Department of Special Education

Mission Statement 

The graduate Special Education program primarily prepares graduate students for careers as teachers of children and adolescents with mild to moderate disabilities. The competency-based program is founded upon the principles of evidence-based practice and the philosophy of inclusive education. The program strives to educate its graduate students to exemplify good character and integrity in all aspects of their professional lives. The courses that comprise the program emphasize connections among theory, research, and practice to build students’ awareness of how to maximize the development of each pupil in a variety of settings.

Accordingly, graduate students develop a repertoire of instructional, diagnostic, consultative, and collaborative skills, and evidence-based strategies critical to the role. They also develop an understanding of the full continuum of services available to individuals with exceptionalities. For qualified teacher candidates who seek an Initial or Professional licensure as Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities at grade levels PreK-8 or 5-12, a field-based pre-practicum and practicum or performance assessment complements their progress through the program, providing the means by which they establish their competence as special educators in accordance with state licensure regulations.

Learning Goals 

By the completion of their studies, Special Education graduate students will:

• Demonstrate conceptually sound lesson planning derived from evidence-based methods.
• Implement effective instructional strategies to meet the needs of all pupils.
• Effectively communicate subject matter knowledge.

Special Education Faculty

Nanho S. Vander Hart, Ph.D.
Director of the Special Education and Transition Specialist Programs 
Associate Professor of Special Education

Samantha Goldman, Ph.D., BCBA 
Associate Professor of Special Education

Lecturers in Special Education

Sheila Bessette, Ed.D., BCBA-D, LABA 
Donald Briere, Ph.D. 
Anita Danker, Ed.D. 
Joyce Elia-Renaud, Ed.D. 
Eileen Harvey 
Lisa Hughes, Ed.D. 
Paula Lea, M.Ed. 
Jean Lindquist-Grady, Psy.D. 
Amy Maynard, Ed.D. 
Emily Plante, Ph.D. 
Catherine Polis 
Mara Power, Ph.D.

B.A./M.A. Program Fifth Year Option for the Master of Arts in Special Education 

The Education Department offers a five-year program that allows a student to complete requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts degree in a liberal arts or science and the Master of Arts in Special Education degree. The program leads to eligibility for the Massachusetts Initial License for Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8; 5–12) as well as a Massachusetts Initial license in one of Assumption’s approved programs offered at the undergraduate level. Undergraduate students who are admitted to the B.A./M.A. program must be eligible for Initial licensure as elementary, middle, or secondary teacher. If admitted to the program, they may begin taking graduate courses during the senior year and complete the master’s degree requirements in a fifth year of study at the University.

Undergraduate students who are considering applying to the B.A./M.A. program should consult with the Licensure Program Coordinator during the junior year to discuss eligibility and application procedures. Assumption students who are interested in enrolling in the Master of Arts in Special Education program after their undergraduate studies should consult with the Director of the Special Education program to plan a course of study. Interested students may request information about the Master of Arts in Special Education from the Office of the Graduate Admissions.

Criteria for  Early Admission to the Master of Arts in Special Educaiton 

All undergraduate students who seek early admission to the Master of Arts in Special Education program must meet the following standards, and students in the Education Major are eligible and especially encouraged to apply.

• Candidates must have at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 GPA in the major field of study;
• If they are not in the major in Education, candidates must have a major in one of the Core academic subjects of the liberal arts and sciences appropriate to Massachusetts teacher licensure at the 5–12 level.

To apply for early admission to the fifth-year program, candidates must submit the following to the Office of the Graduate Admissions, ordinarily by the end of the junior year:

• An official application form (fee waived for Assumption students)
• A transcript of undergraduate study
• Three letters of recommendation
• A current resume
• A personal statement of interest

Assumption students who seek a Massachusetts Initial license as elementary, middle, or secondary teacher and teacher of students with moderate disabilities must pass all of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) required for licensure in their specific field(s) prior to enrollment in the practicum.

Note: Assumption University responds to the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in all matters of educator licensure and reserves the right to modify its programs in accordance with current state regulations. In the event that the graduate program is modified, students are notified of changes as is appropriate.