نظرة عامة على البرنامج

Special Education (M.Ed.) Program Overview

The Special Education (M.Ed.) program at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College is designed to improve the lives of children and youth with disabilities. As the top special education graduate program in the nation, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, it offers a comprehensive education in special education.

Program Facts and Application Dates

• Program Director: Alexandra Da Fonte
• Admissions Coordinator: Katherine Prioletti
• Admission Term: Fall
• Credit Hours: 30-60
• Priority Decision 1: December 1
• Priority Decision 2: January 3
• Rolling Decision: After January 3

Program Curriculum

The Special Education degree program emphasizes field-based learning and experience, with opportunities for supervised research. Programs of study are planned in consultation with the faculty advisor. To satisfy degree requirements, students will take a comprehensive sit-down exam and complete a master's specialty area project or thesis.

Coursework

Coursework varies by specialization:

• Early Childhood Special Education:
  • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
  • SPEDE 7100 Advanced Issues in Family Intervention
  • SPEDE 7400 Instruction and Learning in Early Childhood Special Education
  • SPEDE 7450 Screening and Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education
  • SPEDE 7500 Special Topic: Curriculum Design in Early Childhood Special Education
  • SPEDE 7600 Recommended Practices in Early Elementary Grades for Students with Disabilities
  • SPEDE 7951 Field Work in Early Childhood Special Education
  • SPEDE 7953 Advanced Field Work in Early Childhood Special Education
  • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
  • SPEDS 7700 Characteristics of Students with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
• High Incidence (Intervention Specialist): K-8:
  • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
  • SPED 7810 Research Methods in Special Education
  • SPEDH 7100 Trends and Issues in Learning Disabilities or SPEDH 7200 Trends and Issues for Students with Behavior Disorders
  • SPEDH 7300 Teaching Mathematics to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties: K-8
  • SPED 7350 Assessment for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPED 7410 Teaching Reading to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7420 Advanced Reading Methods for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7440 Teaching Middle School Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
  • SPEDH 7953 Advanced Field Work in Special Education
• High Incidence (Intervention Specialist): 6-12:
  • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
  • SPED 7810 Research Methods in Special Education
  • SPEDH 7100 Trends and Issues in Learning Disabilities or SPEDH 7200 Trends and Issues for Students with Behavior Disorders
  • SPEDH 7310 Teaching Mathematics to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties: 6-12
  • SPED 7350 Assessment for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7400 Teaching High School Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPED 7410 Teaching Reading to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7440 Teaching Middle School Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
  • SPEDH 7953 Advanced Field Work in Special Education
• High Incidence (Intensive Intervention Specialist):
  • Note: Requires teacher licensure
  • SPED 7350 Assessment for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
  • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
  • SPED 7810 Research Methods in Special Education
  • SPED 7962 Practicum: Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Behavior Difficulties
  • SPED 7961 Practicum: Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7100 Trends and Issues in Learning Disabilities or SPEDH 7200 Trends and Issues for Students with Behavior Disorders
  • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
  • SPEDH 7610 Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7620 Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Behavior Difficulties
  • SPEDH 7800 Collaboration, Ethics, and Leadership to Support Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Disabilities
• Severe Disabilities:
  • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
  • SPEDE 7100 Advanced Issues in Family Intervention
  • SPEDS 7100 Augmentative and Alternative Communication
  • SPEDS 7250 Methods of Instruction for Students with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
  • SPEDS 7954 Field Work in Special Education: Autism, Intellectual, and Multiple Disabilities
  • SPEDS 7700 Characteristics of Students with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
  • SPEDS 7200 Advanced Access to General Education and Teaching Functional Academics
  • SPEDS 7300 Advanced Procedures for Transition to Adult Life
  • SPEDS 7710 Seminar: Current Issues in Autism and Severe Disabilities
  • SPEDS 7953 Advanced Fieldwork in Multiple and Severe Disabilities
  • SPEDS 7991 Extended Student Teaching for Graduate Students
• Visual Disabilities:
  • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
  • SPED 8810 Introduction to Single-Subject Research Methodology
  • SPEDV 7510 Medical and Educational Implications of Visual Impairments
  • SPEDV 7520 Educational Procedures for Students with Visual Impairments
  • SPEDV 7530 Advanced Braille
  • SPEDV 7540 Communication and Literacy Skills for Students with Visual Impairments
  • SPEDV 7550 Orientation and Mobility Skills for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments
  • SPEDV 7560 Characteristics and Instruction for Students with Multiple Disabilities Including Deaf-blindness
  • SPEDV 7570 Advanced Procedures for Students with Visual Impairments
  • SPEDV 7951 Field Work in Visual Impairments
  • SPEDV 7953 Advanced Field Work in Visual Impairments

Selected Faculty Research

• Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez: Focuses on advancing students' language and reading comprehension outcomes, particularly for students from Spanish-speaking, low-income homes.
• Naomi Tyler: Researches improving education for students with disabilities in inclusive settings, translation of research to practice, supply and demand of special education faculty, diversity in personnel preparation, teaching diverse learners, and high incidence disabilities.

Teacher Pathway Scholarship

• Guarantees a minimum 30% scholarship to all admitted students in initial licensure programs and advanced programs, and a minimum 20% scholarship for teacher leadership programs.
• Eligible programs include:
  • Initial Licensure Programs (30% minimum scholarship)
    • Secondary Education
    • Elementary Education
    • Multilingual Education
    • Integrated Early Childhood Education
    • Special Education
  • Advanced Programs (30% minimum scholarship)
    • Human Development Counseling (School Counseling track only)
    • Reading Education
  • Teacher Leadership Programs (20% minimum scholarship)
    • K-12 Educational Leadership and Policy (Ed.D)

Faculty

• Marcia Barnes: Dunn Family Chair in Psychoeducational Assessment and Professor of Special Education
• Elizabeth Biggs: Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education
• Meghan Burke: Professor, Department of Special Education
• Andrea Capizzi: Associate Professor of the Practice and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Special Education
• Jason Chow: Associate Professor of Special Education, Department of Special Education
• Laurie Cutting: Patricia and Rodes Hart Professor of Neuroscience, Department of Special Education
• Alexandra Da Fonte: Director of Teacher Education, Professor of the Practice, Director of Professional Studies, Department of Special Education
• Samantha Gesel: Assistant Professor of the Practice of Special Education, Department of Special Education
• Kristen Granger: Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education
• Mary Louise Hemmeter: Professor, Department of Special Education, Nicholas Hobbs Chair, Department of Special Education
• Robert Hodapp: Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Special Education
• Ann Kaiser: Susan W. Gray Professor of Education and Human Development, Department of Special Education
• Kiersten Kinder: Assistant Professor of the Practice, Early Childhood Special Education, Department of Special Education
• Joseph Lambert: Assistant Professor, Department of Special Education
• Jennifer Ledford: Associate Professor, Department of Special Education
• Blair Lloyd: Associate Professor, Department of Special Education
• Jessica Logan: Associate Professor, Department of Special Education
• Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez: Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Education, Office of the Dean, Associate Professor, Department of Special Education
• Rachel Anne Schles: Assistant Professor of the Practice, Department of Special Education
• Johanna Staubitz: Associate Professor of the Practice, Director of Applied Behavior Analysis Program, Department of Special Education
• Jeanne Wanzek: Professor, Currey-Ingram Chair in Special Education, Department of Special Education
• Joseph Wehby: Associate Professor, Department of Special Education