Program Admission

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Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with six available starting points (Summer A, Summer B, Fall A, Fall B, Winter A, or Winter B). See Application Deadlines.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants who do not meet minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements:

• Submit the names and contact information for two references who know the candidate’s professional ability, capability, disposition, etc.

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions  and select the appropriate application.

• 2022-2023 Application
• 2023-2024 Application

Domestic Applicants Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Deficiencies If not previously taken, students must complete PSY 101 General Psychology Lecture  (3 hrs) or SPGN 510 Introduction to Inclusive Education and Disability Studies  (3 hrs) before beginning coursework. These courses do not count toward the graduate degree. If taken, PSY 101 will not appear on the graduate transcript.

Department Information

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Special Education & Communication Sciences and Disorders 128 Porter, 734.487.3300

David Winters, PhD, Department Head

Jennifer Desiderio, EdS, Graduate Coordinator

Advisor Information

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Please contact the department for advisor information.

Teacher Certification

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Students must complete courses leading to initial teacher certification in either elementary or secondary teacher certification, as follows:

• If pursuing elementary certification, students are responsible for up to 41 credits of professional education coursework and up to 36 credits of liberal arts coursework. See advisor for specific course requirements.
• If pursuing secondary certification, students are responsible for up to 22 credits of professional education coursework and up to 21-29 credits of coursework in a teachable content area. See advisor for specific course requirements.

Upon completion of all graduate-level courses with a B or better grade, passing Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in both general and special education areas, and successfully performing two student teaching experiences, students in Group 1 will earn a standard Michigan teaching certificate in elementary education or secondary education; initial special education endorsement in the choice of Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cognitive Impairment, Emotional Impairment, Learning Disabilities, or Physical/Other Health Impairment; and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree.

Degree Requirements: 35-39 hours

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In addition to completing courses leading to initial elementary or secondary teacher certification, all students take the same special education core courses and select one special education concentration (ASD, CI, EI, LD, or POHI). A minimum grade of “B” is required in all courses.

Critical Graduation Information

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Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Master’s degree requirements must be completed within six (6) years of first enrollment in the master’s degree program.

In the event a student does not complete the master’s degree requirements within six years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all master’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

• A master’s degree must require a minimum of 30 credit hours.
• No more than six credits of independent study courses and no more than 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.  
• Residency Requirement:
  • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 36 or fewer required hours, at least 24 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere). 
  • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 37 or more required hours, at least 30 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. Minimum degree hours must still be met for graduation. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
  • Residency and enrollment in multiple programs: Students enrolled in multiple master’s/specialist degree programs must have 24 unique credit hours in each degree program.
• Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours above.
• Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.
• The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
• Some master’s programs require a thesis; others require a special project or internship; others require students to pass a final exam. See the Graduate School website for Thesis and Dissertation Manuals, all forms, and information about research and human subject approval. Every completed thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Digital Commons. Any form of graduate student work submitted to Digital Commons must first be approved by a faculty advisor and the Graduate School.