Program Description

The Ed.S. with a Major in Special Education is an online, 30-hour program that prepares candidates to be leaders in the field of special education. The program gives candidates a deep understanding of key issues in special education. It encourages them to reflect on their own perspectives and teaching philosophies; explore the impact of history, laws, and court cases on the education of students with disabilities; and develop the skills to both analyze and conduct research through inquiry-based learning. The Ed.S. with a major in Special Education offers two concentrations that prepare candidates for roles as educational leaders.

The Special Education Advanced Concentration is for candidates seeking to advance their knowledge in special education as practitioners and teacher leaders.

The Special Education Leadership Concentration is for candidates seeking to become special education leaders in their school and/or district. This concentration includes 12 of the 18 hours required for Educational Leadership, Tier I Certificate. To complete the Educational Leadership, Tier I Certificate, candidates will apply to the certificate program upon completion of this EdS program to complete the remaining certificate requirements. Students must meet all admissions criteria for the certificate program, which includes the GACE Leadership Ethic Assessment.

Field activities and key assessments accompany each required course to provide a synthesis of the practical and theoretical knowledge necessary for today’s inclusive educational leader. Candidates completing this concentration seek to become special education leaders in their school and/or district. 

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program will be able to: 

1. Foster a responsive, learner-centered educational environment that promotes collaboration and democratic participation for student learning and may include co-teaching.
2. Demonstrate pedagogical approaches which incorporate contextual, theoretical/conceptual, and practical influences on the learner and learning.
3. Advance teaching and learning through the innovative use of technology based on sound educational theory and knowledge of the learner.
4. Demonstrate in-depth foundational knowledge of content-based research, scholarship, and socio-political influences in the teaching field and use this knowledge to analyze and interpret problems and implement solutions within their profession.
5. Demonstrate and apply various types of assessment to inform the learner’s ability to analyze, monitor, and improve their learning as well as interpret and use data to inform their own pedagogical effectiveness.
6. Engage in scholarly, applied research to advance knowledge of teaching, the learner, and/or learning.
7. Reflect on their professional, scholarly practice, and analyze the ways in which they have changed in their thinking, beliefs, or behaviors toward improved learner-centered practices. 
8. Support academic and linguistic needs of the learner, enhance cultural understandings, and increase global awareness of all students.
9. Demonstrate professional dispositions, fluency of academic language in a variety of contexts, and ethical practice expected of a scholar-practitioner.

  This program is a part of the Clarice C. and Leland H. Bagwell College of Education .

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Admissions, Enrollment, and Graduation Criteria

Admissions Criteria

The following are program-specific requirements beyond the general Graduate Admissions requirements. To be considered for admission to this program, the following application materials must be submitted to the KSU Graduate Admissions Office:

For the Special Education Advanced Concentration: 

• An earned Master’s degree in professional education or a related field from an accredited institution, i.e., Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership);
• Clear Renewable Georgia Teaching Certificate or departmentally-approved equivalent;
• At least two (2) years of professional experience in teaching, administration, or related field;

For the Special Education Leadership Concentration: 

• An earned Master’s degree or higher in professional education or a related field from an accredited institution, i.e., Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership,

• Clear Renewable Georgia Teaching Certificate or departmentally-approved equivalent;  

• Professional Resume demonstrating evidence of at least two years of teaching experience

• Recommendation Form from school system administrator or designee 

• EDL Mentor Form demonstrating that the mentor is actively employed in a leadership position in a P-12 school or LUA and holds a clear, renewable PSC Leadership Tier I (FLD700) or Leadership Tier II (FLD710) Certificate Field.  

• GACE Leadership Ethics Assessment Completion Certificate 

• Candidates are required to be employed as teachers or administrators in a traditional public school district, a charter school district, a charter school, or an independent school. By PSC regulation, candidates must be referred for admissions by their respective schools/districts, and Kennesaw State University must hold a Performance-Based partnership with the referring district.

* Individuals not holding a special education field on their PSC certificate will be required to pass the Special Education General Curriculum GACE assessment(s), thereby qualifying them to add the special education field, before the PSC will grant an upgrade to the teaching certificate.   

** Individuals applying for the Special Education Leadership Concentration who do not hold a Georgia teaching certificate may be considered for admission with approval by the Educational Leadership department.

     Admission Criteria for Unique Cases

Currently there are no exceptions to the admission requirements.

     Transfer Credit

Up to 25% of the total credit hours for the EdS program may be transferred in from outside institutions upon the approval of the program coordinator. 

Enrollment Criteria

This program does not have specific enrollment criteria; however, students are expected to meet the requirements of Academic Policy 4.0 ACADEMIC STANDING, DISMISSAL, & REINSTATEMENT .

Graduation Criteria

Each candidate must petition to graduate at least one semester prior to completion of program requirements. For more information, please view the corresponding section of Academic Policies: 5.0 PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS & GRADUATION .

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Program Course Requirements