.0, GRE of 1000 (in lieu of the GRE, a GMAT score of 500 or higher may be used for admission consideration)
c. Applicants to the M.Ed. program must (1) have completed all course requirements for Florida state teacher certification in the program's subject area and/or grade range, or (2) present a Florida Professional Teaching Certificate upon admission to the program. Applicants who have graduated from an accredited university or college teacher certification program in another state or country, in the appropriate subject and/or grade range, may also be admitted to the M.Ed. program with approvals from appropriate College and Department committees and advisors.
d. For applicants from countries where English is not the official language, or for an applicant whose bachelor's degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, an official score of at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required.
Students may not switch from an M.A. program to an M.Ed. program, or vice versa, without going through the university's admission process. Courses used to gain initial state certification may not be transferred into an M.Ed. program.
Application Due Dates
All students applying for fellowships or assistantships must apply by the Fall Priority deadline date.
U.S. Applicants
PLEASE NOTE: Applications for Fall will be considered after the March 15th deadline on a space available basis.
Program(s)
Fall Priority
Fall
Spring
Summer
Master of Arts in Exceptional Education
Feb 1
Jul 15
Dec 1
Apr 15
Master of Education in Exceptional Education
Feb 1
Jul 15
Dec 1
Apr 15
International Applicants
Program(s)
Fall Priority
Fall
Spring
Summer
Master of Arts in Exceptional Education
Jan 15
Jan 15
Jul 1
Nov. 1
Master of Education in Exceptional Education
Jan 15
Jan 15
Jul 1
Nov.1
International Transfer Applicants
Program(s)
Fall Priority
Fall
Spring
Summer
Master of Arts in Exceptional Education
Feb 1
Mar 1
Sep 1
Dec. 15
Master of Education in Exceptional Education
Feb 1
Mar 1
Sep 1
Dec. 15
Master of Education in Exceptional Education
Minimum Hours Required for M.Ed.-33-36 Credit Hours
The M.Ed. degree prepares exceptional education teachers to work in programs serving K-12 students with disabilities. It is designed for teachers already certified in exceptional education to enhance their knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Individual Learning Projects, including research skills and action research, will be infused within courses of the specialization and a culminating comprehensive exam synthesizing current research will be completed to demonstrate mastery of skills, knowledge, and dispositions of standards from accrediting educational agencies.
Area A: Core-9 Credit Hours
a. EDF 6481 Fundamentals of Graduate Research in Education (3 credit hours)
b. EEX 6971 Thesis (6 credit hours) OR Two electives (6 hours) OR
c. EEX 6909 Research Report (6 credit hours)
Area B: Specialization-24 Credit Hours
a. EEX 6061 Instructional Strategies PreK-6 (3 credit hours)
b.. EEX 6065 Programming for Students with Disabilities at the Secondary Level (3 credit hours)
c. EEX 6107 Teaching Spoken and Written Language (3 credit hours)
d. EEX 6266 Assessment and Curriculum Prescriptions for the Exceptional Population (3 credit hours)
e. EEX 6342 Seminar-Critical Issues in Special Education (3 credit hours)
f. EEX 6524 Organization and Collaboration in Special Ed (3 credit hours)
g. EEX 6612 Methods of Behavioral Management (3 credit hours)
h. EEX 6863 Supervised Teaching Practicum with Exceptional Children or Elective (approved by adviser) (3 credit hours)
Comprehensive Exam Requirement: Culminating experience includes a comprehensive examination synthesizing current research will be completed to demonstrate mastery of skills, knowledge, and dispositions of standards from accrediting educational agencies.
Please see your adviser for guidance regarding the selection of electives (*). Approved electives should lead to completion of endorsements in reading or ESOL, if not currently endorsed, and may include courses such as:
a. TSL 5085 Teaching Language Minority Students in K-12 Classrooms (3 credit hours),
b. TSL 6250 Applied Linguistics in ESOL (3 credit hours)
c. RED 5514 Classroom Diagnosis (3 credit hours)
d. RED 5147 Developmental Reading (3 credit hours)
Other courses may be approved by an adviser. Additional courses within the Exceptional Education program area are also acceptable as electives and include:
a. ELD 6248 Instructional Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities
b. EED 6226 Theory and Applications for Students with EH
c. EMR 6365 Teaching Students with Mental Retardation
Please see complete listings of additional courses in Certificate Programs in Exceptional Education as possible courses for the elective area (e.g., Autism, Pre-K Handicapped, Special Education, etc.).
