M.Ed. in Special Education - Focus Early Childhood Birth-Age 5

Learn more about this program at the Universities at Shady Grove's Undergraduate & Graduate Open House on Saturday, November 12th from 10:00am to 1:00pm. Get more info and register here.

Program Overview

Responding to findings from the Kirwin Commission's 2019 Interim Report* and reflecting the mission and vision of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Early Intervention & Preschool Special Education** the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education now offers their Special Education in Early Childhood Ages Birth - Age 5 M.Ed. through outreach at USG.

This M.Ed. Specialty Program (30 credits) is taken part-time with early evening courses taken over 2.5 years to accommodate full-time professionals and those with families.  The course sequence contains Face-to-Face, blended, and online courses.

The program is designed for professionals with the following backgrounds:

• Professionals who already hold an early childhood special education teacher license/certification
• Professionals in early childhood interested in expanding their knowledge, skills, and abilities with those special needs from Birth - Age 5
• Professionals interested in an early childhood special education context outside of the classroom

Graduate work will address the developmental and learning needs of our youngest ages birth-age 5 including those with physical, sensory (e.g., deaf-blindness, cortical visual impairment, etc.), and multiple disabilities.  The program focuses on providing the graduate student the knowledge, skills, and abilities that support efforts to "achieve equitable developmental and academic achievement for all"*.

Program Goals:

Graduate work will address the developmental and learning needs of our youngest ages birth-5 and includes coverage of the unique needs of those with physical, sensory (e.g., deaf-blindness, cortical visual impairment, etc.), and multiple disabilities.

Graduate Students can expect to:

• Develop and/or expand their ability to support positive outcomes of developmentally diverse infants and young children and meet early childhood outcomes in the areas of:
  • Positive social/interpersonal skills and relationships**
  • Acquisition and use of functional knowledge and skills**
  • Use of appropriate behavior to meet needs**
• Build and Use research and evidence-based practices in the areas of assessment, instruction, and individualization that enable our youngest to be active and successful participants in their homes, in child care, in preschool, and the community
• Ensure that families know their rights**, guide parents to effectively communicate their child's needs and desires, and support families to provide care for their children and acquire the necessary supports necessary and resources for their families**.
• Enable those in the most challenging circumstances to achieve their true potential as they progress through the educational system and beyond**.

*From Maryland Commission on Innovation & Excellence in Education

**From Maryland's Early Intervention & Preschool Special Education System Personnel Standards Guide

Apply Now! 

We expect this to be a competitive process and there will be a limited number of graduates admitted. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis.

Example of a Course Schedule

Click here for more information or contact Dr. A. Danehey adanehey@umd.edu.