MA in Education with M/M Education Specialist Credential

Introduction

Every child deserves a bright future, and you can support young learners in the classroom with an enhanced education experience that places a special emphasis on identifying the needs of students with different learning challenges. Antioch University Santa Barbara’s MA in Education with M/M Education Specialist Credential also provides the skills and knowledge in leadership to become an active voice in education reform. By pairing traditional classroom learning with the required thesis project, you’ll gain valuable expertise on a topic of your choosing.

Students say that our program is rigorous, but they also say that Antioch’s emphasis on intellectual development, ecological literacy, diversity and how to create caring inclusive learning communities well prepares them for their real-world teaching careers! Our graduates are highly sought after for employment and become active participants in their schools and communities.

This degree is offered by AU Santa Barbara.

Program Overview

This 12-month program designed for teachers who already possess a multiple subject or single subject credential that weaves the requirements for the Preliminary Education Specialist Instruction Credential: Mild-to-Moderate Disabilities with coursework leading toward a Master of Arts in Education. The collaborative, cohort-based model is the ideal setting in to learn essential skills related to student advocacy and working within diverse classrooms.

Candidates experience two sequences of course content: Research and Credential-specific.

Research Sequence:
Each of the research courses will focus on applying the material studied and the development of effective interpersonal group skills. Students will address contemporary problems, participate in active problem solving, and work collaboratively in groups.

Candidates in the program complete a thesis. The research course sequence prepares students to write the literature review, method section, data analysis and discussion of their research project.

Credential-specific sequence:
The second sequence is a collection of courses that prepares candidates to provide instruction, assessment, and support to students with mild-to-moderate disabilities. Courses in the credential-specific sequence include student-teaching accompanied by a professional seminar for two quarters.

Students will also experience:

• Exploration topics of personal and professional interest and to examine their potential roles as leaders in a reflective community of learners
• Opportunities to reflect on their own strengths and challenges and to examine their own reasoning, values, and interpersonal skills.
• Two quarters (six months) of student-teaching in a K-12 special education setting
• Knowledge and skills necessary to work with second language learners’ English Language Development

Candidates in the MA in Education with M/M Educational Specialist Credential program who are teachers with intern credentials may use their own classrooms to satisfy most of the fieldwork requirements. They are supervised by district appointed personnel in addition to Antioch University Santa Barbara Field Supervisors.

Degree Requirements

This program begins in Summer quarter.

Courses include:

• Exploratory Practicum in Special Education
• Comprehensive Behavior Assessment and Positive Behavior Support
• Intro to Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Individualized Education Design & Policy Implementation
• Assistive Technology
• Educational Research
• Social Justice Education
• Research Ethics for Human Subjects
• Reading Instruction in Elementary Classrooms
• Assessment in Special Education
• Understanding and Teaching Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
• Language Arts Curricula: Theory & Methods
• Student Teaching Mild/Moderate with Professional Seminar I
• Critical Evaluation of Educational Research
• Understanding and Teaching Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities II
• Family Dynamics and Communication for Special Education Services
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Exploratory Practicum in Special Education
• Student Teaching Mild/Moderate with Professional Seminar II
• Producing & Disseminating Educational Research
• Thesis Study

For detailed curriculum, degree requirements, and course descriptions, please visit the AUSB Course catalog.

About the Credentials

The Education Specialist Instruction Credential: Mild/Moderate Disabilities authorizes the holder to conduct assessments, provide instruction, and special education related services to individuals in grades K-12 and up to the age of 22, with specific learning disabilities, mild/moderate disabilities, intellectual disability, other health impairment, emotional disturbance, and autism spectrum disorders within the disability area.

Antioch University Santa Barbara’s Teacher Credentialing programs are approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC/CTC), 1900 Capital Ave., Sacramento, CA 95811-4213; phone (916) 445-7254. All credential programs offered by Antioch University Santa Barbara are CCTC Approved Professional Preparation Programs. To view a report of recent pass rate assessment for our programs and other California institutions see (Reports, Appendix A of Report on Teacher Credentialing Programs): Annual Accreditation Report to the Commission on California Teacher Credentialing for the Academic Year 2015-2016. View: 2016-2017 State Exams Pass Report by Exam. View: 2016-2017 State Exams Pass Report by Title II Group