Special Education

The Special Education graduate programs integrate research with practice, support students as social advocates, advance education, community, and research to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities and their families. Our online programs are a flexible option and provide a foundation for education within a variety of settings, including business, educational and research centers, and national and state agencies. Students analyze current teaching strategies and evidence-based practices, learning and mentoring methods, and examine critical issues in special education. The Special Education graduate programs will expand career options and help to bring positive change to the education system.

Graduate programs in Special Education prepare educators to meet national standards of excellence in communication skills, professional knowledge, and teaching competence. Programs of study are offered for both entry-level and experienced professionals and include certification and non-certification options. The M.Ed. program offers concentrations in High Incidence Disabilities, Low Incidence Disabilities, Dual Low and High Incidence Disabilities, Early Intervention, and Individualized.

State Certification Options

Teacher of Students with High Incidence Disabilities (M.Ed.)

This 33-credit hour program prepares you to provide high-quality education to students with mild to moderate disabilities such as learning disabilities and/or emotional/ behavioral disorders. You’ll learn how to use the latest evidence-based strategies to adapt the general education curriculum in areas such as reading, math, writing. You’ll also learn how to create safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive classrooms. By understanding how to apply best practices, you can provide students with the proper attention, assistance, and instruction to help them succeed. This is a 33-credit online program and provides a pathway to state certification as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities-282 (PK-8 or 7-12).

Educational Specialists for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities (M.Ed.)

This 33-credit hour program leads to state certification as a Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities (286). This program prepares you to serve students with autism spectrum disorder, significant intellectual disabilities, and students with multiple disabilities. This program is appropriate for undergraduate majors in elementary and secondary education as well as related fields such as child development, psychology, communication disorders, occupational and physical therapy, and nursing. You will learn how to use the latest evidence-based strategies to develop needs-appropriate curricula and create safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive classrooms. By understanding how to apply best practices, you can provide students with the proper attention, assistance, and instruction to help them succeed. Courses are delivered via distance education technology.

Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education Personnel (M.Ed.)

This 33-42 credit program provides a foundation in the field of early intervention/early childhood and preparation for leadership roles. You’ll learn how to use the latest evidence-based strategies and advanced teaching methods, support and nourish family relationships, collaborate with other professionals, and gain hands-on teaching experience. The curriculum is designed to prepare students in the fundamentals of professional practice in early intervention for inclusive environments, provide students with advanced content in a variety of research areas (e.g., early childhood, early childhood special education, family relationships, collaborative consultation), and place students in practicum experiences with high needs children ages birth-5 and their families. The concentration is appropriate for students with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field who are currently working with, or have a desire to serve, high needs children with disabilities, ages birth to five, and their families. The program leads to state certification as Teacher of Children with Disabilities (282, birth to school-age 5). Courses are delivered online both synchronously and asychnchronously.

Individually Designed

M. Ed. or Ed. S.: Individually designed programs are for professionals who already hold certification in special education or are not interested in certification as a special education teacher. M.Ed. programs require a minimum of 33 credit hours of study. Ed.S. programs require a minimum of 30 credit hours for those with a master’s degree in Special Education; 33-42 credit hours for those with a master’s degree in a related field.

Potential candidates include:

Experienced special educators who want to pursue more specialized study of a particular disability or topic (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, positive behavior interventions and supports, learning disabilities), or to combine study in Special Education with study in another field (e.g., Educational Leadership, Instructional Technology, Literacy);
General education teachers who want to increase their expertise in working with students with disabilities in general education classrooms; and
Related services personnel who want to increase their understanding of educational policies and practices pertaining to students with disabilities (e.g., instructional strategies, educational assessments, special education law).

With a faculty advisor, students select courses around their unique needs and interests. Courses are drawn from Special Education and other areas in the College of Education and Human Development, although at least 50 percent of the student’s credits for the degree must be in Special Education.

Graduate Certificates- see the certificate program descriptions within this catalog or visit the web links below for more information.

Positive Behavior Intervention and Support: RTI for Behavior Certificate

Graduate Certificate in Autisim Spectrum

Graduate Certification: High Leverage Practices to Promote Inclusion

Graduate Certificate in Special Ed Leadership: Assistant Special Ed. Director

Field Work, Research and Service for all Special Education Courses

Field work and internships are an important component of all graduate programs in Special Education. Faculty and students are an integral part of the social and educational service community in Maine, and close relationships are maintained with public schools and community agencies. Students also have the opportunity to participate in faculty research and service projects.

