Elementary/Special Education
MASTER OF EDUCATION
DUAL CERTIFICATION
Credits: 63
Accreditation:
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Program Description:
The Master of Education with Elementary Education/Special Education certification program is available to students seeking Pennsylvania elementary education (Grades PreK-4) and special education (Grades K-8 certification) with a master’s degree. Candidates for PA certification must have completed undergraduate or graduate coursework that includes the following:
- College level mathematics (6 credits)
- English Composition and English/American Literature (3 credits/3 credits)
- Health and Wellness (3 credits)
- Citizen: Geography, Political or Economy (3 credits)
- English Language Learners (3 credits)
- Instructional Technology (3 credits)
- U.S. History (3 credits)
- Physical Science (3 credits)
- Environmental/Earth Science (3 credits)
- Biology (3 credits)
Students entering the program without all, or part, of the undergraduate requirements may meet them with additional coursework or by competency tests while they are taking the graduate classes.
Delivery Mode:
Traditional with several online course offerings within the program
Admissions Criteria:
- Graduate School Application plus $25 non-refundable application fee
- A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.8 or 3.0 GPA in last 48 college credits taken
- Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Current Act 34, 114 and 151 clearances
- Passing scores on PAPA (Pre-services Academic Performance Assessment) by the end of first semester
Students who have already passed the Praxis I tests (reading, writing and math) prior to April 2, 2012 do not need to take the new PECT PAPA test.
If you have taken the Praxis I tests prior to April 2, 2012 and have not passed any of them, you will have 2 years to repeat those Praxis 1 tests you have failed.
Curriculum:
| Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|
ESP 610: Special Ed: Foundations & Collaboration | 3 |
ESP 620: Special Ed. History, Theory & Exceptionality | 3 |
ESP 701: Introduction to Behavior Principles | 3 |
| ESP 739: Field Experience in Special Education | 3 |
| ESP 502: Life Skills Planning and Instruction | 3 |
| ESP 503: Assessment and Prescriptive Teaching | 3 |
| ESP 607: Early Intervention: Special Education | 3 |
ESP 703: Literacy Development | 3 |
| ESP 612: Evidence-based Practices for PreK-8 Inclusion | 3 |
ESP 622: Advanced Evidence Practices for PreK-8 Inclusion | 3 |
| ELE 701: Teaching and Assessment in Language Arts | 3 |
| ELE 702: Teaching and Assessment in Reading | 3 |
| ELE 731: Teaching and Assessment in Social Studies | 3 |
| ELE 711: Teaching and Assessment in Mathematics | 3 |
| ELE 718: Teaching and Assessment in Expressive Arts | 3 |
| ELE 721: Teaching and Assessment in Science | 3 |
| ECE 707: Leadership & Management in Early Childhood | 3 |
| ELE 795: Student Teaching | 9 |
| ESP 800: Seminar in Advanced Behavior Analysis & Research Design | 3 |
Program Coordinators:
Dr. Kalie Kossar
724-938-4142
Kossar@calu.edu
Application Questions:
School of Graduate Studies and Research
California University of Pennsylvania
Eberly 202B
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419-1394
724-938-4187
http://www.calu.edu/academics/colleges/graduate-school/index.htm
Graduate Faculty:
James Burton, Ed.D., West Virginia University, specializes in Life Skills, Transition and Assistive Technology
Holly Diehl, Ed.D., West Virginia University, specializes Reading Education
Deborah Farrer, Ed.D., West Virginia University, specializes in Reading
J. William Hug, Ph.D., specializes in Science Education and Research
Kalie Kossar, Ed.D., West Virginia University, program coordinator; specializes in Collaboration, Inclusion, Assessment and Strategy Instruction
Katherine Mitchem, Ph.D.,BCBA-D, Utah State University; specializes in Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism
Christine Peterson, Ed.D., West Virginia University, specializes in Technology Education
Mary Seman, Ed.D., West Virginia University, specializes in Applied Behavior Analysis, Direct Instruction, Learning Strategies and Content Enhancement Routines
Sherrill Szalajda, M.Ed., University of Pittsburgh, specializes in Special Education Pedagogy and Trends
Richard Wyman, Ed.D., University of Washington, specializes in Social Studies Education