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SFA Home / Education / Departments / Human Services / Programs

Special Education

For more information about the program contact the appropriate program coordinator, a faculty member, or email specialed@sfasu.edu

Undergraduate Program

Students who want to teach Special Education major in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Special Education. The degree awarded upon completion of the program is a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS). The undergraduate program is designed to prepare students for certification as an EC-12 Special Education teacher. Students must be advised by program faculty each semester through the Education Advising Center - http://www.sfasu.edu/education/advising.asp.

The Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC) is a way for interested students to become more involved here at Stephen F. Austin State University serving and learning about individuals with exceptionalities as well as the professional field of special education. Students in SCEC engage in a variety of social and professional activities, but most of all they have fun! SCEC is a division of the international organization of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). CEC, a nonprofit association, accomplishes its mission, which is carried out in support of special education professionals and others working on behalf of individuals with exceptionalities, by advocating for appropriate governmental policies; by setting professional standards; by providing continuing professional development; by advocating for newly and historically under served individuals with exceptionalities; and by helping professionals achieve the conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice. Check out the SCEC web site – coming soon!

Minor in Special Education

A minor in special education is available to students with a major leading to teacher certification at the EC-6, 4-8, or 8-12 levels. Required courses include: SPE 329, 432, 439, 438, 434, and 461 (TExES 163 required). The minor available for students seeking EC-12 certification includes SPE 329, 432, 439, 438, 434, 461, RDG 318, 320, and ELE 303 (TExES 161 required).
Admission to the Educator Certification Program is required and students must work with a special education advisor for course sequence and additional requirements.

Minor in Early Intervention

An 18 hour minor has been developed for students majoring in rehabilitation, speech language pathology, psychology or other related fields who are interested in becoming an Early Intervention Specialist (EIS) working with infants and toddlers with special needs and their families. Required courses are: SPE 329, 464, 463; HMS 236,443, 459. For students majoring in Human Sciences, the minor includes: SPE 329, 439,434, 463, 464, 465

Non-teaching Minor

An 18 hour minor is available for those seeking additional training in working with special populations, but who are not seeking teacher certification. This minor is appropriate for students in programs such as psychology, orientation & mobility, kinesiology, rehabilitation, social work, and those seeking the Bachelors of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree. Required courses are: SPE 120, 329, 432, 460, 463, 464.

Graduate Program

There are several options for candidates seeking a master’s degree with a major in special education:

1. M.Ed. with major in Special Education

* SPE 567, 568, 561, 562; EPS 502, 559, 560, 585; plus additional 12 hours elective planned/approved by advisor
* SPE 539 or an equivalent is a prerequisite for coursework

2. M.Ed. with major in Special Education and certification as an Educational Diagnostician

* The Educational Diagnostician program provides graduate level preparation in the area of special education, assessment and law. An educational diagnostician is a master’s level professional who works within the public school system to ensure that special education services are provided to eligible students in accordance with all applicable federal law and regulations, state statutes, the Texas Education Agency, and the Commissioner of Education. The program consists of master’s level coursework and preparation for certification as an Educational Diagnostician.

* An individual possessing a master’s degree in a related field may be eligible for the option of seeking certification only as an Educational Diagnostician. Additional information regarding the certification only option may be obtained by contacting the Educator Certification Office at (936) 468-3409.

* Required Courses: SPE 567, 568, 562, 571; EPS 502, 544, 545, 555, 585, 560; ELE 505, 506

SPE 539 or an equivalent is a prerequisite for coursework. SPE 571 should be taken the semester prior to finishing the program; SPE 555 should be taken as the last course

3. M.Ed. with major in Special Education and supplemental certificate in Visual Impairment

* SPE 515, 517, 518, 551, 552, 553, 554, 556, 558, 570

* To obtain a professional certification as an educational diagnostician, a master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education must be completed, the person must pass the TExES #163 exam, and have two years of classroom teaching experience in a public or accredited private school

* To obtain a teaching certification in visual impairment, the person must have a Texas Teacher Certificate and must complete SPE 329 and SPE 432 or equivalent (SPE 567 AND SPE 532) if not already certified as a special education teacher.

* For more information - Visual Impairment

4. M.Ed with major in Special Education and emphasis in Autism and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

* SPE 539, 558, 560, 561, 562, 565, 567, 568
* EPS 559, 560, 585
* Plus 3 hours of electives planned with an advisor

Graduate Program Admission Requirements

Admission to any of the graduate special education programs listed above is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School; therefore, a student applying to the graduate program must first apply to the Graduate School. Details regarding Graduate School application are contained in the Graduate Bulletin and online at www.sfasu.edu/bulletin/. Criteria for clear admission to the Graduate School include a 2.8 GPA on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and a 2.5 on all undergraduate work. Further, the applicant must present General Test Scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

In addition to meeting the Graduate School admission criteria, a special education program applicant must have a minimum score of 800 (combined, verbal and quantitative) on the GRE and a factor score of at least 2000 obtained by multiplying the combined Verbal and Quantitative GRE scores by the GPA of the student's last 60 undergraduate hours. No student will be accepted to the graduate program unless they have obtained the minimum combined factor score of 2000.

Before an admission decision is made, the student must also submit three letters of recommendation, a current resume, and a typed double-spaced written statement (minimum 3-5 pages in length) describing his/her experience in the field of special education, his/her philosophy on educating students with special needs, and how personal qualities and educational experience would make one an exceptional candidate for the special education graduate program.

Application Deadline - Thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of each semester

The Graduate School allows a student to take up to 12 semester hours of coursework under "Post-Baccalaureate Student" status, prior to their being formally accepted into one of the school's recognized degree programs. The graduate special education program guidelines allow six hours of special education course work prior to admission. Attending classes under the Post Baccalaureate student status does not imply admission to the program.

Review Process

The applicant's file is reviewed by the Program Admissions Committee. An applicant is notified by letter of the committee's recommendation on his/her application. Candidates for admission will only be considered following the submission of a completed application packet. The packet is not complete until all the admission criteria are received. There will be no provisional admission because of incomplete application packet, inadequate factor score, or unavailable GRE scores.

The review of all graduate applicants involves consideration of multiple factors. In addition to criteria set by the Graduate School, the department considers the following:

• GPA
• Match between professional goals and the department's mission
• Letters of reference
• Professional development, experience and accomplishments
• Bilingual/multilingual proficiency
• GRE scores
• Evidence of leadership potential
• Personal interviews

Job Announcements

Date of Posting	Type of Job	District	Contact Person
08/20/2008	Educational Diagnostician - 2 positions Available	Tyler ISD	Jason Stewart  Special Education Supervisor, Assessment and Accountability Tyler Independent School District P.O. Box 2035, Tyler, TX 75710 Jason.Stewart@tylerisd.org Phone (903) 262-1028 FAX:  (903) 262-1165
06/30/2008	Educational Diagnostician	Nacogdoches County Schools’ Co-op (SSA)	Barbara Boucher - 936-564-5511

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