ADVANCE Program Milestones:
All ADVANCE students must adhere to the following requirements. For Milestones #1-#3, failure to meet these milestones will prevent a student from matriculating to Mason and/or result in termination from ADVANCE. For Milestones #4-#7, failure to meet these milestones may delay matriculation to Mason.
1. Students must graduate with the 91勛圖 degree aligned with their ADVANCE academic pathway within 4 years of being admitted into ADVANCE. Students are highly encouraged to be continuously enrolled at 91勛圖/Mason to support progress towards degree completion.
2. Students must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA at 91勛圖 and must have a minimum 2.5 GPA upon matriculation to Mason.
3. Students who wish to enroll at Mason for the fall semester must apply for 91勛圖 spring graduation by March 1 or summer graduation by June 1. Students who wish to enroll at Mason for the spring semester must apply for 91勛圖 fall graduation by October 1.
4. Students must begin developmental coursework no later than the first semester in ADVANCE at 91勛圖.
5. Students must take first college-level MTH course and ENG 111 in the semester immediately following the completion of any MDE or EDE courses (excluding summer).
6. In the first 30 credits, students must complete ENG 111 and ENG 112 with a C or better.
7. Students must complete a college level math course with a C or better no later than one semester before 91勛圖 graduation. Refer to your pathway to select the appropriate MTH course(s).
ADVANCE Program-Specific Requirements:
1. Students in licensure concentrations (Adapted K-12, General K-12 and Blindness and Visual Impairment PK-12) must maintain a 2.5 in their major coursework.
2. Licensure testing requirements are determined by the Commonwealth of Virginia and may change at any time. If changes to these requirements occur, students must meet the current testing and licensure requirements as set forth in the legal code of Virginia.
3. By completion of 90 credits, students in all licensure concentrations must pass and submit the following Emergency First Aid, CPR, and AED certification. Students in the General K-12 and the Blindness and Visual Impairment PK-12 concentrations must also complete the Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary.
4. For the Blindness and Visual Impairment concentration only, students must pass and submit the Praxis II: Braille Proficiency after the completion of EDSE 419. The Praxis II exam must be complete prior to Mason graduation.
A.S. Education K-12 Special Education Adapted and General Curriculum Major
| 91勛圖 | MASON | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91勛圖 Degree Requirement | 91勛圖 Course | Credits | Transfer to MASON As | MASON Degree Requirement |
| SDV Course | SDV 100 College Success Skills or | 1 | UNIV 100 | General Elective |
| SDV 101 SDV 101 Orientation to Teaching | UNIV 100 | |||
| ENG 111 | ENG 111 College Composition I1 | 3 | ENGH XXX | General Elective |
| EDU 200 | EDU 200 Foundations of Education | 3 | EDUC 200 | Major & Social Behavioral Science |
| EDU 207 or PSY 230 | EDU 207 Human Growth and Development or | 3 | EDUC L302 | Major |
| PSY 230 Developmental Psychology | PSYC 211 | |||
| MTH 154 or 161 or Higher | MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | MATH 106 | Quantitative |
| EDU 204 | EDU 204 Teaching in a Diverse Society | 3 | EDUC L301 | General Elective |
| EDU 206 | EDU 206 Classroom Management | 3 | EDSE 251 | Major |
| EDU 250 | EDU 250 Foundations of Exceptional Education | 3 | EDSE 201 | Major |
| ENG 112 | ENG 112 College Composition II1 | 3 | ENGH 101 | Written Comm |
| MTH 245 or Higher or MTH 155 | MTH 245 Statistics I | 3 | STAT 250 | General Elective |
| MTH 155 MTH 155 Statistical Reasoning2 | STAT 105T | |||
| BIO 101 OR ENV 121 | BIO 101 General Biology I or | 4 | BIOL 103/105 | Nat Science |
| ENV 121 Foundations of Environmental Science or | EVPP 108/109 | Nat Science | ||
| CST 100 or 110 | CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking or | 3 | COMM 100 | Oral Comm |
| CST 110 Introduction to Human Communication | COMM 101 | |||
