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The Department of Special Education Master's program prepares graduate-level students to teach children and youth with disabilities. The program also prepares related services personnel who want to develop expertise in special education.
The Department offers Master's-level study in six emphasis areas described below. Students have the option to earn a degree with or without Kansas special education endorsement. Click on the program area below to access its description and curriculum. (To view curriculum pdf files, download and install Acrobat Reader from www.adobe.com if it is not already on your computer.) A listing of faculty by specialty area is provided if you would like to communicate with faculty in your area of interest.
* Program emphasis that can lead to Kansas special education licensure.
# Please note that at this time we are not accepting applications for the Deaf Education area. If you have any questions, please contact us at specialeduadm@ku.edu.
An individual pursuing a special education Master's degree and/or licensure in elementary or secondary education must hold a valid general education teaching certificate. Individuals pursuing nonteaching careers in public or private services, research, or professional roles related to children/youth/adults with disabilities and their families can be accepted as non-teaching Master's degree special education graduate students, but must hold bachelor’s degrees and have appropriate experience in related fields.
To explore how your academic and career goals fit with our degree or licensure programs, contact Pam Cullerton, Master's Program Advisor, pcullert@ku.edu.
A copy of The Department of Special Education Guide to the Master's Program is available here.
For additional information on application procedures and requirements, please see the Department's Application Process page.
Students may receive financial aid through Department grants and other sources noted in the Affiliated Centers & Institutes area of this site. To find more general information about financial support opportunities, please visit our Financial Support page. For information on departmental grants and projects, check Sponsored Research. In addition, find out if you qualify for the federal government's loan forgiveness incentive for special education teachers by linking to this informational flyer.
Below are descriptions of the six concentration areas the Department of Special Education offers its Master’s students. Included is information about which campus the program is taught at, the number of hours to complete the program and the professors who teach in the program.
High-Incidence Disabilities (Adaptive)
Location: Edwards Campus
Number of Hours: Endorsement Curriculum (30 cr), Master's Curriculum (34 cr)
Professors: Sean Smith (program coordinator), Don Deshler, Juliet Hart, Earle Knowlton, Keith Lenz, Suzanne Robinson, and Richard Simpson
Graduate preparation in High-Incidence Disabilities focuses on meeting the educational needs of students with learning and/or behavioral disabilities ranging from mild cognitive disabilities to attention deficits. This program focuses on strategies to promote access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities, as well as knowledge and strategies that address the unique learning and support systems that are necessary to educate students with special needs.
Students can obtain a Master’s Degree (with or without eligibility for Kansas endorsement in Adaptive Special Education) or may study for endorsement only. Program graduates facilitate student access to the general education curriculum. They work as co-teachers, consultants and resource teachers who help classroom teachers adapt content and conditions. Click on the Curriculum links above to obtain a form of required courses for the Endorsement and Master’s in this emphasis area of Special Education.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Location: Edwards Campus
Number of Hours: Master's Curriculum (32 cr)
Professors: Richard Simpson
The Autism Spectrum Disorders Program at the University of Kansas prepares education and service professionals for careers that involve children and youth with autism, Asperger Syndrome, and other pervasive developmental disorders. The program covers characteristics; assessment; curriculum, social, communication, and behavior interventions; and sensory and motor issues. Coursework addresses the complex needs of students with ASD, including those who require intensive and highly individualized programs to those who require less intensive modifications to succeed in a general education environment.
Students participate in multiple field-based practica in a variety of school and clinical sites, including the opportunity for field experiences in multicultural settings. Program participants earn a Master's Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in autism spectrum disorders. Click on the Curriculum link above to obtain a form of required courses for the Master’s in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Deaf Education* (Department is not currently accepting applications for this program area.)
Location:
Number of Hours:
Professors:
The Deaf Education program is designed to prepare highly qualified teachers of deaf and hard of hearing infants, children and youth, maintaining a strong focus on cultural and social diversity including affiliation with the Deaf community. Emphasizing individuality, the Deaf Education program is based on a guiding philosophy that appropriate education takes into account the needs and strengths of the student, family preferences, and cultural and community values.
