The M.Ed. in Special Education, with concentrations in General Curriculum (mild disabilities) and Adapted Curriculum (severe disabilities), is offered to persons with Bachelors degrees in all areas of education. Persons with degrees in education and current teacher certification in Georgia do not need pre-requisite courses. Application for admission is available online through the Office of Academic Admissions at www.gru.edu/admissions/apply.php.
Persons with Bachelors degrees in areas other than education must do the following prior to admission to the graduate program: Meet with an Advisor, as assigned by the program.
All special education courses contain a 30-hour lab component (in addition to classroom time) that provides the student with a public school experience during the semester. The required lab time should be considered when planning the course schedule. Depending upon the course requirements and with permission of the instructor, students who are employed as teachers or paraprofessionals in special education classrooms may be able to complete some of their lab hours in their school. Prior to the first field experience, students who are not employed by a school district must satisfactorily pass a criminal background check (conducted by GRU). All field placements must be approved by the instructor prior to the student’s first visit to the school.
All special education courses are “by permission only.” Students must be advised by a member of the special education graduate faculty each semester and given permission to register.
Students who do not have a Bachelors degree in an educational field are eligible for the Master of Arts in Teaching program explained later in this catalog.
