Special Education

Important Note: This is the archived version of the 2012–2014 Graduate Catalog. The information on these pages was archived on August 22, 2012 and will not be updated as requirement and/or program changes are approved.

Admission Requirements

Master of Education
Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Requirements

Master of Education
Doctor of Philosophy

Mailing Address:
College of Education (MC 147)
1040 West Harrison Street
Chicago, IL 60607-7133

Campus Location: 3145 EPASW
Telephone: (312) 996-4532
Program Codes: 20FS0093MED (MEd); 20FS1183PHD (PhD)
E-mail: agarci5@uic.edu (MEd); ewilson@uic.edu (PhD)
Web Site: http://education.uic.edu/

Dean, Victoria Chou
Department Chairperson: Elizabeth Talbott
Director of Graduate Studies: Marie Tejero Hughes
Master of Education Program Coordinator: Michelle Parker-Katz
Doctor of Philosophy Program Coordinator: Marie Tejero Hughes

The College of Education offers course work that leads to the Master of Education in Special Education with concentrations of study for the Learning Behavior Specialist I certificate, the Learning Behavior Specialist II certificate (for Assistive Technology, Behavior Intervention Specialist, Bilingual Special Education Specialist, Curriculum Adaptation Specialist, Multiple Disabilities Specialist, and Transition Specialist), or the degree only; and the Doctor of Philosophy in Education: Special Education. The Bilingual and/or English as a Second Language (ESL) approval or endorsement, and the Early Childhood Special Education approval, can also be awarded; contact the College of Education for specific course requirements.

Interdepartmental concentrations in Gender and Women's Studies and Violence Studies are available to students in these programs.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Applicants must submit transcripts from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and from all postbaccalaureate work. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Education

Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
Grade Point Average At least 2.75/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study, and at least 3.00/4.00 for all postbaccalaureate course work.
Tests Required For the LBS I and LBS II certificate options, passing scores on the Illinois Basic Skills Test or the Illinois Test of Academic Proficiency. Scores must be received by the application deadline.
Minimum English Competency Test Score

TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based). Note: Total score is higher than the sum of the subscores. OR
IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.

Letters of Recommendation Three required; addressing the applicant’s academic qualifications, teaching experience, and potential for advanced-degree studies. Letters should be from current or former professors or supervisors.
Personal Statement Required; the statement must address the applicant’s professional goals, in a minimum of 300 words.^a
UIC Disposition Rating Chart Required; to be completed by applicant and by at least one recommender, for MEd Plus LBS II option.^a
Impromptu Writing This is assessed at the time of the interview.^a
Professional Resume Required for students applying for the MEd Plus LBS II Option; the resume must include all teaching experience.
Other Requirements All materials must be submitted by the stated application deadline. Applicants should give themselves enough time to gather all application materials (especially letters of recommendation) and submit them by the deadline.
Deadlines The application deadline for this program is earlier than the Graduate College deadline; contact the College of Education for information on current deadlines. Admission is restricted to the fall term.

^a For information about the personal statement, impromptu writing requirement, interview, and UIC Disposition Rating Chart, contact the Special Education office at (312) 996-5650.

Doctor of Philosophy

Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of undergraduate study and for all postbaccalaureate course work.
Tests Required GRE General.
Minimum English Competency Test Score

TOEFL 550 (paper-based); 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based). Note: Total score is higher than the sum of the subscores. OR
IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.

Letters of Recommendation Three required from faculty members or others familiar with the applicant’s previous academic training, academic and research ability, and experience.
Personal Statement Required. The statement must address the applicant’s professional and scholarly goals.
Interview If being considered for admission, the applicant will be required to participate in a face-to-face or phone interview with faculty.^a
Other Requirements The College of Education application form must also be submitted. This program requires two packets of admission materials. One set of transcripts and the official University application should be sent to the Admissions Office. Applicants should submit the following materials in one package to the College of Education: a copy of the official UIC application, the College of Education application, a second set of transcripts, GRE scores, 3 letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.
Deadlines The application deadline for this program is January 1. Admission is restricted to the summer and fall terms.

