Special Education, Concentration in Moderate/Severe Disabilities P-12, Alternative Certification (MAT)

Admission Requirements

Candidates who meet the following criteria may be eligible to apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching program:

Questions about admission should be directed to teacher@louisville.edu

Admission is competitive. Candidates who meet minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission to the program.

Program Requirements

Alternative Route in Special Education, Concentration in Moderate/Severe Disabilities P-12 (MAT)

Student Characteristics
EDSP 540Introduction to Exceptional Children3
EDSP 594Foundational Concepts in Intellectual and Physical Disability3
Pedagogy
EDSP 520Assessment of Students with Moderate/Severe Disabilities3
EDSP 609Moderate/Severe Disabilities Curriculum and Methods I3
EDSP 611Moderate/Severe Disabilities Curriculum and Methods II3
EDSP 614Transition Programs and Services for Children and Youth with Disabilities3
EDSP 644Applied Behavior Analysis3
EDSP 518Teaching Reading Special Education P-123
EDSP 546Behavior Analytic Approach to Communication3
EDSP 570Autism: Introduction and Understanding3
EDSP 635 Moderate and Severe Disabilities Practicum3
EDSP 647Teaching Mathematics to Students with Disabilities3
Research
EDSP 697Topical Seminar (Single Case Designs for Evaluating Specialized Instruction - Must be taken in last 3 hours)1-3
EDSP 697Topical Seminar (Applications of Single Case Designs - Must be taken in last 3 hours)1-3
Minimum Total Hours39

Mid-Point Assessment: Completion of all courses listed above; satisfactory dispositions assessment; Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; no grade lower than B- in all coursework; satisfactory performance on all Hallmark Assessment Tasks; Target performance or better on all rubrics.

Degree Assessment: Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher; grade no lower than B- in all coursework; satisfactory performance on all Hallmark Assessment Tasks; Target performance or better on all rubrics.

Certification Assessment: Satisfactory dispositions assessment; passing scores on required PRAXIS exams; completion of degree requirements.

Degree Candidacy:  If not enrolled during the semester in which you are graduating, you will need to register for a degree candidacy as outlined in General Policies, Procedures and Requirements.

Praxis Disclaimer:   Teacher certification requirements are subject to change.  Before registering for certification test(s), please refer to the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) website at epsb.ky.gov or ets.org/praxis/ky for current requirements.

The MAT in Special Education Concentration in Moderate/Severe Disabilities (Alternative Certification) program prepares students to meet the requirements for certification and/or licensure.  If you plan to pursue professional licensure or certification, you should first determine your state’s criteria for examination and licensure to see how/if our program meets those requirements prior to enrollment. We recommend that you also contact your state’s licensing board directly to verify that the requirements have not changed recently and to answer any questions especially those regarding additional requirements beyond the degree. 

More information about certification or licensure is available at the following website:  https://louisville.edu/oapa/licensure-information (you may search by school or by the name of the program then click on 'View Details' to display the information).

For programs with an online option, more information about certification or licensure is available here: https://louisville.edu/online/About-Us?tab=disclosures