Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option in Education (Special Education)

Beginning in Fall 2020, students enrolled in UAEU’s BEd in Special Education program can take an optional Accelerated Pathway to a Master’s degree in Special Education – earning a Master’s degree in Special Education in just five years rather than six.

The Special Education Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option will be administrated by the College of Education Graduate Studies Office and the admission cycle will be the same as that of the Master’s program at UAEU.

Students who are admitted to the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option in Special Education will receive two separate degrees, Bachelor of Education – Special Education and Master’s of Education in Special Education.

Objectives

1. Offering a quicker path to complete the Master of Education (MEd) degree.
2. Providing advanced knowledge, skills, and dispositions for the students to become independent learners and leaders in their area of specialty.
3. Preparing the graduates for the job market.

Credit Requirements

As an incentive, students in the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option in Special Education students will be allowed to earn their Master degree by completing up to 6 CH less than the standard route.

The 6-CH difference is accounted for by double counting courses. The double counted courses are typically courses from the undergraduate program as follows: in the SPED 544/SPED 541/SPED542/SPED 543 and SPED 500 the student who is interested in the accelerated option will be required to carry additional work, such as a final project, and perform at a higher level commensurate with the graduate program expectations. If the students fail this or fail to score a minimum of “B” in these two courses, no graduate credits will be counted for the students. Additionally, students may also take 2 graduate study courses during their junior and/or senior year and complete the rest of the Master of Education in Special Education requirements within one additional year after completing their Bachelor of Education in Special Education degree.

General Admission Requirements

1. Completion of a minimum of 90 CH in the Bachelor of Education degree (SPED).
2. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
3. Proficiency in English demonstrated by a score of 6.0 or higher in IELTS or equivalent.
4. Submission of two Letters of Recommendations.

The Early Admission Procedure

1. Interested students should first check on their eligibility with their respective Graduate Program Coordinator, then submit an application by the announced deadline as specified by the University’s Admission office 
2. Once the early admission requirements are reviewed by the respective Graduate Program Committee, its recommendation for admission is forwarded to the University’s Admission Office for official pre-admission to graduate programs.

Academic Advising Guidelines

During the first semester, Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option students will confer with the respective Graduate Program Coordinator and faculty members who correlate with his/her research interests. After potential research areas have been identified and mutually agreed upon with a faculty member and the Graduate Program Committee, the designated faculty member will become the student’s academic advisor to recommend and approve his/her course schedule for the rest of the duration of the program. This academic advisor will also supervise the student’s thesis or Master’s graduation project.

Probation and Dismissal from the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option Status

All applicable UAEU policies and procedures regarding academic progress of students will apply to the Bachelor-Master Accelerated Option student.

Degree Requirements

Required Credit Hours : minimum 150 hours

Double Counted Courses

BSc Replaced Courses for Bachelor of Education in Special Education