Special Education Certifications
Drexel’s Master of Science in Special Education prepares you for the required special education certification needed in the state of Pennsylvania*. Upon completion of your coursework, Drexel University will formally recommend you to the state for certification in the area for which you prepared.**
The Special Education certification program consists of 31.5 credits in core Special Education Certification courses. For students that have not completed the prerequisite courses, the program will require 40.5 credits: 31.5 credits in core special education certification courses and 9.0 credits in prerequisites for certification in special education.
The program may lead to the following certifications:
All courses qualify for the PA Instructional II Certification, the permanent certification which must be obtained after a minimum of three years and a maximum of six years of teaching with the PA Instructional I Add-on Certification — an option to specialize in an additional subject area, following selection of your primary subject area of concentration. These may include any of the subject areas outlined as primary for this degree. Add-on certificates require supplementary coursework and should be discussed with your academic advisor.**
All courses qualify to fulfill ACT 48 requirements.**
Students work closely with their graduate academic advisor from the outset to map out objectives and desired career outcomes. Together, you will formulate an individualized plan of study that meets your specific needs and prepares you for the certification process.
Exit Criteria
A minimum of 49.5 quarter credits are required for students to satisfy the SoE’s course requirements to obtain a master of science (M.S.) degree and certification in special education. A grade of B or better is needed for all graduate-level courses for the certification area. In addition, each student must pass the Praxis Exam required by PDE be recommended for special education certification. Currently, the required Praxis Exam is Special Education of Exceptional Students (20353) and a minimum score of 136 is needed.
Additionally, students exiting the M.S. in Special Education program will be required to complete 49.5 quarter credits and submit a final portfolio for review, which will contain designated artifacts from each special education course they completed. The portfolio will be presented to and reviewed by a committee at an exit interview. It will include:
- Field experience logs that document the completion of activities and hours required in the program
- Field experience and portfolio assessment rubrics that document the acceptable completion of all activities in the field experiences
- Proof that the student completed an action research project in their area of concentration
As stated above, the artifacts will be directly tied to program competencies and general standards. A rubric will be used to evaluate the final portfolio's content.
* Through operation of interstate reciprocity agreements, a Pennsylvania teaching certificate may be converted to the analogous teaching certificate in another state.
** In order to qualify for PA Instructional I Special Education N–12 certification, all certification courses must be completed (with the required minimum grade), the Praxis Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications Test (code 0354 or 5354) must be taken and passed and the application for PA certification must be in TIMS (Teacher Information Management System) by August 31, 2013. Students completing the certification courses and passing the PECT Special Education PreK–8 Modules (Modules 1 and 2) after 8/31/13, will be eligible for the PA Instructional I Special Education PreK–8 certification.
