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Apply and pay application fees online at the Research and Graduate Studies Application site. If you have problems or questions regarding the online graduate application process, please contact Gina King, applications specialist, at the Graduate Application Processing Center at (785) 864-3121 or ginaking@ku.edu.
Because of the procedures involved in approving international applicants for admission to the graduate program, please adhere to the following deadlines:
| Applications for Fall and Summer Semester | March 15 |
| Applications for Spring Semester | October 15 |
International students are strongly encouraged, however, to submit application packages well in advance of these deadlines.
After you have completed the on-line application, address a letter to “Chairperson” concerning your interest in graduate study in special education. A high quality letter of application will contain well-articulated professional and graduate program goals and provide examples of professional skills relevant to graduate study. You must specify the area of emphasis within the Department of Special Education you have selected for concentration of study. Those areas of emphasis are listed and described on the Department's Master's Program web page.
If you have already talked to a faculty member who has agreed to serve as your primary advisor, you must include that information in the letter, otherwise your advisor will be assigned to you if you are admitted. Applicants are strongly advised to speak with a faculty member in the preferred area of emphasis prior to applying for the Master's program.
Further, if you are seeking Special Education endorsement in any area, it is best to describe your current licensure/endorsement status (e.g., type of undergraduate degree, area of licensure, and other licensure or endorsement information).
This letter of application should be e-mailed as an attachment to specialeduadm@ku.edu with a note providing full contact information and a statement indicating you have completed the on-line application process. A signed, hard copy of this letter should also be mailed to Sherrie Saathoff along with official transcripts (see subsequent information).
Prepare a professional resume describing past employment experiences, licensure received, educational preparation, publications and presentations, professional association memberships, and other professional activities. It is particularly important that current teaching certification or licensure be listed and described if you are seeking admission to the department to obtain endorsement. This resume should be e-mailed as an attachment to specialeduadm@ku.edu with a note providing full contact information and a statement indicating you have completed the on-line application process. A hard copy of this resume should also be mailed to Sherrie Saathoff along with official transcripts (see subsequent information).
The Graduate Application Processing Center requires that you send official transcripts of all undergraduate and all graduate work completed to date. Please forward each as stated below:
| Mail one set of transcripts to: | Sherrie Saathoff, University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, 521 Joseph R. Pearson Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045-3101 |
Solicit three (3) letters of reference, addressed to the Chairperson (no special form required) and have them e-mailed to specialeduadm@ku.edu.
Mail your official statement of financial resources to Sherrie Saathoff, University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, 521 Joseph R. Pearson Hall, 1122 W. Campus Rd., Lawrence, KS 66045-3101. This must include official documentation showing evidence of $18,892 to support your education.
Mail official proof of proficiency in the English Language (TOEFL - Test of English as a Foreign Language, scores or IELTS - International English Language Testing System) as stated below. (If using ETS, the school code is 6871 and the department code is 85):
| Mail one to: | Sherrie Saathoff, University of Kansas, Department of Special Education, 521 Joseph R. Pearson Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045-3101 |
If you have questions or concerns regarding the application process, please contact Sherrie Saathoff, Department of Special Education Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator at ssaathoff@ku.edu or (785) 864-0556.
Please be aware that until all components of the application package (on-line application submitted and fee paid, letter of application, resume, statement of financial resources, official TOEFL report, all transcripts, and letters of reference) are received, the application will not be considered by the Special Education Department Admissions Committee. Only completed application packages received by the deadlines will be considered. It is the applicant's responsibility to send all required components. If you have a question about what has or has not been received, contact Sherrie Saathoff, Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator, at ssaathoff@ku.edu or (785) 864-0556.
To be eligible for consideration for regular admission to the Masters program (regular admission means that the applicant is deemed as having evidence of potential to complete a graduate program), applicants must, at a minimum, hold an undergraduate degree in special education or a related field and have obtained a grade point average equivalent to a 3.0 out of 4.0.
To be eligible for probationary admission to the Masters program, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree in special education or a related field and have obtained a grade point average equivalent at least to 2.75 out of 4.0. Students admitted under probationary admission status will be required to establish evidence of potential by earning a minimum of a B in the first three courses they take (assigned by the advisor/mentor). Failure to achieve this level will result in dismissal.
To be eligible for provisional admission to the Masters program, indicating that evidence of potential is required before the Department can make a clear decision to deny or approve admission, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree in special education or a related field and have obtained a grade point average equivalent at least to 2.50 out of 4.0. Students who are admitted provisionally to the Masters program must, through collaboration with their advisor, develop a program of study to be filed with the Department and must maintain a minimum of a B in the first three courses they take (as indicated on the program of study). Failure to achieve this level will result in dismissal.
For international students, there are specific admission requirements pertaining to proficiency with the English language. To be eligible for consideration for regular admission to the Masters program, international applicants who are non-native English language speakers must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and score 23 or above (on the computer-administered version, 57 or above on the paper-based version) on each section of the TOEFL (Listening, Structure/Writing, Reading) and 5.0 or higher on the Essay section.
To be eligible for consideration for provisional or probationary admission to the Masters program in the Department of Special Education, International applicants must score 21 or above (on the computer administered version, 55 on the paper-based version) on each section of the TOEFL (Listening, Structure/Writing, Reading) and 4.0 or higher on the Essay section. Students who score 20 or below on the computer-administered version or 54 or below on the paper-based version or who score below 4.0 on the Essay section are not eligible for admission to the KU Department of Special Education Masters program. TOEFL scores must be current within 5 years.