The curriculum embraces a variety of approaches including communication modes, long-term goals, and educational options. As a result, graduates are prepared with a wide repertoire of skills and knowledge in language and communication, curriculum, pedagogy, and respect for individual differences and choices.
Graduates can become consultants to the general education teacher, itinerant teachers providing direct service to students and their families, and resource or classroom teachers. Follow these links to view the education curriculum requirements for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing: Birth to Grade 3 and for Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing: Pre-K to Grade 12 (not currently available).
*American Sign Language (ASL) - The University of Kansas offers coursework for undergraduates in the School of Education with a strong focus on the development of ASL and English sign system skills in preparation for entering the Deaf Education program at the master's level.
Early Childhood Unified Education
Location: Main Campus
Number of Hours: Licensure Curriculum (27 cr), Master's Curriculum (33 cr)
Professors: Eva Horn (program coordinator), Nancy Peterson and Barbara Thompson
The Early Childhood Unified Education program focuses on preparing professionals to meet the learning and development needs of all infants, toddlers, preschool and kindergarten-age children including those at-risk for and with disabilities and their families within natural and inclusive settings. Competencies address interdisciplinary approaches that integrate developmentally appropriate educational and early intervention strategies into holistic and functional activities for all young children and their families in settings such as homes, community childcare programs, preschools and kindergartens. Furthermore, the program emphasizes collaborative and team-based processes that empower families and program staff to work together to support the development of all young children.
This Master’s program now leads to a teaching license in the state of Kansas, the Kansas Unified Childhood License (birth-kindergarten). Click on the curriculum links above for required coursework for ECU licensure and for a Master's degree in ECU (birth-kindergarten).
(For information on KU's unified early childhood (birth through grade 3) undergraduate teacher education program, link to Early Childhood Unified Birth-3 Education.)
Low-Incidence Disabilities (Functional)
Location: Main Campus
Number of Hours: Endorsement Curriculum (33 cr), Master's Curriculum (38)
Professors: Mary Morningstar (program coordinator), Earle Knowlton, Wayne Sailor and Michael Wehmeyer
Master’s preparation in the area of Low-Incidence Disabilities focuses on meeting the educational needs of students requiring a life-skills oriented approach in addition to an intensive special education program to progress in the general curriculum. These students have significantly lower cognitive disabilities and may or may not include students in the autism spectrum who have concomitant cognitive, sensory, and physical impairments (e.g., Rett syndrome), and students with multiple disabilities.
The Master’s and/or licensure program in Low-Incidence Disabilities focuses on strategies to promote access to the general curriculum for students with significant disabilities, as well as knowledge and strategies addressing the unique learning and support needs required to educate students with intensive support needs. Click on the Curriculum links above to obtain a form of required courses for the Endorsement and Master’s in this emphasis area of Special Education.
Secondary Special Education and Transition Services*
Location: Main Campus, Edwards Campus
Number of Hours: Master's Curriculum (30/36 cr)
Professors: Mary Morningstar
Graduate education in the area of Transition Education and Services focuses on meeting the educational needs of secondary special education students and young adults with disabilities who are making the transition to adult life. The focus is cross-disability, meaning that program coursework provides information about effective program models and research impacting all students served in special education. Graduate students in the program choose to focus their studies on specific types of disabilities, as appropriate.
The Master’s in Transition offers graduate students the opportunity for graduate education specific to effective transition models, programs and research. Within the Master’s program, a minimum of 15 hours must be met from the approved Transition core or elective courses. Click on the Curriculum link above to view the coursework requirements for a Master’s in this program area.
*The online KU TransCert Program offers educational opportunities for secondary special education professionals focusing on the transition from school to adult life. This online program draws from the existing KU Transition Masters coursework and consists of a 15-credit hour online program leading to a graduate certificate in transition. Students must apply and be admitted to the program before enrolling as a non-degree seeking student in the four core transition courses plus a one-course culminating experience.
