Dear Prospective Student in the Special Education Graduate Programs,

We appreciate your interest in our graduate program in special education. In order to assist you in preparing your application materials, we have developed the following guidelines and instructions. Please review them carefully prior to submitting your application.

At the end of this letter you will find a link to the Supplemental Application Form for Special Education Gradute Programs (available in .pdf and word document). You will need to complete and return this form before your application can be reviewed.

The admission process is competitive and limited to the most highly qualified students. By carefully following the instructions below you increase your chances of presenting yourself as "highly qualified" for admission.

Sincerely,

Anne Foegen, Geoff Abelson, Pat Carlson, and Carl Smith

The Special Education Faculty

Introduction

The M.Ed. and M.S. degree programs in special education provide advanced graduate study in mild/moderate disabilities as well as moderate/severe learning disabilities and behavior disorders.

Students may choose to structure their graduate programs to earn one or more of the following Iowa teaching endorsements:

Some students opt for the non-degree Special Education Certificate program, which allows students to complete course work leading to a special education teaching endorsement.

Students wishing to pursue a doctoral degree may apply for the Ph.D. program in education (generalist) and design a program that emphasizes special education and one or more additional cognate areas.

Requirements

• All students taking graduate classes in special education must be admitted to a graduate program or the certificate only program for special education.
• The student must hold a valid teaching certificate and must be admitted to both the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and the Graduate College as a degree seeking student.
• No more than 9 hours completed as a nondegree student will be accepted toward a graduate degree.

Admission Guidelines

For detail information on deadlines and documents needed to support your application admission, please visit the Admission Guidelines page.

Application form

There are two applications which must be filled out to apply for the Special Education Graduate Program:

• The first is a supplemental form provided by the Special Education Graduate Program Application(available in .pdf and word document).

• The second is the Iowa State University Graduate College application. For information on how to obtain these applications, please see the admission contact page.

Contact

Special Education faculty

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis, contingent upon funding and areas of need in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

To be considered, submit a resume and a description of your skills, research interests, and experiences to Phyllis Kendall (pkendall@iastate.edu) at the address listed above.

You may also contact faculty in special education to obtain information about opportunities specific to their projects. Most assistantships come from faculty who have grants and are in need of assistance with their research. Another source for financial assistance is the ISU Office of Financial Aid. Their website can be accessed at www.financialaid.iastate.edu.

FAQ

Please browse the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Special Education Graduate Program page.

Internet Resources

Please browse the Special Education Internet Resources page that will be useful in your study.