Early Childhood Special Education, MEd
Are you a new student? Begin by reviewing the New Student Checklist for your program pathway
Academic Advising
Your academic advising team is Team Educator Prep!
Phone: (602) 496-1397; M-F 8:00am - 5:00pm AZ Time (MST)
Email: GradEdPrep@asu.edu - Please give us 24-48 hours to respond to your email
Add our email to your address book or list of safe senders
Make an appointment: https://calendly.com/d/3tr-7d9-5hv
Appointments are highly encouraged especially for new students or if you have multiple questions or complex issues to discuss.
To call or schedule an appointment? Here are some guidelines for determining which is most appropriate.
Meet the Team (click to learn more)
Your advising team works together in a system to keep you informed, on track, and supported throughout your program. Here is some information about the roles within the team.
Your Academic Advisors:
Jordan Moore - Academic Success Advisor
Aile DeRienzo - Academic Success Advisor, Sr
Kayla Kane - Academic Success Advisor, Sr
Amber Mesko - Academic Success Advising Coordinator
Jordan, Aile, Amber, and Kayla are the core members of your advising team, who you will interact with most frequently. They are experts on your program and can assist with all things academic.
Other members of the advising system:
Lizzy Shuey - Student Support Specialist - Helps to support the work of the advisors. You may hear from Lizzy about things like registration, submitting your iPOS/Plan of Study, etc.
Tiffany Williams - Academic Success Advising Coordinator, Sr - Works behind the scenes to coordinate advising, though you may hear from her occasionally.
Megan Gamarra - Coordinated Care Strategist - Works with students who need coordinated care. If you are experiencing difficulties and need support, know that you can submit an "SOS" form and receive assistance from the coordinated care team.
Program Description and Policy Information
Students are encouraged to read and understand the MLFTC Student Handbook for the Early Childhood Education, MEd program, as well as familiarize themselves with the ASU Graduate College Policy Manual.
For more information on this program please visit:
Handbook:
ASU students and faculty are expected to act with integrity in their educational pursuits - discover what academic integrity is and why it is important.
Important: The Early Childhood Special Education, MEd was designed for individuals who do not need to obtain teacher certification. The Early Childhood Special Education (Teacher Certification), MEd was designed for individuals who do need to obtain teacher certification in Arizona.
Course Sequence
To determine the recommended course sequence to follow for your program use the drop down arrows below that correspond to the term you were admitted for. It is important to follow the assigned course sequence and discuss any variation from the sequence with an academic advisor.
If circumstances find you needing to veer from the recommended course sequence, we invite you to schedule an advising appointment to devise an altered course sequence together. Any changes to your course sequence will also need to be reflected on the Plan of Study (iPOS) and approved by advising.
The complete list of required coursework for the program, in no particular order, can be found on the ASU Degree Search website.
2024 Start Term
MEd Early Childhood Special Education (Teacher Certification)
Fall 2024 Start: Master's WITH Certification
MEd Early Childhood Special Education (Masters Only)
Fall 2024 Start: Master's Only
Teacher Certification Requirements
Review the Arizona Teacher Certification Checklist. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) has more requirements for certification beyond going through our Teacher Preparation program.
The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) outlines certification requirements. However, we have condensed this information and tailored it to account for our teacher/administrator certification programs. We recommend that you prepare for the above prior to the final semester of your program so there is no delay in receiving your teacher/administrator certificate.
If you are planning to apply for certification in other states, either via reciprocity or directly through another state, please take time to review the ASU professional licensure webpage.
Plan of Study (iPOS)
The iPOS is the interactive plan of study for graduate students that is required to be completed by the end of their first semester. It’s an agreement between the student, academic advising unit, and Graduate College that maps the requirements for degree completion. You will gain access to the iPOS system once you are within 90 days of the program start. The iPOS system is an additional system used to track your degree progress other than course registration that takes place on your My ASU page. For this program, an academic advising appointment is not required for students to be able to complete the iPOS. Use the materials list to round up the items needed for your iPOS submission, and then use the guided instructions button for a step-by-step presentation.
Materials for iPOS submission:
Course Sequence: Your recommended course sequence can be found under the Course Sequences section. This is used to submit the order of when you take your classes. The iPOS categories the courses below too are note there as well.
Faculty Committee: For all students in the Elementary Education MEd programs, regardless of pursuing teacher certification or non-teacher certification, Wendy Oakes, needs to be designated as "Chair" for the Faculty Committee (Advisors > Faculty Committee). This is listed on your course sequence as well.
Culminating Experience: After you select the term you are anticipated to take the course according to your course sequence, then a box named "Title" will appear. Type in "Applied Project," and select "3" for hours.
Need more instructions? See more general information about the iPOS or email your academic advisors.
NOTE: Completing your iPOS indicates the courses you PLAN to take and when. Completing your iPOS is NOT the same thing as registering for classes. You still must register yourself in all your courses each semester via My ASU > My Classes box > Registration > Add.
Culminating Experience (The Applied Project)
ECS 593 Applied Project is the culminating experience course for the program. The successfully completed Applied Project constitutes the culminating experience for the Master’s Degree. Passing the ECS 593 with a grade of "B" or higher in your last semester is required for graduation.
Additional Information
Teacher Waiver for in-state tuition (must be submitted EVERY semester)