The graduate program in Special Education prepares individuals with or without special education backgrounds to work with exceptional children and youth. Students seeking Alabama Class A Professional Certification may select programs of study in the areas of Collaborative Teaching K-6 or 6-12.

Post-master's or Sixth-Year Graduate Programs which lead to an Instructional Specialist Degree are available, and for qualified individuals, an Alabama Professional Certificate at the AA level.

Academic standards and student responsibility

Students should be aware that the Special Education Program requires that certain courses be taken in sequence. Advisors should be consulted to obtain information about sequencing and prerequisite course work.

A committee consisting of graduate faculty members within the program will be selected by program advisors to assist the student in planning their courses of study following the schedule of course offerings. Such programs of study should be approved before the completion of nine semester hours of work.

The Special Education Program requires that students who receive a grade of "C" in a Special Education course, must repeat that course and attain a grade of "B" or better.

Satisfactory performance in all course work (GPA of 3.0 or greater) is required of all graduate Special Education majors; in the event of unsatisfactory performance (below "C") in a course not in their major area, a student's Graduate Program Committee selects the option of repeating the course and demonstrating satisfactory performance or demonstrating satisfactory performance in an approved alternate course.  A minimum GPA of 3.25 is required for graduation. 

Students must do their internship/practicum during their final semesters in the Mobile area or arrange to be supervised through another university. Contact Field Services for information regarding the out of area option. 

Students are assigned to advisors in their respective program areas. The student has the sole responsibility for initiating applications and meeting test and other deadline requirements.

Master of education degree program in special education

The requirements for the Master of Education include a minimum of 30 semester hours in the program specialization. All graduate majors will have a graduate program committee plan the individual program of study based upon the student's training, experience, needs and schedule of course offerings.

Those students seeking teacher certification must complete one of the program areas detailed as follows:

Program for Collaborative Teaching, K-6 or 6-12

For students with a valid Class "B" certificate in an area of Education. The 30 semester hour minimum program for the M.Ed. in the area of Collaborative Teaching includes:

Courses Required	Credit Hours
Curriculum and Teaching	6
SPE 512
SPE 516
Educational Foundations	6*
EDM 510 SPE 500
Research and Evaluation	3
IDE 510 Educational Research and Evaluation
Teaching Field	15
SPE 515
SPE 591
SPE 592
K-6 majors take EEC 523 and Practicum (SPE 588)
6-12 majors take SED 552 and Practicum (SPE 588)
Students seeking certification in both K-6 and 6-12 must complete a practicum at each level.