Department of Counseling, Special Education, and Rehabilitation
M.A. in Special Education
Dr. Charles Arokiasamy, Department Chair
Dr. Dana Powell, Graduate Program Coordinator
- Making a Difference in a Diverse Society | Special Education in the 21st Century | Innovative Courses and Program Options | Faculty | Quick Facts
Making a Difference in a Diverse Society
In the graduate education programs at California State University, Fresno, students are preparing to effect change within a culturally diverse society. The School of Education and Human Development is committed to being one of the best education schools in the nation. To that end, the faculty has developed and approved a vision statement accompanied by the theme "Making a Difference in a Diverse Society." Standing behind this ideal, we are determined to make a real difference in the development of human potential through education and in the quality of practice in our schools. All program delivery is based on the school's commitment to developing reflective, collaborative leaders.
The Master of Arts degree in Special Education is a 30-unit program designed to prepare teachers, scholars, and leaders to serve as advocates for students with disabilities and to make significant professional contributions to their school districts, their community, and to the field of special education. There are two emphasis areas in the master's degree: Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe. Both areas include core courses with differences in assessment and curriculum content. The Special Education Master's Degree may be awarded with the Specialist Credential because most of the coursework is applicable to both the degree and the credential. The Special Education Specialist Credential can be attained in the area of mild/moderate or moderate/severe.
Special Education in the 21st Century
As our nation moves into an era of challenging demographic, economic, political, and technological changes in education, we must address the severe shortage of special education teachers at all levels, particularly educators from diverse ethnic backgrounds. In California, over 5 million children are enrolled in public schools, and approximately 10 percent of these are receiving special education or related services.
Over half of this population of students with disabilities are of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Faced with these challenging statistics, the Department of Counseling and Special Education is committed to preparing teachers, scholars, and leaders to serve as advocates for children with disabilities and their families.
The faculty are committed to educational excellence by addressing the following goals:
- Decreasing the severe shortage of special education teachers;
- Recruiting teachers from minority backgrounds to enter the teaching profession in special education;
- Training and mentoring special educators, scholars, advocates and leaders who are able to work more effectively with students with disabilities and their families including those from diverse linguistic and ethnic backgrounds;
- Training and mentoring graduate students to contribute to the research in special education and minority special education.
Innovative Courses and Program Options
Our courses are designed to prepare educators who are able to teach individuals with special needs in the continuum of educational placements in school, community, and home. The program is based on the philosophy that all humans can learn and that all individuals with special needs can be respected, productive and contributing members of society. Each course in the program is based on a group of competencies (including multicultural competencies) to allow for application of theory into practice, incorporation of reflective problem solving, collaboration with schools and other agencies, and participation in field-based research. Courses are primarily designed for the graduate student who is working full time in special education and concurrently enrolled in coursework. Additionally, a number of Special Education Program options have received state and national recognition as innovative projects. These options incorporate timely themes such as family involvement, minority and bilingual education, and inclusive collaboration to prepare educators for the 21st century.
Making a Difference in a Diverse Society | Special Education in the 21st Century | Innovative Courses and Program Options | Faculty | Quick Facts