Master's Level Opportunities to Study Special Education

The Degree of Master in Special Education focuses on improving the education of children with disabilities in urban settings -- providing the context for our professional development models. Our programs benefit from cohort models, in which groups of learners progress together. Our work is linked with the latest research and grounded in regular, practical experiences in schools.

The Special Education Faculty is recognized nationally and internationally for contributions to the field. Faculty members have received numerous teaching and research awards, and are leaders in professional associations and school /community outreach programs.

The employment outlook in Special Education continues to be strong, and our program is particularly highly regarded in Chicago and suburban Chicagoland schools. Read below about our Master's Degree options, special programs, sequence of courses, and for admissions information.

 

UIC's Master's Programs in Special Education are so well coordinated, your graduation will probably be sooner than you think it could be!

 

UIC Chicago offers three Master's Degree options:

Concentration One , for students seeking the M.Ed. degree only (no certificate), is a flexible program that allows students to tailor the program to meet their educational interests and professional goals.

Concentration Two, for students seeking the M.Ed. degree and the Learning Behavior Specialist II Certificate -- UIC offers the LBSII Certificate for Bilingual Special Education Specialist and the LBSII Certificate for Technology Specialist.  Individuals seeking an LBSII must currently hold an LBSI certificate.

Click on Bilingual Special Education Specialist LBSII, for a description and required courses and fieldwork.  Currently, the UIC Special Education department has a federally funded grant to provide scholarships for qualified applicants for this LBSII in Bilingual Special Education.  The project is called Teacher Leaders for Children (TLC).  For information regarding the TLC project, click TLCbrochure.pdf .  To download TLC project application materials, click on TLCapplpac1.pdf.  After reading the brochure, if you still have questions or want  additional information, contact  Dr. Janice Ozga , Project Coordinator, at jozga1@uic.edu or call 312-996-8137.

Click on Technology Specialist LBSII, to find a description and required courses and fieldwork.  For additional information, contact Dr. Talbott at etalbott@uic.edu or call 312-413-8745.

Concentration Three is designed for individuals who aim to become special education teachers. These students will earn the M.Ed. degree plus the special education teaching certificate called the Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I). Those with an LBS I certificate are eligible to teach K-12 children and adolescents in 7 disability categories: Learning Disabilities; Emotional and Social Challenges; Mental Retardation; Autism; Physical Disabilities; Traumatic Brain Injury; and Other Health Impaired.

 

Within all three options, students may select a sequence of courses leading to an early childhood special education approval or early intervention credential.
Read more about other special programs :

• The 5 th Year Program: which allows UIC undergrads to earn Master's Degree and Certificates in EL Education and Special Education in just over 5 years;

• The Blended Program: Early Childhood/Special Education, whose graduates are equipped to teach children with and without disabilities from birth to age 8;
• Transdisciplinary Early Intervention Program: a grant program for students and professionals in a variety of fields related to special education;
• The First Class partnership: a non-traditional degree/certification option requiring a full-time commitment to Chicago Public Schools, which offers tuition and salary to teacher candidates .

The planned sequence of scheduled courses makes it easy to plan your life (including vacations) around program completion - from orientation to commencement! To accommodate the needs of working professionals, most graduate level classes meet from 5:00 - 8:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. A faculty advisor will work with you individually to help plan your program of study and advance your career goals. The Master's Degree programs provide in-depth study in several domains :

•  Foundational knowledge pertaining to educating students with disabilities with particular emphasis on examining issues of access and equity through historical, political and socio-cultural perspectives;

• Characteristics of students with disabilities, including typical and atypical development along four dimensions: cognition, language, social and emotional functioning;
• Pedagogical approaches focusing on planning, implementing, and assessing students' academic and social learning performance;
• Models of collaboration for working effectively with families and other professionals to design and offer effective educational programs;
• An introduction to research design and analysis; and
• Field experiences to advance specific skills and abilities and to better understand the relationship between theory and practice.

 

Admission Information:

Click our Prospective Student link for more info.

For further program information, application, and admissions checklist visit: http://www.uic.edu/educ/college/admissions/2ndlevel/3rdlevel/med-sped.htm

Click Contact Special Education to speak with us by phone or to send us an email. Let's talk!

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