Effective Spring 2017 - The Master of Arts in Multicategorical Education is not accepting any new students. Students interested in adding the LBS1 endorsement onto an existing license may be interested in the four course LBS1 Endorsement Sequence.
Current students, please refer to the FAQ web page linked here to learn about the “teach out” process. Please meet with your Academic Advisor regarding your current Study Plan.
The College of Education graduate major in Multicategorical Special Education prepares individuals to teach in special education settings covering the full range of students encompassed by the Illinois LBS I Unlimited credential, i.e., students with LD, S/ED, MR/MI/CI, PH, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and autism. Graduates of the MCSE program serve across the continuum of services instructional, resource, and including settings and as collaborators/consultants to educators, administrators, staff, and parents.
Licensure/Endorsement
The program is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and prepares candidates for the Learning Behavior Specialist I Unlimited license and is nationally recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children.
To be recommended for certification, the student must present evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency and any other examinations required by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Option I: Students Holding a Professional Educator License for Teaching
Students holding a teaching license are not required to complete additional clinical hours in those areas in which they have previously had supervised experience. Such students are not required to repeat student teaching if they provide documentation from the institution at which they completed student teaching, and have successfully taught at appropriate experiential levels. Students who have an Illinois teaching license do not need to complete additional general education requirements.
Option II: Students without Teaching License
Students who do not hold a Professional Educator License for Teaching must complete SPED - 6999: Student Teaching , in addition to the coursework listed below. Depending on their previous coursework, they may be required to complete additional undergraduate general education coursework, including the completion of a teaching specialization area. Please see an education advisor for further details.
Program Requirements
After meeting the university admission requirements, in order to continue in the program, students must have successfully passed the IL Test of Academic Proficiency prior to enrolling in any Professional Education coursework, and before completing nine hours of coursework which must include SPED-8619 and SPED-8200 . Also, the student must submit to the College of Education a supplemental application packet containing:
- transcripts showing a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in all undergraduate work attempted and all grades in graduate course work at a “B” or better;
- scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE General Test);
- for Option I: a valid Illinois or comparable out-of-state Professional Educator License for Teaching;
- evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency of the Illinois Licensure Testing System or evidence of possessing an Illinois teaching license that required passing this test; and
- for Option I: evidence of two years teaching prior to completion of program. Experiences will be evaluated by program faculty for appropriateness.
After the student has completed SPED-8619 and SPED-8200 , the faculty will review this information and recommend that the student be permitted to continue in the program, continue in the program conditionally, or be dismissed from the program. To receive a recommendation to continue, the student must earn a grade of “B” or better in SPED-8619 and SPED-8200 which must be taken at Governors State University.
Conditional Continuation
The faculty may permit a student to progress conditionally. In such cases, faculty review of the applicant’s record identifies evidence that the student will likely be successful in the program. The status of all students permitted to progress conditionally is reviewed by the faculty each semester, and students are informed in writing of the conditions necessary for them to be transferred to good standing status. When conditions are met, students are informed in writing of the transfer to good standing status. A student may not be admitted to the culminating project without achieving good standing status.
For Option II: Approval for Student Teaching: Students required to student teach must:
- complete all professional education requirements maintaining a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a grade of “B” or better in a graduate level SPED course, and a grade of “C” or better in all other coursework,
- have passed the Special Education General Curriculum Test (163) and the Learning Behavior Specialist I Test (155) of the Illinois Licensure Testing System, and
- have no more than a total of nine general education hours outstanding.
Admission to Candidacy
To continue in the program, the student must be accepted as a candidate for the M.A. in Multicategorical Special Education degree after completing SPED-8619 , SPED-8200 , and two additional courses on the approved study plan. Students must submit to the Division of Education Graduate Advising Office an application for candidacy in the semester that they expect to have completed the courses required for candidacy: September 30 for fall term, January 31 for spring term, or May 31 for summer term. Application forms are available via the student portal of the GSU website - College of Education Graduate Programs.
To qualify for candidacy, a student must:
- have completed all undergraduate prerequisites for courses on the study plan;
- have completed all coursework applicable to the degree with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a grade of “B” or better in SPED-8619 and SPED-8200 and with a grade of “C” or better in all other courses;
- display, or be judged as developing, the dispositions expected of graduate students as listed in the section Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals ; and
- be recommended for candidacy by the M.A. in Multicategorical Special Education program faculty.
Further information about candidacy is available in the M.A. in Special Education Student Handbook accessed via the student portal of the GSU website.
Students admitted to candidacy will be assigned to a faculty advisor. Students not admitted to candidacy will be dropped from the program and will not be permitted to register in courses at Governors State University until they have changed their major to a major outside the Division of Education.
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