Special Education-Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), M.Ed.

OSRHE Program Code: 154
CIP Code: 131013
Major Code: 6880

Purpose

The M.Ed. Special Education - Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) program aligns with NSU’s focused mission of “empower[ing] individuals to become socially responsible global citizens by creating and sustaining a culture of learning and discovery.”  In like manner, this program empowers teachers to sustain a culture of learning for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and all other disabilities. The goal of this program is to prepare teachers to effectively educate students with ASD and other disabilities.  The program includes three components: professional education, special education, and enrichment courses.  These three components lead to a final culminating capstone experience.

Specialty Accreditation

NSU’s educator preparation programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), www.caepnet.org, (1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20036-1023, 202-223-0077), and/or the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (840 Research Parkway, Suite 455, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, 405-522-5399), www.ok.gov/oeqa

Credential Requirements

Courses included in the Special Education - Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) Master of Education program do not represent all courses needed for a Special Education teaching certificate. Candidates seeking certification should contact NSU’s Teacher Certification office for individual advisement on courses needed based on previous college credits.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Engage in professional learning and practice within ethical guidelines.
2. Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions and strategies with individuals with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder
3. Apply inclusive principles in the education of individuals with developmental disabilities
4. Identify current etiology and practice-based research specific to developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.
5. Use assessment to understand the learner and the learning environment for data-based decision making.
6. Support social, emotional, and behavioral growth.
7. Promote collaborative practices that respect individual family culture, dynamics, and values, and the effect the diagnosis may have on the family.

Admission, Retention, and Graduation

Admission. Beyond the admission requirements for the Graduate College, admission to the Special Education-Autism Spectrum Disorders, M. Ed. program requires:

1. Earn a 2.5 overall GPA, or 2.75 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework, or a scaled score above the 25th percentile on the GRE before the first enrollment.

Advisement. The Graduate College assigns students an advisor upon admission to graduate studies. It is the candidate’s responsibility to make an appointment with the advisor prior to enrollment to discuss policies and procedures relevant to the degree program. Conferring with the student, the advisor develops a plan of study, assists in the selection of classes, and counsels the student.

Retention and Graduation. Candidates for the Master of Education in Special Education-Autism Spectrum Disorders must satisfy the following requirements:

1. Continue to meet the Graduate College’s retention standards. See the Academic Information page for more information.
2. Monitor degree progress using the degree audit system in the goNSU portal.
3. Meet Graduate College policies detailed in Academic Information and Master’s Degree Requirements regarding GPA, minimum grades, coursework age, residency and institutional / state regulations governing degree conferral.