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Online EdS in Special Education Curriculum

Curriculum Details

30 total credits required

The online EdS in Special Education with Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) prepares you to make your next big career move in special education. During coursework, you’ll enhance your understanding of valuable principles that will help you become a stronger leader and communicator in the classroom.

This 10-course program generally takes a year and a half to complete, consists of 16-week terms, and is asynchronous, meaning you’ll have the freedom to study at times that are convenient for you. You’ll also prepare to advance from a Class A certification to a Class AA certification in Alabama, which will increase your earning potential.

Core Courses

Credits

Issues and trends impacting special education. Advanced graduate candidates conduct and in-depth analysis of issues relevant to their specific program areas of study.
The candidate will research and present best practices in K-12 public schools, public relations programs, the development of school and community relationships, planning school programs and services, cooperative activities, and their relationships in regards to special education.
This course addresses foundational knowledge of the field of special education, pertinent legal policies, and related professional leadership standards.
This class will prepare candidates to be contributing professional educators in the area of special education technology. Candidates will gain skills in designing technology-based instructional materials for students with a wide range of exceptionalities.

Seminar participants engage in professional development activities and document professional growth.
Prerequisite: Education Specialist standing, departmental and adviser approval.

This course provides a study of the essential theory, logic, concepts, principles, methods, and ethics of research methodologies prevalent in the field of special education. The focus will be designing research to improve the practices with individuals with exceptionalities and their families. Cannot be taken concurrently with ESPE 7996.
Prerequisite: ESPE 7000, Educational Specialist standing, departmental and advisor approval.

This course prepares students to conduct research, analyze and interpret data, and synthesize findings that investigate effective practices for individuals with exceptionalities and/or their families. In addition, students will demonstrate how to utilize research findings in their teaching.
Prerequisite: ESPE 7995, Educational Specialist standing, departmental and advisor approval.

Elective Courses (must choose 1)

Credits

Work with your advisor to choose an elective.

Examination of and training in collaborative teaching in educational settings. Participants will study interpersonal relationships with other professionals in the school setting and with families of students with exceptionalities. Included are evidenced-based best practices in collaboration, the fundamentals of group processes, and skills needed for collaboration.
Prerequisite: ESPE 6200.

The advantages and limitations of curriculum and instructional strategies for teaching basic mathematics and reading skills to students with exceptionalities. Students will learn about modifications and accommodations of basic mathematic and reading instruction to integrate learners into the general curriculum. This course will focus on evidence-based reading instruction for students with exceptionalities. Basic mathematics strategies for teaching students with exceptionalities will be covered. The course provides the tools to individualize instruction in a variety of school environments based on assessment, effective planning, and instructional design.

Course includes factors impacting family relationships, with special emphasis on child/parent interactions, child abuse, neglect and exploitation; family structure, attitudes and multicultural issues of selected diverse populations will be examined. This course meets CAST certification requirements.

Provides opportunities for students to understand the effects of attitudes, experiences, ethnicity and other cultural factors on the counseling process and relationship. Also includes counseling strategies for client populations experiencing loss, victimization, discrimination or other specific concerns.

This course is designed to embrace students’ comprehension of urban/rural schooling with particular attention to the following: 1) relationship between the urban context and educational policies and practices in urban/rural schools; 2) along with a service learning component in urban/rural schools, the historical, socioeconomics, and political factors influencing urban education; and 3) the distribution of opportunity in cities and their schools; and effective pedagogical and organizational practices that close the achievement gap, including multicultural education, the development of positive school cultures and the use of community service and resources.

Introduction to the social and cognitive foundations of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination and how these biases effect education. The focus will be on awareness of why prejudice develops and its pervasiveness in the educational community.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing.

PRACTICUM COURSES – Collab. K-6

Credits

Supervised field experience in program area of study.

PRACTICUM COURSES – Collab. 6-12

Credits

Supervised field experience in program area of study.

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