Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Academic Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Education, Special Education Concentration, MA


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Advisors: Dr. Peg Hughes, Dr. Hyun-Sook Park, Dr. Angela Rickford, Dr. Lisa Simpson, and Dr. Andrea Golloher

The MA in Education with a Concentration in Special Education, offered by the Department of Special Education , is a 30-unit program designed to prepare students for leadership roles in Special Education through coursework in one of three areas of specialization: early childhood special education; mild/moderate or moderate/severe disabilities; or a combination of areas of interest. Students interested in the MA and a teaching credential must apply for both options. Please note that prospective teachers with the MA must also complete a credential program in an area of interest to work in public schools in the State of California. For more information see www.sjsu.edu/specialed.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students must apply separately to the university to obtain approval for graduate-level admission  and to the department to obtain admission into the MA program. Applicants who meet the following requirements will be considered for admission in classified standing into the MA in Education with a Concentration in Special Education:

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
  • Passing score on the Department of Special Education writing assessment or GRE Analytical Writing (passing score of 4.0 score or better).
  • Certificate of Clearance.
  • STAT 95  or equivalent basic statistics course with a grade of 3.0 or better.
  • A teaching credential in special education is recommended.

In addition to the same requirements mentioned above, applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirement webpage at GAPE.

Requirements for Admission to Candidacy

To be admitted to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree, a student must first meet the university requirements for the degree as stated in the Advancement to Candidacy  section. Candidates must also have:

  • At least a 3.0 (“B”) average in nine semester hours of approved San José State University courses.
  • Approval of a formal master’s degree program from the departmental graduate advisor and from the Graduate Committee.
  • Successfully completed the graduate English Writing Requirement. The University requires that all graduate students complete the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR)  as a condition for advancement to candidacy. For graduate courses that meet the GWAR, please refer to the Graduate Admissions and Program Evaluations website at www.sjsu.edu/gape.

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures .

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 

Culminating Experience

Plan B (Project)

Students will complete a research project that involves the identification of a research problem, data collection, analysis, and discussion. The written requirement includes five chapters similar to the thesis format and a poster presentation to meet the oral requirement.

Master’s Requirements (30 units)


A statistics course is required as part of this masters program.

Electives (15 units)


Electives to be chosen with the approval of the advisor.

Culminating Experience (3 units)


Plan B- Project

Total Units Required (30 units)


Elective courses must be planned in consultation with the Graduate Advisor.

The maximum number of upper-division undergraduate units that can be applied toward the master’s degree is 15.

The maximum number of graduate units (with a grade of “B” or better) that can transferred from approved accredited universities is 9. Continuing education and extended studies units are not accepted for transfer.

Upon completion of the degree requirements, the student must have achieved minimum candidacy and SJSU Cumulative grade point averages of 3.0 in order to graduate.

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