| EDU 280 | EDU 280 Introduction to Instructional Technologies | 3 | ELED 257 | Info Tech |
| HIS Course | HIS 121 United States History to 1877 or | 3 | HIST 121 | General Elective |
| HIS 122 HIS 122 United States History Since 1865 | HIST 122 | |||
| ENG 250 | ENG 250 Children's Literature or | 3 | ELED 258 | Literature |
| EDU 270 | EDU 270 Intro to Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 | EDSE 230 | Major or General Elective |
| CHM 101 OR GOL 105 OR GOL 106 OR PHY 150 | CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry or | 4 | CHEM 103 | Nat Science |
| GOL 105 Physical Geology or | GEOL 101/103 | |||
| GOL 106 Historical Geology or | GEOL 102/104 | |||
| PHY 150 Elements of Astronomy | ASTR 103/114 | |||
| GEO 220 | GEO 220 World Regional Geography | 3 | GGS 101 | General Elective |
| PLS 135 or PLS 136 | PLS 135 U.S. Government and Politics or | 3 | GOVT 103 | General Elective |
| PLS 136 State and Local Government and Politics | GOVT L304 | |||
| Humanities/Fine Arts | ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic or | 3 | ARTH 200 | Arts |
| ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern or | ARTH 201 | |||
| MUS 121 Music in Society | MUSI 101 | |||
| Total Credits: 60 | ||||
For academic policies and procedures, please see 91勛圖 catalog - http://www.nvcc.edu/catalog/index.html
B.S.Ed. Special Education - All Concentrations
Concentrations:
Students can complete a concentration in General K-12 Licensure, Adapted K-12 Licensure, or Blindness and Visual Impairments
PK-12 Licensure. Alternatively, students who are not interested in teacher licensure through this degree may select No Concentration.
Note: Students in licensure concentrations must maintain a 2.5 GPA in major coursework. Some courses may only be offered once a year. Please consult your Mason Advisor.
| MASON Degree Requirement Sequence | Course | Credits | MASON Core/Degree Equivalent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Core Requirements | EDSE 352 Assessment (Fall only) | 3 | Major | |
| Program Core Requirements | EDSE 381 Exploratory Field Experience in Special Education (Fall only) | 3 | Major | |
| Gen Ed: Written Communication (Upper Level) | ENGH 302 Advanced Composition | 3 | Written Comm | |
| Program Core Requirements | EDSE 353 Individualized Behavior Supports (Spring only) | 3 | Major | |
| Program Core Requirements | EDSE 354 Consultation and Collaboration (Fall only) | 3 | Major | |
| Program Core Requirements | EDSE 451 Transition and Self-determination (Spring only) | 3 | Major | |
| Program Core Requirements | EDSE 452 Intersectionality and Disability (Fall only) | 3 | Writing Intensive | |
| Program Core Requirements | EDSE 351 Technology Integration for Specialized Instruction (Spring only) | 3 | Major | |
| Students select one concentration from lines 30 - 33 below | ||||
| Concentration Requirements: No Concentration (Non-Licensure) | Approved special education courses3 (15 credits) | 24 | Major or General Elective | |
| General Electives as needed to complete degree (9 credits) | ||||
| Concentration Requirements: General K-12 Licensure | EDSE 241 Characteristics of Students w/ Disabilities who Access the General Curriculum (Spring only) | 24 | Major or General Elective | |
| EDSE 341 Language Acquisition and Reading and Writing Development (Spring only) | ||||
| EDSE 441 Instructional Strategies for Reading and Writing (Fall only) | ||||
| EDSE 443 Instructional Strategies for Math (Spring only) | ||||
| EDSE 445 Clinical Practice and Seminar I: General (Spring only) | ||||
| EDSE 446 Clinical Practice and Seminar II: General (Fall only) | ||||
| General Elective as needed to complete degree (3 credits) | ||||
| Concentration Requirements: Adapted K-12 Licensure | EDSE 361 Characteristics of Students with Severe Disabilities (Spring only) | 24 | Major or General Elective | |
| EDSE 362 Communication with Severe Disabilities (Fall only) | ||||
| EDSE 463 Curriculum and Methods in Severe Disabilities (Spring only) | ||||
| EDSE 465 Clinical Practice & Seminar I: Adapted (Severe Disabilities) (Spring only) | ||||
| EDSE 466 Clinical Practice & Seminar II: Adapted (Severe Disabilities) (Fall only) | ||||
