Either: Integrated study (at least 120 credits) in pedagogy or special needs education
Or: Specialization (at least 80 credits) in pedagogy or special needs education
Or: Teacher education (primary and lower secondary teacher/ general teacher, kindergarten teacher/preschool teacher, practical-pedagogical education based on tertiary education of at least 180 ECTS credits)
Or: Completed three years of 4-year teacher training
Or: Bachelor's Programme in Child Welfare, Social Care, Psychology
See supplementary rules for admission to the uia.no/spesped-master.
The basic goal of special educational work is to facilitate the development of human potentials and to compensate for challenges that have a negative impact on learning. The special needs teacher meets a multitude of children, young people and adults with special needs.
To meet these diverse needs, today's professions have become increasingly specialized. This development may have contributed to some people in vulnerable situations experiencing a lack of coherence in everyday life. It is therefore important that special educational work is not limited only to follow-up of individuals or specific groups with difficulties, but also involves system-oriented and preventive work at various levels. This includes, for example, special educational management and innovation work and consulting, where the goal is to promote development and learning processes in a lifelong perspective. The programme focuses on current knowledge within the field of special needs education research and facilitates (out) the formation of competent professional practitioners who are able to plan and implement changes to improve existing special needs education practices. The programme prepares and trains students to contribute to interdisciplinary collaboration where the goal is to offer a holistic offer to vulnerable children, young people and adults, create inclusive environments, as well as provide and lead special educational activities at both the individual and system level.
1. sem | PED424-1 Inclusive Special Education 15 sp | PED425-1 Socioemotional vulnerability 15 sp | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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2. sem | PED525-2 Learning Difficulties and Basic Skills 15 sp | PED519-1 Scientific Theory and Research Method. 15 sp | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3. sem | Exchange | PED531-1 Innovation and leadership in special education 15 sp | PED523-1 Advisement and Counselling. 15 sp | |||||||||||||||||||||
4. sem | PED511-2 Master´s thesis 30 sp |
Upon completion of the programme, the students shall
Knowledge
Skills
General competences
There are three main work methods: lectures, seminars and individual/group based supervision.
A two-week period of professional, supervised work experience is included in the third semester in relation to the course ‘Innovation and leadership in special education.’
Three factors have been taken into consideration: holistic coherence between content, learning outcomes, work methods and the assessment forms of each course, variation of assessment forms, and the progression towards thesis writing.
The assessment forms vary between individual written examination, term paper - individual or in groups, oral examination, home examination in groups and master’s thesis.
Emphasis is placed on the master's programme in special needs education being put into an international context. For example, in PED 424 Inclusive Special Needs Education, the terms inclusion/exclusion will relate to both national and international contexts. Students are exposed to a multitude of perspectives on special educational work through comparisons of the organization of special education in Norway and other countries.
Student exchange is facilitated in the 3rd and/or 4th semesters. The university has a number of cooperation agreements with universities and university colleges abroad. Information about relevant exchange locations can be found on our website about exchange: https://www.uia.no/student/utveksling.
See also https://www.uia.no/exchangestudies/search?soid=5908
Feel free to contact the coordinator for student exchange, Tone Frøysnes (tone.froysnes@uia.no) and study coordinator David Lansing Cameron (david.l.cameron@uia.no) for more guidance.
The master’s degree in special education qualifies for work in a variety of different contexts where teaching, education, dissemination, counselling or leadership related to special education is central. Relevant contexts can be public or private administration, public services, pre-school and school sectors at various levels within municipality, county or state. Relevant jobs are at the PP-tjeneste, Statped, public health facilities, peer-support work, psychiatry, child welfare institutions, workplace inclusion, NAV, crime-preventive work, nursing homes and relief facilities, adult education and inclusion work aimed at asylum applicants and other exposed groups.
The master’s degree is a disciplinary education and qualifies for further organised research training.
Certificate of good conduct
A valid police certificate of conduct must be presented upon application and must be submitted before students can participate in the professional, supervised training.
Suitability assessment
Suitability assessment is continuous throughout the programme. If there is doubt about the suitability of a student, a special follow-up should be applied.
120
Full time
Kristiansand
Faculty of Humanities and Education