Students who are provisionally admitted and who score below 23 (on the computer administered version, below 57 on the paper-based version) on any section of the TOEFL (Listening, Structure/Writing, Reading) or below 5.0 on the Essay section, will be required to show English Proficiency through testing conducted by the Applied English Center at the University of Kansas upon their arrival to the campus. Please see additional information on this below.
Please note: The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required only for admission to the doctoral program.
It is important for applicants to realize that these indicators are not the sole determinants of admission to the Master's program in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. Meeting the GPA and TOEFL minimum standards for regular, probationary, or provisional admission does not ensure a recommendation for admission. Other factors considered by the committee include strength of the letter of application, strength of the letters of recommendation, quality of previous experience and background in special education or a closely related discipline, availability of an appropriate advisor in the applicant's identified area of emphasis, and the fit between the applicant's professional and graduate program goals and the purpose and mission of the KU Department of Special Education Master's Program.
Once a recommendation (admit/do not admit) has been made by the Department of Special Education Admission Committee, you will be notified of that recommendation by e-mail. It is critical that you provide a current, valid e-mail address. Official notification of admission to the University of Kansas will be sent to you directly from the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. If the committee has recommended admission, the Special Education Department will also include the name of your primary advisor in your e-mail, along with contact information. Careful attention to the procedural instructions above will expedite processing of the application.
The Master of Science in Education degree from the Department of Special Education prepares teachers who provide direct instruction to students requiring special education services and supports. It also prepares related services personnel who wish to develop expertise on disability and its social, economic and cultural implications in our society. Within this program, students may choose to work toward a Master’s degree, Kansas special education teacher's licensure, also known as endorsement, or both. However, students should be aware that the majority of courses in the Master’s program in the Department of Special Education focus on teacher preparation.
An individual pursuing special education endorsement at the University of Kansas must hold a valid general education teaching certificate in the state of Kansas, otherwise he or she is not eligible for special education endorsement. The KU Department of Special Education offers courses leading to KSDE Endorsement and/or a Master’s degree in High Incidence (Adaptive) Special Education and Low Incidence (Functional) Special Education. The Department also offers Master’s degrees without the option of endorsement in Transition, Autism and Early Childhood Unified Education—although the Department is currently seeking approval for the Early Childhood Unified Master's sequence of courses and experiences for the Kansas Early Childhood Unified License (birth-kindergarten). Information pertaining to each of these is available on the Department's Master’s Program and Licensure pages.
Individuals pursuing non-teaching careers in public or private services, research or professional roles related to children, youth, and/or adults with disabilities and their families may be accepted for the Master’s in High Incidence, Low Incidence, Autism, Transition or Early Childhood Unified. They must, however, hold an undergraduate degree in a closely related field (e.g., psychology, social welfare, speech and language sciences, applied behavior analysis, human development) and have appropriate experiences in that field or with people with disabilities to be eligible for admission. However, such applicants should keep in mind that the majority of courses available through the department focus on teacher preparation, including those courses that would be completed for a non-teaching Master’s degree.
Graduate courses in Special Education are held at both the Lawrence campus of the University of Kansas and at the Edwards Campus of the University of Kansas in Overland Park, Kansas. The Edwards Campus is approximately 40 miles from Lawrence. It is possible you will need to take courses at both campuses. Please check with Sherrie Saathoff or an area coordinator to determine if your classes (according to the area emphasis in which you are studying) will be at Lawrence, Edwards, or both campuses. While it is the responsibility of each student to arrange his or her own transportation to the appropriate KU campus, Johnson County’s transit service, The JO, is now offering a K-10 connector shuttle which operates between Lawrence and Overland Park. The route allows students to travel from the Main KU Campus and Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence to the Edwards Campus and Johnson County Community College in Overland Park. More information on route specifics can be found at the link above.
The Department of Special Education has no means to provide financial assistance to international students. You will have to provide an official statement of financial resources indicating possession of $18,892 to support your education. Graduate Research Associate positions are funded through extramural funding sources under the discretion of individual faculty members on a time-limited basis. The Admissions Committee does not make funding decisions.
Once a complete application package has been received, the Special Education Department Admissions Committee will review all application materials at its next scheduled meeting. The Department of Special Education does not have the authority to admit students. Admission is officially through the Office of Research and Graduate Studies. The Department of Special Education Admissions Committee will make a recommendation to the KU School of Education based on a thorough review of the degree to which the applicant meets all departmental, school and university requirements. Please note that the University and School of Education may set minimum standards, but each department is allowed to set its own standards for admission as long as they meet the school or university minimum standards. Research and Graduate Studies makes the final decision and will send you an official letter and packet of information, including your I-20, if you are admitted.
If you are admitted probationally or provisionally, you will be required to take the Applied English Center Proficiency Test when you arrive at the University of Kansas. If you pass all parts of the Proficiency test, you may enroll full-time in university academic courses. If you do not pass one or more parts of the Proficiency test, you will be required to enroll in one or more courses in English as a Second Language. The number of University and Department of Special Education courses you may take depends on how many sections of the Proficiency test you pass. If you pass two tests, you may enroll in two courses along with the ESL course corresponding to the test section you did not pass. If you pass one test, you may enroll in one course along with the two ESL courses corresponding to the test sections you did not pass. If you do not pass any sections of the Proficiency tests, you will not be allowed to enroll in any courses in the Department of Special Education. For more information, contact the Applied English Center at the University of Kansas by phone at 1-785-864-4606 or by email.
We look forward to hearing from you!
