Course Requirements: 44 hours required, grade of C or better required
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SER 402 | INSTRUCTION AND DIFFERENTIATION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 4 |
| SER 403 | CLASSROOM AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 4 |
| SER 405 | TEACHING LITERACY TO EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS | 4 |
| SER 409 | TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES | 4 |
| SER 410 | TEACHING MATHEMATICS TO EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS | 4 |
| SER 421 | FORMAL ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 4 |
| SER 440 | SURVEY OF EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS: PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION | 4 |
| SER 457 | SEMINAR AND RESEARCH IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 4 |
| BBE 411 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER EDUCATION | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| EDUCATION AND SOCIETY | ||
| SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION | ||
| PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| ADVANCED LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING | ||
| HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING: ELEMENTARY | ||
| HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING:SECONDARY | ||
| PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF YOUTH AND MIDDLE LEVEL EDUCATION | ||
Practicum Courses: 8 hours required, grade of B+ or better required
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SER 552 | PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE WITH HIGH INCIDENCE DISABILITIES | 4 |
| SER 553 | PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE WITH LOW INCIDENCE DISABILITIES | 4 |
The program requires two summer practicum experiences. Each practicum involves six full weeks of intensive supervised field experience in a cooperating school that operates an extended school year program. Candidates must apply for each practicum, and upon approval they are placed in appropriate summer practicum sites by the program. Practicum sites may also screen candidates prior to accepting them for placement. Candidates will assume full teaching responsibility and will have weekly opportunities for feedback and discussion of issues and problems encountered. A grade of B+ or better is required to participate in each summer practicum.
Please note that the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) may change the State licensure and endorsement requirements at any time and without prior notice.
Licensure Tests
All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. Requirements are subject to change per the discretion of ISBE.
Special Education Master’s students must complete the following tests:
- Learning Behavior Specialist I (test #290) – assesses knowledge of the following areas: understanding students with disabilities, assessing students and developing individualized programs, supporting development and learning, working in a collaborative learning community, and foundations and professional practice.
Candidates who are conditionally admitted with an out-of-state (OOS) teaching license they required to transfer their license into Illinois, and therefore may also be required to take additional licensure tests. Students should work directly with ISBE to fulfill outstanding test requirements. These additional licensure tests may include the following:
- EdTPA – an electronic portfolio that includes video clips of instruction, lesson plans, student work samples, analysis of student learning and reflective commentaries. Usually completed during pre-service student teaching experience.