Master of Arts in Exceptional Education
Minimum Hours Required for M.A.- 54 Credit Hours
The M.A. program is for non-education majors or previously certified teachers in another content area. Graduates must be eligible for certification by the successful completion of the degree program in the area of exceptional student education (ESE) and achieving a passing score on the Florida certification exam. Graduates will also be eligible for reading and ESOL endorsement upon successful completion of the Masters of Arts degree program, if not currently endorsed. Individual Learning Projects, including research skills and action research, will be infused within courses of the specialization and a culminating comprehensive exam synthesizing current research will be completed to demonstrate mastery of skills, knowledge, and dispositions of standards from accrediting educational agencies.
Area A: Core-9 Credit Hours
a. EDF 6481 Fundamentals of Graduate Research in Education (3 credit hours)
b. TSL 5373 Teaching Language Minority Students in K-12 Classrooms (3 credit hours)
c. TSL 6250 Applied Linguistics in ESOL (3 credit hours)
Area B: Specialization-27 Credit Hours
a.. EEX 6061 Instructional Strategies PreK-6 (3 credit hours)
b. EEX 6065 Programming for Students with Disabilities at the Secondary Level (3 credit hours)
c. EEX 6107 Teaching Spoken and Written Language (3 credit hours)
d. EEX 6266 Assessment and Curriculum Prescriptions for the Exceptional Population (3 credit hours)
e. EEX 6342 Seminar-Critical Issues in Special Education (3 credit hours)
f. EEX 6524 Organization & Collaboration in Special Ed (3 credit hours)
g. EEX 6612 Methods of Behavioral Management (3 credit hours)
h. EEX 6946 Graduate Internship - ESE and Reading (3 + 3 credit hours)
Co-requisites-15 Credit Hours
These courses are prescribed by Florida State Statutes for initial teacher preparation (ITP). Waiver/substitutions for co-requisites must meet departmental standards and be approved by the chair of the department and/or advisor.
a. EDF 6727 Critical Analysis of Social, Ethical, Legal, and Safety Issues related to Education (3 credit hours)
b. EDG 6415 Principles in Instruction and Classroom Management (3 credit hours)
c. EDF 6938 Principles of Learning and Introduction to Classroom Assessments (3 credit hours)
d. RED 5147 Developmental Reading (3 credit hours)*
e. RED 5517 Classroom Diagnosis (3 credit hours)*
f. Electives can be taken, if approved by advisor
Prerequisite-3 Credit Hours
a. EEX 5051 Exceptional Children in the Schools (3 credit hours)
Comprehensive Exam and COE Portfolio Requirements: As culminating activities, students must complete the College of Education portfolio and comprehensive examinations. Please see your adviser.
Additional Program Graduation Requirements
Pass all applicable sections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination.
Financial Support
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see Financing Grad School, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Key points about financial support:
a. If you're interested in financial assistance, you're strongly encouraged to apply for admission early. A complete application for admission, including all supporting documents, must be received by the priority date listed for your program under "Admissions."
b. You must be admitted to a graduate program before the university can consider awarding financial assistance to you.
c. If you want to be considered for loans and other need-based financial assistance, review the UCF Student Financial Assistance website at http://finaid.ucf.edu and complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form, which is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Apply early and allow up to six weeks for the FAFSA form to be processed.
d. UCF Graduate Studies awards university graduate fellowships, with most decisions based on nominations from the colleges and programs. All admitted graduate students are automatically considered in this nomination process. To be eligible for a fellowship, students must be accepted as a graduate student in a degree program and be enrolled full-time. To receive need-based fellowship awards, the student must have demonstrated need as determined by FAFSA. Merit fellowship awards are not affected by FAFSA determination of need.
e. Please note that select fellowships do require students to fill out a fellowship application (either a university fellowship application, an external fellowship application, or a college or school fellowship application).
f. For information on assistantships (including teaching, research, and general graduate assistantships) or tuition support, contact the graduate program director of your major.
Contact Information
Master of Arts in Exceptional Education
Mary E. Little, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-3275
mlittle@mail.ucf.edu
Master of Education in Exceptional Education
Mary E. Little, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Phone Number: 407-823-3275
mlittle@mail.ucf.edu
