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The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education
Patton Hall
100 East Union St.
Athens, OH 45701-2979

Online Master's Degrees in Special Education Curriculum

All coursework for the Intervention Specialist Master's Degrees in Special Education is entirely online. No campus visits are required. 

View full program details in the academic catalog:

Coursework Requirements

All M.Ed. candidates in the Department of Teacher Education must complete a minimum of 30 graduate semester hours of course work. The number of hours required to meet state requirements for the MM, MI, or ECIS licensure is determined in consultation with the advisor and is based on previous degrees, previous licensure(s), course work, professional internship hours (and when these previous requirements were completed). The number of hours required can range from 30 hours for a person with a previous special education license to 71 semester hours for a person seeking their first (initial) teacher license. We understand that this is a vast range, but we recognize that exceptional training and field-based practice opportunities are imperative for the development of knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities.

All majors include coursework in four areas:

  • Teacher Education Core
  • Special Education Core
  • Major/Specialization
  • Basic Instructional Methods

Notes About Coursework Requirements
  • Courses are subject to any changes in requirements as set forth by the Educator Licensure Board.
  • 12 semester hours of reading methods coursework (including phonics) is required for an Ohio Provisional Intervention Specialist Teaching License; 4 courses are listed, but an advisor approved alternate is acceptable.
  • Most special education courses are offered once during the academic year. Follow the annual course rotation schedule when planning your coursework to assure a timely graduation. The typical course schedule is provided next to courses as indicated by Fa (Fall), Sp (Spring), and Su (Summer). It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure a course is offered in a planned semester.
  • The Master’s Research Project is frequently implemented during a practicum and/or the Professional Internship experience.
  • We recommend that candidates who have had no classroom experience with the specific population in the licensure area take 2 hours of Practicum during Fall semester and 2 hours of Practicum during Spring as co-requisites with other course work in order to fulfill applied projects.
  • To qualify for the Professional Internship in Teaching, a candidate must have completed EDTE 5600, EDTE 6670, and all required EDSP and methods courses.

Requirements for Practicum and Professional Internship
  • A candidate without a standard teaching license will take a minimum of 4 credit hours of practicum (2 Fall; 2 Spring), 12 hours of professional internship and 3 hours of professional internship seminar (during which the edTPA is completed) in the area in which a license is sought. The professional internship is full time for one semester.
  • A candidate holding an Ohio license and wishing to become licensed in special education must complete a total of 6 credit hours (2 credit hours for 3 semesters) of practicum across at least two grade-level bands in the area in which he/she is seeking licensure. These experiences must involve university supervision and be with the appropriate population of pupils.
  • A candidate who has completed 2 years of full-time teaching in an approved special education setting in which an intervention specialist license is sought, may take a total of 6 hours of practicum (2 credit hours for three semesters) instead of a professional internship in teaching. (NOTE: This needs to be verified by a letter from the superintendent indicating the dates of 2 years of employment and will be checked by the administrative assistant in charge of licensure in Student Affairs). The practicum experiences must involve Ohio University supervision and be with the appropriate population of pupils.

Criteria for Retention and Completion of the Master's Degree Program
  • Maintain a GPA of 3.0 and receive no lower than a C in any courses.
  • If applicable, apply for your Professional Internship through the OHIO Center for Clinical Practice.
  • In the term prior to any experience in the schools, obtain a background check from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and FBI (if non-Ohio resident) through the Ohio University Police Department and send results to the OHIO Center for Clinical Practice.
  • Schedule and complete the necessary Ohio Educator Assessments (OAE) .
  • After the majority of course work is completed, complete a capstone project (either an action research study or a portfolio) as part of EDTE 6940: Master’s Research Project.
  • At the beginning of your last semester apply for graduation and for a teaching license. Graduation applications can be found on Ohio University’s registrar’s webpage, and licensure applications from the Ohio Department of Education website.