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Residency:
In addition to maintaining continuous enrollment (fall and spring
semesters), doctoral students must complete at least two consecutive
semesters (fall-spring, summer-fall, spring-summer, or spring-fall) of
six hours or more of graduate credit.
Transfer of Credit:
A student, with approval from the major professor and the department,
may transfer all credits earned toward one or more master’s
degrees completed at other universities and up to 15 semester hours
earned outside of a master’s degree program. Only graduate credits
in which grades of B were earned that were taken in residence at
another university may be transferred. These transfer hours may be
included in the program of study. A minimum of 54 credits must be
earned at UNO and 45 of these must be earned subsequent to the
Qualifying Examination.
Research Project:
Doctoral students complete a research project as defined by the
faculty prior to taking their general examination.
Continuous Enrollment:
Doctoral students, after being admitted to the Ph.D. program, must
enroll in graduate courses each fall and spring until being awarded
the degree. A leave of absence must be formally requested from the
faculty prior to any semester in which this requirement is not met.
Students will be dismissed if they fail to meet this continuous enrollment
requirement.
General Examination:
Students must successfully complete a general examination to continue
in the Ph.D. program. Students may take the general examination
when they have completed the pre-dissertation research project and
most of their coursework, as defined by the faculty.
Time Limit:
New doctoral students must complete their degree within a 13-year
period of admission to the program.
Special Education and Habilitative Services
Revisions in the Master’s program in Special Education have been
submitted to the Board of Regents in accordance with new regulations
developed by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Teacher Quality. The
redesign initiative, collaboratively supported by the Louisiana Board
of Regents and the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary
Education (BESE), is largely aligned with new federal and state regulations.
Upon approval, these revisions will become effective during
the 2007-2008 academic year. It is critical that candidates meet with
an academic advisor to remain aware of any changes to a particular
program of study.
Programs in Special Education
Graduate study is offered in special education which may lead to
the Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Education (M.Ed.), or Doctor of
Philosophy (Ph.D.). The candidate for the M.A. degree must submit
and defend a thesis which demonstrates research competence in an
accepted field of special education. The program of study for each
degree provides maximum flexibility for each graduate student in
designing a program which will meet professional objectives. Upon
acceptance into an advanced degree program, each student is assigned
a major professor to assist in designing an appropriate program of
study.
Master’s Degree
The Department of Special Education has a general master’s degree
program which provides an opportunity for the student to pursue
many certifications representative of the field. The certifications
which are offered are indicative of the broad range of exceptionalities
in the field are:
1. Mild/Moderate Disabilities
2. Significant Disabilities
3. Educational Diagnostician
4. Early Intervention
5. Deaf/Hard of Hearing
6. Blind/Visually Impaired
7. Gifted/Talented Education
Requirements for the Master’s Degree
Admission:
The prospective master’s student must meet the admission requirements
established by the Graduate School. In addition, applicants must
complete the general portion of the Graduate Record Examination and
be acceptable to the major department.
All required records of the applicant must be on file in the office
of the Graduate Program Coordinator of the Department of Special
Education and Habilitative Services, before any action will be taken
on the application.
Admission to a master’s program in Special Education and Habilitative
Services requires a grade-point average of at least 2.5 for undergraduate
work and 3.0 for graduate work, if applicable, the Graduate
Record Examination. Students who do not meet the above GPA or
GRE requirements may petition for probationary admittance to the
master’s-level program in the Department of Special Education and
Habilitative Services with two letters of support addressed to the Associate
Dean of the College of Education. One of these must be from a
member of the Graduate Faculty and one from the Graduate Program
Coordinator in the Department of Special Education and Habilitative
Services.
Programs of Study
The master’s program in Special Education (M.Ed.) includes a minimum
requirement of 36 semester hours including a minimum of three
hours in research methods and a minimum of six semester hours in
a minor or related fields outside of major department. The graduate
student may select a concentration of study from the array of different
program areas in Special Education.
A student in a master’s program in the Department of Special Education
and Habilitative Services may not count toward degree requirements
more than six hours of graduate coursework with a grade
below a B.
Each master’s candidate is required to pass a written comprehensive
examination. The examination concentrates on the application of
educational practice and theory with emphasis on the major area of
concentration, but may include the minor or related fields. Typically,
the comprehensive examination is taken during the last semester of
graduate study. Two failures of the examination necessitates dismissal
from the master’s program.
Requirements for the Doctoral Degree
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree offered in Special Education
and Habilitative Services incorporates innovative approaches to
leadership training. The general regulations and procedures governing
programs leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree, as explained
elsewhere in the catalog, will be followed.
Program Description:
Students enrolled in the program address critical issues through
coursework and field experiences. Primarily, courses are divided
among the following areas:
1. special education,
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