BSEd in Special Education (Adapted Curriculum) / MEd in Special Education (Birth Through Kindergarten with Endorsement in Preschool Special Education)

Through this Double Dawgs pathway, you will receive an advanced degree in special education (adapted curriculum) and be eligible for certification in special education (birth through kindergarten with an endorsement in preschool special education).

This pathway positions you to be a teacher leader in Georgia public schools and recommends you for a master’s level teaching certificate (T-5), which earns a higher salary. And because special education continues to be a critical shortage area in Georgia, our graduates often have high job placement rates and can choose where they want to work.

With this training, you will be prepared to provide evidence-based practices in special education and support other educators in providing appropriate interventions for young children with disabilities.

Highlights

1. High job placement
2. Earn your master’s while working in the field
3. Receive specialized training in behavior, adaptive curriculum, and the developmental needs of young children
4. Earn Georgia teacher certification at a higher pay level

Curriculum

You will enter the program in the Fall of your junior year with a group of students who progress through the required coursework together. Each semester features practicum experience, culminating in a semester spent student-teaching in a local area special education class.

All special education students must complete:

• 6 hours in required courses on classroom and behavior management and working with families and other professionals
• 30 hours of coursework related to their area of emphasis
• 9 hours of practicum experience
• 15 hours of student teaching

Coursework for students covers:

• Language development
• Reading instruction
• Assessment of students with disabilities
• Teaching methods for teaching autism spectrum disorders
• Teaching students with severe disabilities and severe behavioral problems
• Collaboration
• Behavior management
• Contemporary issues in special education
• Supports for young children and their families

View a Sample Program of Study

How to Apply

Admission to the Program

The B.S.Ed. in Special Education (Adapted Curriculum) follows a cohort model with students beginning in the Fall semester each year. Applying to the B.S.Ed./M.Ed. pathway will require you to join a cohort and indicate your interest in the B.S.Ed./M.Ed. Double Dawg pathway on the cohort application. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis during each Spring semester until cohorts reach capacity.

To enter the B.S.Ed. in Special Education (Adapted Curriculum) program, students must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. Demonstrate a 2.8 GPA or higher
2. Completion of Core Areas I-VI, a grade of C or better in EDUC 2110, EDUC 2120, and EDUC (EPSY) 2130, a grade of B or better in EDSE 2000, and minimum 2.8 GPA

All students admitted to the pathway are required to have a GAPSC pre-service certificate prior to taking EDSE 4441, 4442, and 4443 (Practicum in Special Education).

Admissions Criteria to the Graduate Program

• Application deadline: April 1

Students will apply to the Graduate School in the Spring of their fourth year for Summer admission. Required documentation includes:

• Graduate School application
• Application fee
• Statement of purpose
• Resume
• Unofficial transcripts

If the student’s GPA for at least 60 hours of undergraduate coursework is 3.2 or above, the student will not have to take an entrance exam. If a student’s GPA for 60 hours of coursework is below 3.2, the student will be required to take an entrance exam. The student will have the option of taking either the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

Deadline to Apply