Online M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilities

Earn the online master’s degree you need to advance your career in education.

Program Benefits & Overview

Key Program Features

Career Driven Curriculum

Masters of Education in Moderate Disabilities

Our 36-credit M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilities prepares you for your Initial License to work with children in grades PreK-8 with moderate disabilities who participate in integrated or self-contained classrooms. Through coursework and field-based experiences, you develop an understanding of subject matter knowledge, curriculum design, instructional strategies, observation and assessment, communication, and collaboration with families and the community.

This program is approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and is aligned with the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers and Subject Matter Knowledge requirements.

Initial Licensure students who decide not to pursue their license will still be able to complete their degree as a personalized non-licensure master’s degree.

Tell me more about Merrimack’s M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilites!

Tuition-Free Teacher Education Fellowship

Graduate in One Year, Tuition-Free

As a K-12 teacher fellow, you’ll work in a partner school district for a full academic year, gaining unparalleled and invaluable field experience. You’ll engage in a range of classroom-based activities, including small group instruction, co-teaching, and ultimately, independent classroom instruction.

Fellows graduate in one year, tuition-free, and earn a Master of Education in Teacher Education and licensure in their area of specialization.

Available now for both on-campus and online students while spots are still available.

Key Features of our M. Ed. In Moderate Disabilities include:

Eight (8) online courses

You can complete your Moderate Disabilities program through convenient self-paced and online courses. You achieve 32 credits total – with every course lasting eight weeks in length and worth four credits each.

Immersion Events

You and other students in your program have the option of gathering together during your program for immersion events (e.g., seminars, guest speakers, and networking events) to connect in person with your peers, faculty and leading educators in the field.

Field-Based Experiences

You learn in the classroom from the start of your program. There are three pre-practicums (30 to 55 hours depending on prior teaching experience) and a full practicum of 450 hours, which is the equivalent of 15 weeks. Field-based experiences are arranged at conveniently located schools in Massachusetts, close to home. Your teacher education program specialist provides personalized support throughout your field-based experiences. Successful completion of the 15-week practicum contributes four credits toward the degree for a grand total of 36 credits.

Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) Exam Preparation Support

You will gain support and preparation assistance for the MTEL exams required for your Initial License in Massachusetts. MTEL preparation is built right into your program. The Moderate Disabilities Concentration requires successful completion of the following MTEL exams:

  • Communication and Literacy Skills (01): Reading and Writing subtests (we recommend completion prior to enrollment – unofficial test scores accepted)
  • General Curriculum (03): Math and Multi-Subject subtests
  • Foundations of Reading (90)

What Skills Will You Develop?

To earn your Master’s of Education in Moderate Disabilities, you will complete 9 courses including a field practicum for a total of 36 credit hours. Online courses are 8 weeks long and will include preparation for the MTEL.

The course will present the basic components of lesson planning using Understanding by Design (UbD). Students will learn techniques around differentiating instruction, including tiered instruction, scaffolds to accommodate differences in learning styles, needs, interests and levels of readiness of students. Students will examine specific systematic behaviors teachers use to create orderly, cooperative and motivating learning environments that promote student achievement.

Co-requisites (0 credits):

  • ED 6500G – Pre-Practicum Field-Based Experience I
  • ED 6501G – Teacher Education Program Orientation

The course provides an overview of the emergence of language and literacy as well as the assessment and identification of disabilities and their impact on academic and personal growth. Significant theories related to cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development in childhood will be reviewed.

This course provides an introduction to the significant theories, practices, and programs for developing literacy skills in children with learning challenges. Beginning with an introduction to literacy development, the focus will be on planning assessment, designing instruction, and selecting research-based interventions for children with disabilities, students from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, and students with limited educational experiences. Topics will include linking assessment to instruction, research-based methods and strategies, accommodations, modifications, and the use of assistive technology devices to support literacy success.

This course will focus on numbers and operations, and on functions and algebraic concepts as described in the Massachusetts Mathematics Curriculum Frameworks for grades 1-8. As many children have mathematical capabilities beyond their grade level, course participants will be stretched to use and apply the mathematical concepts learned to multiple situations and to higher level problems. Emphasis will be placed on the attainment, articulation and application of the math concepts associated with each strand of learning. Teaching and assessment methods that are challenging yet attainable, and developmentally appropriate will be examined.

This course is designed to enable prospective elementary school teachers to teach mathematics efficiently and effectively to diverse student populations. Prospective teachers will learn how to develop and coordinate learning objectives, assessment techniques, and instructional methodologies according to the psychological principles of how children learn mathematics. Attention will be given to teaching recommendations from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the Common Core State Standards as well as the professional standards for teaching determined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education of Massachusetts.

The first section of this course will focus on science education. Attention will be given to cognitive development and scientific reasoning skills, the scientific method of inquiry, and elements important to teaching science and assessing student understanding. The second section will focus on health education, addressing the “Coordinated School Health Program,” law and policy around health and safety, signs and symptoms of maltreatment, and the assessment and interpretation of content for presentation to different cognitive and developmental levels. In both science and health, there will be a focus on application through investigations, and lesson and unit plan development based on the strands and standards of the Science and Technology, and Comprehensive Health Frameworks for the elementary grades. The third section will focus on the planning and development of the elementary physical education program.

The course will address three major aspects of social studies. Initially, there will be a focus on the development of geography skills and global awareness through the study of five world regions and the convergence of environmental, cultural, political and economic systems of globalization. Secondly, the course will focus on developing history skills such as critical, creative and analytical thinking, problem solving, valuing, and decision making. Lastly, the course will apply cooperative learning, vocabulary and concept formation, and online resources to the study of the Social Studies. Throughout the course, there will be a focus on the organization of curriculum, instructional methods and student assessment processes.

The purpose of this course is to prepare teachers with the knowledge and skills to effectively design content instruction in order to support English Language Learners (ELLs) in accessing curriculum and achieving academic success as they prepare for their futures in the 21st century global economy. Throughout the course, effective research-based strategies will be modeled. Teachers will have opportunities to practice strategies, to analyze their practice, to provide and receive feedback, and to reflect on their own experiences. The course addresses three over-arching goals for teaching ELLs:

  • To help teachers effectively carry out their responsibility for the teaching and learning of ELLs, as well as to understand the social and cultural issues that contribute to and impact schooling for ELLs.
  • To expand teachers’ knowledge of how language functions within academic content teaching and learning, and how children and adolescents acquire a second language.
  • Provide teachers practical research-based protocols, methods, and strategies to integrate subject area content, language, and literacy development using the Massachusetts English Language Development (ELD) standards and the World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) standards to support ELL students’ success in meeting standards of the 2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks as well as the Common Core content standards.

This course is delivered in a hybrid model with on-ground elements delivered in person over a series of weekends. Alternate models for the completion of your SEI endorsement are available. Please contact the Program Director for more information.

This is the practicum required for licensure.

Tell me more about Merrimack’s M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilites!