College of Education
COE Extended Studies - Online Master of Arts Degree in Special Education
Online Masters of Arts Degree in Special Education
Here you will find:
- General Information
- Required Coursework
- Program Costs
- Contact Information
- PDF flyer of program schedule
General Information
The UCCS Department of Special Education is pleased to announce an exciting new Graduate Degree option, an Online MA in Special Education.
The UCCS Online Special Education MA and the Additional Endorsement Program is designed for students who already hold a teaching license in another area of education (for example, elementary or secondary teachers wanting to earn a Master of Arts Degree in Special Education). The program consists of 28 credit hours for the Special Education Generalist: An Added Endorsement and an additional 9 credits can be completed to earn an MA. The added endorsement may be completed in four semesters. This is not an initial licensure program. You must hold a valid teaching license to enroll.Required Coursework
SPED 5003 Classroom and Instructional Management
This course will examine evidence-based approaches for providing classroom and instructional
managem ent. The emphasis is on:
- effective instructional procedures,
- individual and classroom behavior management strategies, and
- principles of app lied behavior analysis.
15 hours of field experience is required.
SPED 5004 Self-Determination and Transition
This course presents self-determination and development, implementation, and evaluation
of self-managem ent instructional programs for students. Service delivery models,
issues, and intervention approaches are examined in light of efficacy research.
Emphasis is upon using self-management and learning strategies to facilitate self-determination.
15 hours of field experience is required.
SPED 5010 Multisensory Structured Language Education
Introduces the content and skills of instruction for students with learning disabilities.
Includes research-based strategies in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, reading
fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Students work with a tutorial student and
evaluate teaching skills through small group coaching sessions.
SPED 5011 Assessment and Instructional Monitoring
This course examines evaluation concepts and assessments attending to curriculum-based
individual-referenced measures, standardized assessments, and large-scale criterion-referenced
tests characteristic of most statewide programs. Emphasis will be placed on aligning
curriculum , instruction, and assessment.
15 hours of field experience is required.
SPED 5020 Significant Support Needs
This course presents the development, implementation, and evaluation
of instructional programs for students with severe cognitive and physical needs
at the elementary and secondary levels. Service delivery models, issues, and intervention
approaches are examined in light of efficacy research.
30 hours of field experience is required.
SPED 5021 Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support
This course examines positive behavior support from philosophical, theoretical,
individual, and systemic perspectives. Emphasizes characteristics of students with
challenging behavior, functional behavioral assessment, school-wide, classroom,
and non-classroom PBS models and interventions, and models for family and community
positive behavioral support.
20 hours of field experience is required.
SPED 5022 Consultation and Collaboration
This course critically analyzes issues, research, implementation approaches, and
recommended practices for employing collaborative models to support learning across
diverse school and community settings. Students will access and evaluate community
resources, develop and maintain interdisciplinary and interagency partnerships.
20 hours of field experience is required.
SPED 5030 Elementary/ Secondary Internship
Students are requ ired to apply an d integ rate research-based practices in an educational
setting. Student teachers will work with a wide range of students with special needs
in programs that utilize practices congruent with the UCCS Special Education Program.
This internship must be completed at the opposite K-12 age range from SPED 4031/5031.
CURR 5410 Informal Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading
Causes of low reading ability and techniques employed in teaching the poor reader,
diagnosis, motivation, and skills.
LEAD 570 Introduction to Research and Statistics- MA Students ONLY
Introduces measures of central tendency, variability, percentiels, standard scores, and correlation. Covers basic conceipts in statistical inference, evaluating and using research, design and analysis of educationl research, and creitical evaluation of published research. Completion of research project is required.
SPED 5090 Applied Research Project- MA Students ONLY
The basic premise of this seminar is that applied behavior analysis and the teacher as a researcher-scientist are integral components of an effective educational setting. Based on individual interests, students will design a research project for the purpose of evaluation interventions in their own setting. Students will (a) develop a research proposal in APA format, (b) conduct the research, and proposal in APA format, (c)submit a final research paper to the special education faculty. All papers will be evaluated by the research review committee consisting of three university faculty members. This course is required to fulfill the MA comprehensive exam requirement. Prer., All graduate coursework completed.
SPED 5091 Current Topics in Special Education - MA Students ONLY
Current issues/topics in special education related to instruction, advocacy, policy, service delivery, and training is addressed in this course. Students will investigate an area of interest based on empirical literature. Open to graduate students only.
Program Costs
- Tuition per credit hour $456*
- Technology Fee (per course) $99*
*UCCS online tuition may be subject to change
The College of Education programs are fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and we are approved by the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Commission of Higher Education.
Contact Us
Extended Studies Programs
Departmental office is located in Columbine Hall 4014.
Phone: (719) 255-4344 Fax: (719) 255-3915 email: cbrown@uccs.edu