Department of Special Education
Miller Hall 200, 360-650-3981
No new applications are being accepted at this time. As this program has been placed in moratorium, please contact the department or see the department website for updated information.
Graduate Faculty
Coulter, Gail, PhD.
Hyatt, Keith, EdD.
Kelley, Bridget, PhD.
Lambert, M. Charles, PhD.
Robinson, LeAnne, PhD.
Thorndike-Christ, Tracy, PhD.
Goals
The program prepares special educators to become master teachers and consultants in specialized instruction.
Graduate studies in special education are generally designed for students who have met Washington state teacher certification requirements, and are seeking a master’s degree in combination with an endorsement to teach special education, and for certificated special education teachers. Prospective students who hold a bachelor’s degree and are seeking a first Washington state certification should refer to the Special Education Post-Baccalaureate Program as preparation for graduate admission.
Application Information
Candidates must meet the requirements of the Graduate School (see General Requirements in this section of the catalog) in addition to the following departmental requirements:
- Specific test requirements:
- Miller Analogies Test or Graduate Record Exam, General Test.
- Supporting materials:
- A résumé
- A statement of purpose for seeking the MEd, and SPED endorsement, if applicable, not to exceed one page
- Completion of Washington state residency certificate requirements
- Three current letters of reference
- An on-campus interview if requested by the department
In limited cases, students who do not meet departmental admission requirements may be granted provisional admission by the Graduate School.
Thesis
The department requires students to submit a proposal for a thesis (690). This proposal must be approved by the student’s committee prior to registering for SPED 690 or SPED 691. In SPED 690 students will design and carry out independent research under the direction of a faculty committee. The thesis option (690) requires a committee of three faculty.
Comprehensive Assessment
Student achievement of the program competencies will be assessed by faculty during the final two quarters of the program through one of two methods:
- Thesis proposal, paper, and defense (SPED 690)
- Qualifying examination - the qualifying exam is required by the end of the third quarter of enrollment, after completing SPED 501 with a grade of B- or better. Passage of the qualifying exam is required prior to registering for SPED 690 credits.
