Master of Education in Special Education, Secondary: Grades 6-12

Loyola's M.Ed. in Secondary Special Education program can be used to meet requirements for initial certification in generic special education, grades 6-12, and is also appropriate for teachers seeking advanced professional development. Emphasizing legal issues, flexible service delivery, comprehensive assessment, evidence-based intervention techniques, and advanced professional skills, the program prepares both beginning and advanced professionals to provide effective services to children with disabilities and to take leadership roles in the field of special education. The program focuses on the provision of effective services to students with high incidence disabilities including language or learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disorders, ADHD, and mild mental retardation. Program graduates are prepared to teach students with special needs in a variety of educational settings across the middle and high school grades.

The secondary special education program includes the Maryland-approved reading courses and has been approved by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). In addition to earning the Master of Education degree, program graduates are eligible for Maryland certification in generic special education grades 6-12, with concurrent reciprocity in 50 states and the U.S. territories.

Students from a variety of academic backgrounds and careers are eligible to apply to the graduate program in special education for either full-time or part-time graduate study. You are not required to complete the prerequisites prior to being accepted to the graduate program. Once admitted, you will meet with an academic advisor to develop an individualized program of study. With consideration of past academic and life experiences, the advisor will determine what, if any, prerequisites courses or experiences are required before you may begin the program courses. You may demonstrate completion of prerequisite coursework at the undergraduate or graduate level. In addition, you may complete a school-based internship or meet experiential requirements through teaching, volunteering, or working in other capacities with typical elementary/middle school age children, as well as those with special needs. You will need to demonstrate appropriate computer skills for success in graduate study. Students who have not met all of these criteria upon admission to the program will take the appropriate courses and/or complete the appropriate experiences before beginning program coursework.