Early Childhood Special Education
Work to promote inclusiveness and help young children with developmental delays, disabilities and special needs, and their families, flourish through the Morgridge College of Education's MA in early childhood special education. Through this program, you can deepen your understanding of early childhood development, social-emotional early learning and family support. Rigorous coursework and hands-on experiences help prepare you to create and support learning environments and services that meet the diverse needs of families.
Put your learning into practice immediately by working with children and their families at DU's Fisher Early Learning Center, designed for infants and children up to five years of age. You also can work with a variety of community partners. Upon completion of the MA, you'll be eligible for an Early Childhood Special Education Specialist Initial Teaching License or Endorsement from the Colorado Department of Education. In addition to preparing you for preschool teaching, the program can train you for careers as an early interventionist or a Child Find evaluation specialist or coordinator.
This program is not currently accepting applications.
Our Master of Arts (M.A.) program prepares you to apply for licensure to work with young children with disabilities and special needs. Develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to work successfully with inclusive Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs. You will be able to teach and support children aged birth to eight years in a variety of settings and collaborative teams.
What makes our program special is our hands-on approach. You will immediately put what you are learning into practice by working directly with children and their families. You will do this at Fisher Early Learning Center, DU’s highly regarded early learning center for children aged birth to five years, as well as at other community agencies that serve young children.
This experience, combined with comprehensive coursework and small class sizes, offers an exceptional learning environment. You will leave our program prepared to teach, innovate and lead—and make a difference not only in the early childhood special education field, but in the lives of your students too.
Program Requirements
You’ll need to complete 55-quarter credit hours. You must also:
- Complete 600 hours of practicum
- Participate in field experience embedded in coursework
- Successfully pass the PRAXIS II Elementary Education Exam or PLACE Exam
Upon completion of the program, you can apply for an initial license or added endorsement for Early Childhood Special Education Specialist through the Colorado Department of Education (CDE). The University of Denver has not yet determined whether the program meets licensure or endorsement requirements in a state other than Colorado or in any U.S. protectorates. If you want to pursue licensure or endorsement in a state other than Colorado, contact the state’s Board of Education to determine whether the program meets licensure or endorsement requirements.
Learning Outcomes
The program learning outcomes for the Masters of Arts in Early Childhood Special Education are as follows:
- Value inclusive excellence and demonstrate a commitment to education as an essential part of every community.
- Use data to drive, reflect and grow your practice, and utilize evidence-based practices.
- Utilize a family-centered and ecological approach to intervention for children and families.
- Understand and use the latest research and technology to improve educational efforts on behalf of all learners.
- Understand 21st Century learning skills as they relate to the development and learning of young children.