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Graduate Catalog 2024-2025

Special Education M.A. – Visual Impairment Concentration

 

Program Overview

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

General Master's Degree Admission Requirements

View delivery options, start terms and admission requirements.

Director: Corey Pierce, Ph.D.

Location: McKee 36

Telephone: 970.351.2691

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/special-education/

The MA degree in Special Education with a Visual Impairment Concentration is designed to prepare teachers who will work with students who are visually impaired. The program consists of the required courses and practicum requirements agreed upon by the student and advisor. Students entering the Master of Arts program in Special Education: Visual Impairment without a current teacher licensure are required to complete additional course requirements listed under Professional Teacher Education. Students may complete licensure and degree requirements in a minimum of 42 credits if they desire licensure of education of students with visual impairments only. Students seeking an added endorsement in Orientation and Mobility may complete this 15 credit program in consultation with their program advisor.

See program requirements

Orientation and Mobility (O&M) Endorsement

Comprehensive Examination: In addition to admission to the program and satisfactory completion of all coursework, each student must pass a written comprehensive examination before they are allowed to graduate.

Evaluation. Evaluation of the student's professional potential will be an ongoing process throughout the program. Continuation/exit requirements will be based on multiple criteria such as faculty interview, professional recommendations, recommendations of the advisor or other program faculty, academic ethics, successful completion of the comprehensive examination and potential for teaching handicapped infants and adults. The multiple criteria approach does not assume that each of these factors carry equal weights; any one factor might well outweigh all others.

Licensure. Students who seek Colorado licensure in an area of Special Education or request an institutional recommendation for licensure from UNC must meet Colorado teacher licensure requirements.

Students wishing to obtain Colorado licensure are required to pass proficiency examination(s). Students should contact the School of Special Education in McKee for information.

A master's degree or a school approved licensure program is required before the University of Northern Colorado will recommend the student for endorsement.

Students entering the licensure program must meet the same entrance requirements as the Master's degree students. They must also demonstrate achievement of all program standards through a combination of UNC coursework, prior coursework, or other approved documentation and completion of a licensure examination. However, a minimum of 15 semester hours must be taken at UNC.

Degree Requirements — 42 Credits

Required Major Core Credits — 3 hours

SRM 600Introduction to Graduate Research

3

Required Concentration Credits — 39 hours

EDSE 510Foundations of Special Education

3

EDSE 511Content Accessibility for CLD and Students with Identified Needs

3

EDSE 512Assessment, IEP Development and Instructional Planning

3

EDSE 541Introduction to Visual Impairments and Deaf-Blindness

3

EDSE 543Braille Codes and Formats

3

EDSE 546Principles of Orientation and Mobility

3

EDSE 548Medical and Educational Implications of Visual Impairments

3

EDSE 549Assessment of Students with Visual Impairments

3

EDSE 640Methods of Teaching Students with Visual Impairment

3

EDSE 642Advanced Seminar in Education of Students with Visual Impairments

3

EDSE 644Practicum in Education of Students with Visual Impairments K-12

6-12

EDSE 645Advanced Braille Codes and Formats

3

Note: EDSE 644 must be taken for a minimum of 6 credits

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