Special Education
Seeking compassionate, creative and resilient individuals who are strength-focused and committed to making a difference in the lives of students with exceptionalities and their families.
Seeking compassionate, creative and resilient individuals who are strength-focused and committed to making a difference in the lives of students with exceptionalities and their families.
Offered as a Master of Arts in Teaching with Oregon Teacher Licensure
The Special Education Preliminary Licensure Program is for those seeking to teach special education in kindergarten through high school. When completed, the Special Education Preliminary Licensure Program results in a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and recommendation to the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices commission for an Oregon teaching license with a Special Education endorsement. The Special Education Preliminary Licensure Program is a full‐time program lasting four academic terms (roughly a calendar year). For those at a distance from Ashland, courses are available via Zoom (video technology). Recommendation for the teaching license requires completion of a final Professional Teaching Portfolio assessment as well as passing the National Evaluation Series (NES) examination in special education in accordance with the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.
Candidates seeking admission to the Special Education Preliminary Licensure Program must have a bachelor’s degree and at least a 3.0 GPA. They must also have taken a Foundations of Special Education course and a Mathematics for Elementary Teachers course (Math 211) and have documented experience working with children, preferably children experiencing disabilities.
The Special Education Added Endorsement Program is for candidates who hold, or are eligible to hold, an Oregon teaching license and wish to add the special education endorsement to that existing license.
Courses are offered via Zoom for those who live outside the Rogue Valley. Recommendation for the endorsement requires completion of a work sample and passing the National Evaluation Series (NES) examination in special education in accordance with the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission.
Candidates can also opt to earn the Master’s in Education degree by completing additional coursework. Those wishing to apply to the Special Education Added Endorsement program do so through the Master’s in Education (MSEd) application process.
Specialist Program
The Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Specialist Program is designed for special educators and speech language pathologists holding a communication disorders endorsement to add the ASD Specialist designation to their Oregon teaching license. The complete program of study is 19 credits. Courses in the ASD Program are also available to other educators wishing to gain knowledge and skills about ASD. Individual courses may be taken to upgrade skills and knowledge.
Master’s Degree Program
The ABA‐ASD Program is a collaborative 45‐credit graduate program between Southern Oregon University (SOU) and Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) leading to the Master’s Degree in Education (MEd) with emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The program is designed to meet the growing demand for well‐qualified professionals who provide services for families and individuals with ASD and other social/emotional conditions needing intensive behavioral interventions. The curriculum is comprised of OIT’s 27 credit BCBA® course sequence and 18 credits of SOU’s ASD course sequence. Upon completion, graduates will receive a Master’s Degree in Education from SOU and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from OIT. With the Graduate Certification in ABA and requisite supervised practicum, graduates will meet eligibility requirements to take the national exam to become a certified behavior analyst. NOTE: This program does not require or lead to an Oregon teaching license.
SOU Education Program
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6936
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