Special Education Literacy, M.A.

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The Special Education Literacy master’s degree is for licensed teachers or candidates who have completed the requirements for their teaching license. Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25. They receive 30 tuition-free credits of coursework in exchange for working with a partner school district as a reading/writing Tier II interventionist for a program that runs one year. This degree program places an emphasis on developing candidates’ reading intervention skills.

Requirements

Must be a licenced teacher or eligible for licensure
Students are required to participate as an intern with a partner district
All courses must be completed at USJ

Continuation

Students must earn a grade of B or better in their first attempt in their first two classes to remain in the program. They must earn a B or better in all courses for continuous progression throughout the program.

Comprehensive Exam

Students will be required to take a Comprehensive Exam after their coursework is completed as a capstone for the master’s degree.

Program requirements (30 credits)

There are no electives in this program. Students must participate as an intern with a partner district.

SPEC 545 - Seminar in Intensive Intervention in Reading 3 Credits
SPEC 547 - Practicum I: Reading Interventions 6 Credits
SPEC 542 - Foundational Reading Interventions 3 Credits
SPEC 548 - Practicum II: Reading Interventions 6 Credits
SPEC 540 - Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Interventions 3 Credits
SPEC 574 - Seminar in Literary Assessment 3 Credits
SPEC 530 - Research in Special Education 3 Credits
SPEC 543 - Instructional Planning and Interventions in Special Education: Writing and Study Skills 3 Credits

Other opportunities In education

Laboratory schools

The School of Education benefits from two laboratory schools. The Gengras Center, an on campus school for students with significant disabilities, and the School for Young Children, an early childhood school nearby, offer students pre-professional opportunities in working with teachers, children and families.

Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society

Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education has been active at USJ since 2009. The society has a long-standing commitment to “recognizing excellence and fostering mutual cooperative support, and professional growth for educational professionals.” Letters of invitation are sent in March to students eligible for membership informing them of an April orientation meeting and an initiation ceremony in the spring.

Partnerships

The School of Education has partnerships with several school districts and agencies, which provide candidates the opportunity to interact with K-12 students under faculty supervision. Longstanding partnerships include: Bloomfield School District, Connecticut Department of Children and Family Services, and West Hartford Schools. Candidates are provided authentic opportunities to assess, teach and collaborate with others.

Literacy

This internship is for licensed teachers. Selected interns, with a minimum GPA of 3.25, receive 15-30 credits of coursework plus a stipend for working in a school district as a reading tutor for up to two years. The program places an emphasis on developing candidates’ reading intervention skills. Also see Literacy, M.A. Elementary or Secondary Education for details.

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