^aFor information about the personal statement, impromptu writing requirement, interview, disposition rating chart, and interview, contact the Special Education office at (312) 996-5650.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Education

Minimum Semester Hours Required MEd Only Option: 35 semester hours.
MEd Plus LBS II Option: Areas of specialization include Assistive Technology, Behavior Intervention Specialist, Bilingual Special Education Specialist, Curriculum Adaptation Specialist, Multiple Disabilities Specialist, and Transition Specialist. Contact the Special Education department in the College of Education.
MEd Plus LBS I Certificate Option: 50 hours. 9 hours are required at the 500-level.
Course Work MEd Only Option: ED 445, SPED/EPSY 582, and SPED 573 are required. In addition, courses must be taken from the following areas:

1 course in political and social context: DHD 401; DHD 430; DHD 514; DHD 535; DHD 570; ED 402; ED 403; EPSY 449; EDPS 406; EDPS 570; EDPS 571; EDPS 582; SPED/ED 461.
1 course in characteristics of learners: ED 421; ED 422; EPSY 420; EPSY 429; EPSY 446; EPSY 502; SPED/EPSY 465; SPED/EPSY 466; SPED/EPSY 467.
1 course in promoting academic learning: CI/SPED 480; CI 482; SPED/ED 473; SPED 463; SPED 471; SPED 583.
1 course in promoting social and emotional learning: SPED/ED 472; SPED 572.
1 course in assessing students’ needs: SPED 462; SPED 576.
1 three-hour internship course: SPED 577; SPED 578; SPED 579.
5–9 hours of electives based on the above course selections and with advisor approval.

MEd Plus LBS II Certificate Option: Contact the Special Education department in the College of Education for further information on course work required for the Assistive Technology, Behavior Intervention Specialist, Bilingual Special Education Specialist, Curriculum Adaptation Specialist, Multiple Disabilities Specialist, and Transition Specialist certificates.
MEd Plus LBS I Certificate Option: SPED/ED 461; SPED 462; SPED/EPSY 465; SPED/EPSY 466; SPED/EPSY 467; SPED 573; SPED 463; SPED/ED 473; SPED 471; SPED/ED 472; SPED 572; SPED 576; SPED 577 or SPED 578; SPED/EPSY 582; SPED 583; SPED 580.
Comprehensive Examination None.
Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Course work only: No other options are available.

Doctor of Philosophy

Minimum Semester Hours Required 96 from the baccalaureate or 64 from the master’s degree.
Course Work Required Courses: ED 500, 501, and 502; EPSY 503. Courses required in the area of specialization include SPED 564 and three research seminars (i.e., SPED 592). Students may take their remaining courses within the Special Education area, in other areas of the College of Education, or in other departments of the University (e.g., Anthropology, Disability Studies, Psychology, Public Policy, Sociology, and Gender and Women’s Studies). Twenty-four hours are required if a student already possesses a master’s degree, 56 are required without the master’s degree.
Preliminary Examination Written and oral. The written exam is based on the student’s program of study. The oral portion of the examination is based on both the written examination and the student’s dissertation proposal.
Dissertation Required. Students must register for doctoral thesis research for at least 16 semester hours.
Other Requirements Students must participate in a research project in collaboration with a faculty member or a team of faculty members and students. Eight semester hours of credit are awarded for the project, requiring at least two semesters to complete. Students must complete a training course sponsored by the Office for the Vice Chancellor for Research on the ethics of conducting research with human subjects. Students are required to submit an annual report of their academic and professional progress.

Interdepartmental Concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in a concentration in Gender and Women’s Studies after consulting with their graduate advisor. See Gender and Women’s Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of the catalog for more information.

Interdepartmental Graduate Concentration in Violence Studies

Students earning a graduate degree in this department may complement their courses by enrolling in a concentration in Violence Studies after consulting with their graduate advisor. See Violence Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section or the Jane Addams College of Social Work section for more information.