Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.)
LBD and MSD Certification
for Initial Certification
Program Highlights & Benefits
100% online cohort
3 year completion time, including holiday breaks
No GRE required for some programs
No weekend classes
For
The Master of Arts in Education degree with certification in Learning and Behavior Disorders and Moderate and Disabilities is a certification program for candidates without a teaching certificate who wish to teach students with mild to moderate learning and behavior disabilities (LBD) and moderate and severe disabilities (MSD). Students who complete the full 60-63 hour course sequence will be eligible for both Rank 2 and Rank 1 in the state of Kentucky.
What You Learn
Kentucky needs P-12 teachers who are committed to providing high-quality learning experiences and services to students with mild to moderate learning and behavior disorders (LBD) and to students with moderate and severe disabilities (MSD). Georgetown College’s Combined LBD and MSD Certification program provides teachers with the tools they need to work with P-12 students in a wide spectrum of special education settings.
Program Options
Students may choose from two tracks: Traditional Initial Certification or Alternative Initial Certification – Due to a lack of certified LBD/MSD teachers in specific areas, some schools are willing to hire candidates under a temporary-provisional certification who have a bachelor’s degree and are enrolled in an alternative LBD/MSD certification program. Please note that students will not be eligible to teach in a MSD classroom until the full LBD program is completed.
How You Learn
This is a fully online cohort. Most courses will be offered in a 7 and a half week format, though some 15 week courses may be included. (In which you will take two courses at a time). You will log into the online classroom using our online learning management system to participate in online activities which may include assignments, webinars or chats, materials, discussion threads, assessments and/or group activities done electronically. Following this schedule, you will complete the program in approximately 3 years.
Career Outcomes
Upon completion of this program students will have earned a Master of Arts in Education degree and P-12 Certification both Learning & Behavior Disorders (LBD) and Moderate & Severe Disabilities (MSD). A passing score on the appropriate Praxis exams will be required to earn your LBD and MSD Certifications
Degree Requirements
Phase 1: LBD P-12 Certification
| Course | Title | Hours |
| ECE 500 | Educational Evaluation | 3 |
| ECE 501 | Behavior and Classroom Management of LBD Students | 3 |
| ECE 502 | Introduction to LBD | 3 |
| ECE 503 | Educational Programming for LBD | 3 |
| ECE 504 | Collaboration and Advocacy | 3 |
| ECE 508 | Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| ECE 575A | Field Studies in LBD Component I Part A | 3 |
| ECE 575B | Field Studies in LBD Component I Part B | 3 |
| ECE 586 | Final Clinical Practice/Student Teaching | 6 |
| EDU 501 | Methods of Teaching Reading | 3 |
| EDU 509 | Teaching Elementary School Mathematics | 3 |
| ECE 542 | Using Technology to Remove Barriers for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| ECE 656 | Typical and Atypical Behavior | 3 |
Phase 2: MSD Certification**
| Course | Title | Hours |
| ECE 600 | Introduction to Teaching Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities | 3 |
| ECE 602 | Curriculum and Instruction for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities | 3 |
| ECE 604 | Teaching Individuals with Physical or Multiple Disabilities | 3 |
| ECE 606 | Transition Services for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| ECE 608 | Field Component in Moderate to Severe Disabilities | 3 |
Phase 2: Rank 1
| Choose 1 or 2 elementary/secondary content-related elective courses. Electives may be chosen for the entire cohort.* | 3-6 | |
| Total Credit Hours: | 60-63 | |
Please Note:
NOTE: This is only an introduction to the program. Coursework may be taken in a different order.
Students are required to meet all admission criteria (including passing the Core Academic Skills for Educators or Graduate Record Exam and meeting the minimum GPA requirement of 2.75 GPA (3.0 on last 30 hours of coursework), in order to be fully admitted to the program. In order to be considered for an alternative-certification position, you must meet all admissions criteria before you may interview for a position.
The state requires 200 hours of pre-clinical field hours and a full-time, 14 week student teaching experience, which must be completed while not being in a paid position. This does not apply if you are in an alternative certification status.
*Total credit hours must equal at least 60 hours in order to get Rank 1.
**MSD portion not eligible for financial aid