| EDSE 467 Foundations of Language and Literacy for Individuals with Severe Disabilities (Fall only) | ||||
| EDSE 469 Individualized Supports and Specialized Care of Students with Severe Disabilities (Fall only) | ||||
| General Elective as needed to complete degree (3 credits) | ||||
| Concentration Requirements: Blindness & Visual Impairments PK-12 Licensure | EDSE 311 Characteristics of Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments (Fall only) | 26 | Major | |
| EDSE 341 Language Acquisition and Reading and Writing Development (Spring only) | ||||
| EDSE 412 Braille Code (Fall only) | ||||
| EDSE 413 Medical and Educational Implications of Blindness and Visual Impairments (Fall only) | ||||
| EDSE 414 Orientation and Mobility for Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments (Summer only) | ||||
| EDSE 417 Teaching Methods for Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments (Summer only) | ||||
| EDSE 418 Curriculum and Assessment of Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments (Spring only) | ||||
| EDSE 419 Braille Reading and Writing (Spring only) | ||||
| EDAT 422 Assistive Tech for Individuals with Sensory Impairments (Fall only) | ||||
| Gen Ed: Apex/Program Core Requirement | Adapted K-12: | 12 | Apex | |
| EDSE 483 Internship: Adapted (Severe Disabilities) (Spring only) | ||||
| Blindness & Visual Impairments PK-12: | ||||
| EDSE 484 Internship: Blindness and Visual Impairments (Spring only) | ||||
| General K-12: | ||||
| EDSE 482 Internship: General (Spring only) | ||||
| No Concentration: | ||||
| EDSE 481 Internship: Professional Services (Spring only) | ||||
| Total Credits: 120-122 | ||||
*Denotes a course that must be taken at George Mason University while attending 91勛圖. Failure to complete your co-enrollment course(s) while attending 91勛圖 can significantly affect your timeline for Mason graduation. Please see your ADVANCE Coach for more information and to enroll.
Important Academic Information:
1Students who complete ENG 111 after Spring 2024 will earn ENGH elective for ENG 111 and ENGH 101 for ENG 112.
2Students who plan to take MTH 245 should take MTH 154 or MTH 161 first. Credit will not be awarded for both MTH 155 and MTH 245.
3For approved Special Education course options, please visit: https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/education-human-development/school-education/special-education-bsed/ .
Additional General Notes & Resources:
• Students in a concentration must maintain a 2.5 GPA in their major coursework and successfully complete all Commonwealth of Virginia mandated tests for licensure.
• For academic policies and procedures, please see Mason catalog - https://catalog.gmu.edu/policies/.
• Students seeking a bachelor's degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation.
General Education Waiver Policy and Guidance:
• Students who complete a VCCS transfer associate degree (AS, AA, or AFA) will receive a waiver of the Foundation and Exploration (lower division) Mason
Core general education categories, which can be found here: https://catalog.gmu.edu/mason-core/ . To be eligible for the waiver, the students must provide the Mason Office of Admissions with a final, official transcript reflecting the degree conferral date. As a prerequisite for ENGH 302, ENGH 101 is not waived.
Students must complete ENGH 100 or ENGH 101, or an equivalent, with a C or higher.
• When a course fulfills a Mason Core requirement and a major or college requirement (e.g. Major & Quant), students must complete the course listed on the pathway to fulfill the major/college requirement. Courses that fulfill only Mason Core Foundation and Exploration categories are recommendations. In most pathways, ADVANCE students must complete a Quantitative Reasoning course to matriculate through ADVANCE.
• ADVANCE students must complete the associate degree indicated on their pathway (see the ADVANCE Program Milestones listed above). Students who withdraw from ADVANCE and transfer without the associate degree or UCGS are required to complete each Mason Core general education category.