Special Education

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Special Education, Special Education Comprehensive Concentration, M.Ed.

Licensed Special Education teachers who wish to pursue a Master's degree, or college graduates interested in working in a disability services field may be interested in the Special Education Comprehensive Master's degree. Professionals who work with persons with intellectual disabilities or autism typically select this major. This program also benefits professionals who work with persons with intellectual disabilities autism, or other significant disabilities.

Courses in the program address law and policy in the field of special education; physical, intellectual, and behavioral characteristics of persons with moderate and severe disabilities; related professional services such as speech therapy, physical therapy, and psychological services, as well as teaching students with disabilities in K-12 special education classrooms . Candidates can use these skills as Comprehensive special education teachers, collaborating with families and other professionals, designing functional skills curriculum and assessments, and designing IEPs and Transition Plans for students with disabilities. Candidates will apply these skills through fieldwork in special education classrooms or other clinical settings. Graduates are qualified to work in a variety of settings that serve individuals with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, and autism. These settings may include special education comprehensive classrooms from grades K-12, community agencies or nonprofit organizations that serve adults with disabilities, vocational rehabilitation and job training centers, postsecondary inclusive college programs, or as independent disability advocates.

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Careers
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Faculty

News Briefs

Desire to help students more leads to career change

Working as a speech therapist for seven years led Amy Balch to want to do more for students who have severe disabilities beyond issues with communication. She decided to return to her alma mater and work on an M.Ed. in Special Education with a concentration in Comprehensive Students. "I wanted to further my knowledge of learning differences in order to help them as best I can," she recalls. "I feel that I have truly found my passion and my calling. I love special education and can't wait to see where my career goes next!" Balch says she especially liked that most of her classmates were "in the field working and we could come together as professionals and learn from each other." Balch had many reasons for choosing MTSU: it's where she earned her B.S. in Communication Disorders; it's close to Bedford County where she's worked since 2010; she had heard great things about the program and faculty; and she comes from a family of MTSU grads. She was not disappointed in her decision, stating, "Upon graduating, I have several job opportunities as a special education teacher and I am looking forward to making that career change. I feel that MTSU has fully prepared me to be a successful teacher."

Combined life experiences pave the path to destination

Although the path to his present position as a K-6 resource teacher at Scales Elementary, Murfreesboro, may seem long, Nathan Lesnak is happy with the destination: "I feel really good about it. I enjoy working in a field where I see results; I feel that I do make an impact." Lesnak completed his M.Ed. in Special Education with a concentration in K-8 Interventionist in May 2017. He has taught for several years with a transitional license. "It's a really good program," he says, ecause you experience a situation in school and then learn about it in the classroom." Lesnak started out in music and worked for years in the field, but he decided to go back to school. He earned a B.S. at MTSU in psychology and worked as a social worker but was drawn to special ed. "As a child, I struggled with school and got extra help," he recalls, explaining that his combined experiences and his wife Dimesa's involvement with special education motivated him to be the person who provides that boost. "Dr. (Zaf) Khan helped and encouraged me with a timeline so that I could stay on track," Lesnak says. "I recommend this program to anyone who wants to help children with special needs."

News Briefs

Desire to help students more leads to career change

Working as a speech therapist for seven years led Amy Balch to want to do more for students who have severe disabilities beyond issues with communication. She decided to return to her alma mater and work on an M.Ed. in Special Education with a concentration in Comprehensive Students. "I wanted to further my knowledge of learning differences in order to help them as best I can," she recalls. "I feel that I have truly found my passion and my calling. I love special education and can't wait to see where my career goes next!" Balch says she especially liked that most of her classmates were "in the field working and we could come together as professionals and learn from each other." Balch had many reasons for choosing MTSU: it's where she earned her B.S. in Communication Disorders; it's close to Bedford County where she's worked since 2010; she had heard great things about the program and faculty; and she comes from a family of MTSU grads. She was not disappointed in her decision, stating, "Upon graduating, I have several job opportunities as a special education teacher and I am looking forward to making that career change. I feel that MTSU has fully prepared me to be a successful teacher."

Combined life experiences pave the path to destination

Although the path to his present position as a K-6 resource teacher at Scales Elementary, Murfreesboro, may seem long, Nathan Lesnak is happy with the destination: "I feel really good about it. I enjoy working in a field where I see results; I feel that I do make an impact." Lesnak completed his M.Ed. in Special Education with a concentration in K-8 Interventionist in May 2017. He has taught for several years with a transitional license. "It's a really good program," he says, ecause you experience a situation in school and then learn about it in the classroom." Lesnak started out in music and worked for years in the field, but he decided to go back to school. He earned a B.S. at MTSU in psychology and worked as a social worker but was drawn to special ed. "As a child, I struggled with school and got extra help," he recalls, explaining that his combined experiences and his wife Dimesa's involvement with special education motivated him to be the person who provides that boost. "Dr. (Zaf) Khan helped and encouraged me with a timeline so that I could stay on track," Lesnak says. "I recommend this program to anyone who wants to help children with special needs."

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CAREERS

Individuals trained to teach special education bring a desirable range of expertise and creativity to planning and administrative roles. Graduates completing their teacher preparation at MTSU are found in public and private school classrooms throughout Tennessee and in many other states. Educators who studied at MTSU are employed in a variety of settings that include the Tennessee Department of Education and other state agencies, community colleges and universities, Head Start programs, and tutoring services. Graduates are employed in public and private schools and school districts throughout the country as well as in Tennessee.

Career options include

  • Agency and administrative work
  • Classroom teacher
  • Community and foundation work
  • Consulting, professional development, and teacher training
  • Education marketing and research
  • Education policy development
  • Higher education teaching and administration
  • Job coaching
  • Mental health agency work
  • Private tutoring

Special Education graduates have been employed across the nation as well as in many districts in Tennessee including

  • Anderson County Schools
  • Bedford County Schools
  • Cannon County Schools
  • Carroll County Schools
  • Cheatham Co Schools
  • Coffee County Schools
  • Collierville Christian Academy
  • Crockett County Schools
  • Cumberland County Schools
  • DeKalb County Schools
  • Dickson County Schools
  • Dyer County Schools
  • Fayette County Schools
  • Fayetteville City Schools
  • Franklin Special School District
  • Giles County Schools
  • Grundy County Schools
  • Hamilton County Schools
  • Hardeman County Schools
  • Hickman County Schools
  • Kids Connection
  • Knox County Schools
  • Lawrence County Schools
  • Lebanon Special School District
  • Lewis County Schools
  • Lincoln County Schools
  • Macon County Schools
  • Madison County Schools
  • Manchester City Schools
  • Marion County Schools
  • Marshall County Schools
  • Maury County Schools
  • McNairy County Schools
  • Memphis and Shelby County Schools
  • Metro Action Commission, Nashville
  • Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
  • Middle Tennessee Christian School, Murfreesboro
  • Montgomery County Schools
  • Moore County Schools
  • Murfreesboro City Schools
  • Perry County Schools
  • Providence Christian Academy, Murfreesboro
  • Robertson County Schools
  • Rutherford County Schools
  • Sequatchie County Schools
  • Sumner County Schools
  • The Webb School, Bell Buckle
  • Trousdale County Schools
  • Tullahoma City Schools,
  • Warren County Schools
  • Wayne County Schools
  • White County Schools
  • Williamson County Schools
  • Wilson County Schools
  • Youth Village Center for Boys

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