Program Codes:
MSQSPEDEL
Master of Science
Availability: campus
Introduction
The graduate department in Special Education and Applied Disabilites Studies is designed to afford providers of educational and behavioral services opportunities to (a) refine their critical thinking and analytical skills to the highest level of proficiency necessary to attain excellence in the field, and (b) develop applied research competencies necessary to create innovations in education and behavioral services that benefit individuals with disabilities or unique learning needs. Graduate students are encouraged to become scientist-practitioners, in which they refine and redefine the links between teaching and research, theory and researchbased practice. Following a scientist-practitioner model, graduates from our program will have the unique ability to advance both the science and art involved in a meaningful careers in services for individuals with disabilities.
The graduate department in Special Education provides the candidate with the experiences in field-centered activities, strongly supported by the principles of evidence-based practices, effective and appropriate education, normalization, critical pedagogy, and tolerance of individual differences. Candidates are prepared to assess learning and behavioral strengths and deficits in order to help individuals grow and achieve their goals within the contexts of special education and behavioral service settings.
Through this program, students may pursue teacher certification, Pennsylvania Behavior Specialist Licensure, and Autism Spectrum Disorder Endorsement from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis is designed to meet the educational requirements for certification by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board. Additionally, students may complete concentrations in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Applied Disability Service in Higher Education or English Language Learners. The ASD concentration allows students to receive an endorsement on their Pennsylvania Department of Education certificates.
Mission Statement
The mission of the graduate department in Special Education is to provide current and future special education practitioners with the skills and experiences necessary to implement evidence-based practices in the helping professions of teaching, behavior analysis, and disability services. A Mercyhurst, the graduate of Special Education is prepared to create learning opportunities that allow individuals with educational and behavioral challenges to realize opportunities for self-determination and independence. Our graduates are encouraged to follow a scientist-practitioner model, serving the field in three evidence-driven ways: to incorporate research in their practice as teachers and clinicians; to produce applied research or datadriven strategies in both their graduate studies and their professional careers; and to disseminate their clinical or research endeavors through the presentation of resulting data to others in the field.
Admission Requirements
Students seeking admission to the graduate program in Special Education at Mercyhurst must meet the following minimum requirements and submit the following items:
The graduate program in Special Education operates on a semester schedule. Fall and spring semesters are each 16 weeks long. Summer session courses and advanced institutes are also offered to meet the needs of school personnel in the area. On-campus courses are offered in the evening, meeting once or twice per week. Several courses are available online. New students are admitted to the program each semester.
Professional Education Portfolio (PEP)
Students currently employed in the field of special education and disabilities services may earn Credit for Life Experience by completing a Professional Education Portfolio (PEP) The PEP documents the students’ ability to interpret learning outcomes and how they are assessed, consider methods in which the learning outcomes can be addressed (i.e., outside the traditional university course), and critically examine their own prior professional learning opportunities. Specifically, the goal is to produce ethical leaders in the field of education and disability studies who are cognizant of how (a) professional standards and organization policy impact the student’s right to effective programming, (b) educational goals, curriculum assessments, and measurable objectives, drive the implementation of evidence-based practices, and (c) laws, legislation, and the local community impact effective educational practices. The PEP requires the student to document evidence across two domains. Once the PEP has sufficiently met course outcomes as outlined in EDSP 536 and EDSP 623, a maximum of six (6) credits for life experience will be earned by the student
This course provides further study into psychoeducational assessment in education. Topics of study include:1) overview of basic considerations inassessment, 2) assumptions underlying assessment and legal and ethical considerations in assessment, 3) basic concepts of measurement, with a focus on descriptive statistics, quantification of test performance, norms, reliability, and validity, 4) assessment of processes-intelligence, sensory acuity, oral language, perceptual-motor skills, and personality, 5) assessment of skills-academic achievement, reading, mathematics, written language, adaptive behavior, and 6) applying assessment information to educational decision making.
This course is designed to help students understand the world in new ways through an experiential exploration of the arts. Students will consider the meaning of “aesthetic education” through an empirical examination of the arts and their relationship with education. Utilizing an approach developed by the Lincoln Center Institute for the Arts in Education (LCI), students will be immersed in a combination of well thought-out observations and analyses of specific works of art through hands-on exploratory activities designed by arts and education faculty. The LCI approach advocates that through these art making journeys into dance, music, theater, and the visual arts, students will be encouraged to draw upon prior perceptions to build new insights and further their comprehension of the work of art. This inquiry-based practice which encourages students to interact, question, reflect, observe, notice, and analyze art to develop a new perspective- an aesthetic awareness, integral to all forms of education and life itself. Through discussion and dialogue of these shared aesthetic experiences, students will develop an understanding of “aesthetic education” as a process of building knowledge which incorporates the elements of “art” itself, as well as incorporating the arts as a means for teaching other branches of learning.
This course is a research–based, practical course designed to enable the early childhood education major to obtain the skills needed to effectively teach reading in grades Pre-K to 4. In addition to giving the pre-service teacher experience through readings, writing intensive activities, class discussion, hands on activities, technology exposure, demonstration lessons and practicums, the students will demonstrate increased proficiency in their own reading skills, including knowledge of phonic generalizations.
This course is a research –based, practical course designed to enable the early childhood education major to obtain the skills needed to effectively teach the language arts curriculum in grades K to 4. In addition to giving the pre-service teacher experience through readings, writing intensive activities, class discussion, hands-on activities, technology exposure, demonstration lessons and clinicals, the students will demonstrate increased proficiency in their own language arts skills. The focus of this course is to help the student become proficient in the instruction of language arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and visually representing), using an integrated approach to teaching the principal curricular skills of reading, writing, listening, speaking, spelling, grammar, and handwriting.
This course is designed to review mathematical content, present and explore methodology and instructional materials for a contemporary elementary mathematics program. It stresses the use of knowledge obtained from learning theory, various selecting, preparing, organizing and finally presenting mathematical content for elementary children.
This course examines attitudes and skills needed to teach the major content areas; specifically emphasizing Social Studies and Science integrated using a model of inquiry and Aesthetic Education. Pre-service teachers will be involved in learning experiences that prepare them to facilitate content in a Pre-K to grade 4 setting that will involve multiple subjects, multiple teachers, multiple students learning together, and multiple facets of technology emphasizing inquiry based interdisciplinary instruction and learning. Hands-on strategies, teaching materials, and organization of lessons into units are explored.