Admission

For admission to a graduate program in Special Education, students must meet basic standards of the Graduate School and special eligibility requirements of the program.

Applicants seeking admission to programs that lead to certification must submit scores on Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators with their applications (https://www.ets.org/praxis/about/core/). Candidates who are already certified in Maine and have taken Praxis previously may submit a copy of their certificates to document that they have met state standards on the test. For out of state candidates, Maine has reciprocity agreements with most states.

Applicants may be invited for a personal interview with the Special Education faculty. Students should request financial aid information from the University’s Student Financial Aid Office. Special Education scholarships are sometimes available for candidates with documented financial needs. To be eligible, applicants must have applied for financial aid through the University’s Office of Student Financial Aid.

State Certification

Teacher certification is granted by the Maine Department of Education, not by the University of Maine. Students who successfully complete ALL the requirements including documentation of fingerprinting, background check, and passing scores on Praxis II in Special Education will be eligible for certification. Specific information regarding certification is available from the Maine Department of Education, Certification Services, State House Station 23, Augusta, ME 04333.

Four Plus One Programs

The Special Education program offers students throughout the University of Maine system the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s degree in a student’s focus area and a Master’s degree (M.Ed.) in Special Education at the University of Maine, Orono in five combined years of study (the Four Plus One option, an accelerated MEd program).

Core Program Requirements:

Students enrolled in the Four Plus One option earn a bachelor’s degree at the end of their senior year and graduate with their class. In the Four Plus One option, the M.Ed. is earned after the fifth year, through the combined graduate work completed in their undergraduate senior year and in the one additional graduate-level year (15 months).

During the senior year, which serves as a bridge year between the undergraduate and graduate programs, students may enroll in 9 credits of graduate-level course credits at the 500-level or above that count toward both degrees. Students must earn a grade of “B” or better to be counted toward the M.Ed. degree. Over the course of earning the MEd degree, students are permitted a maximum of two 400-level courses in their field or concentration.

Four Plus One Coursework and Project:

Students must complete 33 credit hours of course work for the graduate degree. At least 24 credit hours must be taken at the graduate level. Special education faculty will work closely with the student and the student’s undergraduate advisor to select courses that will support a student’s interests and career path. The Special Education program offers multiple options for coursework, providing students pathways that will enhance their understanding, awareness and acceptance of individuals with disabilities

Four Plus One Admission

Students apply for the Four Plus One during their junior year (at least 60 but no more than 100 completed credit hours applicable towards the undergraduate degree). Student must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Deborah Rooks-Ellis will be the point of contact for the Four Plus One program.

The application deadline is February 1. Students complete the Four Plus One application (currently on file with UMaine Online and used for the Four Plus One special education program with UMM). Students will submit the application directly to the program point of contact rather than to the Graduate School. The Special Education Program Admission Committee will make admissions decisions no later than March 1.

Please note that admission to the Four Plus One option includes provisional admission to the Graduate School. Formal application for admission to the MEd program (including payment of the application fee) must be made through the Graduate School and should occur no later than spring of the senior year. The GRE requirement is not required for students in the Four Plus One option in special education. Also note that students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher through the completion of the undergraduate degree in order to gain full admission to the accelerated M.Ed. program and be allowed to double count credits.

Students who meet the above requirements must matriculate in the M.Ed. program within three months after receiving their undergraduate degree in order to apply the double-counted credits towards the M.Ed. degree. Students in the Four Plus One option must complete the M.Ed. curriculum within 15 months of matriculation. Under extraordinary circumstances, a student may petition to delay matriculation up to an additional 12 months.

Faculty contacts can be found here.

Contact information:

Dr. Sarah Howorth, Special Education Program Coordinator

sarah.howorth@maine.edu 207-581-2448).

Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research

On January 1, 2014 the Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research (MAIER) was launched as a partnership between the Maine Department of Education and the University of Maine, College of Education and Human Development (COEHD). Our mission is to build statewide capacity to improve outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through leadership, training, professional development, collaboration, and research.

Maine Autism Institute for Education and Research

5766 Shibles Hall, 303

Orono, ME 04469

Phone: 207.581.2352

Fax: 207.581.9510

maineautisminstitute@maine.edu

For more information, see http://umaine.edu/autisminstitute/