Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Special Education

Zayed University's College of Education and its partner university, the University of Washington in Seattle, is committed to inspiring and preparing professionals in special education who want to develop their knowledge and skills in order to improve educational outcomes for persons with special needs. Students are encouraged to develop their interests in educating learners and adults at risk across a wide range of disabilities incorporating a lifespan perspective. Individuals who graduate with the Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Special Education will be prepared to assume roles as resource teachers, specialists in business and corporations, and leadership in education organizations. The program offers both learning and research opportunities that focus directly on the current and projected needs of the United Arab Emirates. The program is aligned with the goal of the United Arab Emirates to create and support inclusive education for students with special needs.

Masters degree students study models and approaches to the education of students with special needs; appropriate interventions in regular classrooms and schools for students with special needs; diagnosis of the most prevalent forms of cognitive disabilities; assessment of special needs; management of educational requirments of students with specialneeds; and issues of policy and practice regarding inclusion of students with specail needs in regular education classrooms.

The Master of Education in Special Education program prepares leaders who understand:

• The similarities and differences in human growth and development and how disabilities may influence that growth and development;
• Current, credible learning theory and how special needs affect learning in school and throughout life;
• The creation of learning and work environments that encourage independence and self-motivation through appropriate interventions;
• Collaboration with families, other educators, service providers, and community agencies;
• The design of research and use of data to evaluate and improve programs for individuals with special needs at all stages of their lives;
• Typical and atypical language development in the primary and/or second languages and individualized strategies to enhance communication skills, including the use of assistive technologies;
• Development of long-range individualized instructional and transition plans and how to translate those into shorter-range goals and objectives;
• Research and philosophical foundations of special education policies and practices;
• The conceptualization, planning, and conduct of research; and
• The values and the conceptual and analytical skills of a scholar.

In addition, special educators are expected to have the skills to:

• Work collaboratively;
• Apply and assess current technologies for educational improvement;
• Examine current research and development in a range of settings, including the U.A.E., that inform best practice in educational leadership;
• Manage ongoing change and foster collaboration in the educational community;
• Manifest a professional code of ethics and values; and
• Accept responsibility for the improvement of the educational setting for all learners.

The Master of Education in Special Education program is currently under review and will not be offered in the academic year 2009-2010.  For further information, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies at +971-2-599-3605.