Advisors: Dr. Peg Hughes, Dr. Hyun-Sook Park, Dr. Angela Rickford, Dr. Lisa Simpson, and Dr. Andrea Golloher
The MA in Education with a Concentration in Special Education is a 30-unit program designed to prepare students for leadership roles in Special Education through coursework in one of three areas of specialization: early childhood special education; mild/moderate or moderate/severe disabilities; or a combination of areas of interest. Students interested in the MA and a teaching credential must apply for both options. Please note that prospective teachers with the MA must also complete a credential program in an area of interest to work in public schools in the State of California. For more information see www.sjsu.edu/specialed/
Admission Requirements
Prospective students must apply separately to the university to obtain approval for graduate-level admission and to the department to obtain admission into the MA program. Applicants who meet the following requirements will be considered for admission in classified standing into the MA in in Education with a Concentration in Special Education:
- Bachelors Degree or equivalent and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better;
- Passing score on the Department of Special Education writing assessment or GRE Analytical Writing (passing score of 4.0 score or better);
- Certificate of Clearance;
- STAT 95 - Elementary Statistics or equivalent basic statistics course with a grade of 3.0 or better; and
- A teaching credential in special education is recommended.
In addition to the same requirements mentioned above, applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirement webpage at GAPE.
Requirements for Admission to Candidacy
To be admitted to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree, a student must first meet the university requirements for the degree as stated in the Advancement to Candidacy section. Candidates must also have:
- At least a 3.0 (“B”) average in nine semester hours of approved San José State University courses;
- Approval of a formal master’s degree program from the departmental graduate advisor and from the Graduate Committee; and
- Successfully completed the graduate English Writing Requirement. The University requires that all graduate students complete the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) as a condition for advancement to candidacy. For graduate courses that meet the GWAR, please refer to the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations website at www.sjsu.edu/gape.
University Graduation Requirements
Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures .
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement
At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). For information on the GWAR, please see http://info.sjsu.edu/gcw.html.
Culminating Experience
Plan B (Project)
Students will complete a research project that involves identification of a research problem, data collection, analysis, and discussion. The written requirement includes five chapters similar to the thesis format and a poster presentation to meet the oral requirement.
