Special Education: Autism Endorsement

Admissions Requirements:

The online Master of Science in Special Education program is identical to the existing/approved face-to-face program in terms of curriculum and admissions requirements, however courses will be offered in an online format providing added flexibility for working students. The major competencies in the online Master of Science in Special Education are an extension and refinement of those developed in the undergraduate special education curriculum. Candidates are admitted by action of the Department’s Graduate Admissions Committee. Admissions requirements are as follows.

• Four-year U.S. bachelor degree or equivalent from an accredited institution

• Undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher for the last 60 hours of upper division coursework. If you have questions regarding the GPA requirement, please contact an enrollment specialist as conditional admissions may be considered.

Meet one of the following:

• Valid Teacher Certification in Exceptional Student Education (ESE)

Or

• Valid Letter of Eligibility and a passing score on the Teacher Certification Examination (Subject Area Exam in Exceptional Student Education)

• Access to either K-12 students or K-12 teachers in an academic setting to work on the Action Research Project throughout the program. Please, contact us for more details regarding this requirement.

• Good standing with all previously-attended colleges and universities

Admissions Documents

• Online master’s programs application ($30). Be sure to select Master of Science in Special Education Online.

• Official transcripts from all previously attended universities. A copy of the diploma is needed if the degree is not posted on the transcript.

• Current and detailed resume.

• Statement of purpose describing your professional goals and reasons for pursuing this degree at FIU (at least 500 words in length).

• Three letters of recommendation (at least one from academic sources and one from work or volunteer experience)

• Florida residents: copies of 2 documents confirming that you have maintained residence in Florida for the past 12 months.

• Official TOEFL/IELTS passing scores, if required. When requesting official scores, please refer to FIU Institution code 5206. TOEFL / IELTS scores are valid for two years.

• Official transcript translation. If official transcripts are not in English, a second copy of the transcript must be requested for translation by an official translation agency. Both the official translation, as well as the original transcripts, must be submitted to FIU. Official transcripts/translations must be submitted directly by the respective institution(s) in electronic format or mailed in a sealed envelope.

• Certified Copy of Diploma if you obtained your degree at a foreign institution