Master of Science in Education (MSED) - Special Education

Application Process

Applicants must submit their application online through the Chicago State University - Graduate Application Portal.

Application Fee

The application fee is $30 and is non-refundable.

Application Deadline

Term	Deadline
Fall	July 15th
Spring	December 17th
Summer	Not Offered

Note: We strongly encourage our applicants to apply early to guarantee timely processing of their admission for the applied term. Applying early also helps ensure you can register as soon as registration opens.

Admission Requirements

Graduate School Minimum Requirements:

To be eligible for admission to master’s programs, individuals must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

GPA Requirements:

Applicants must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.75 on a 4.00 scale from the bachelor’s degree granting institution/university (OR) If the overall GPA is below 2.75, applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 (on a 4.00 scale) for the final 60 semester credit hours of undergraduate and/or graduate courses.
There is no GPA requirement for applicants with a master’s or a doctoral degree who are applying for another master’s program.

Note: Individual programs may have a higher GPA and several other requirements and prerequisites that must be satisfied for full admission.

Additional Program Requirements:

Candidates interested in admission to the Special Education Learning Behavioral Specialist - I Master’s Degree Program for Initial Certification or Certified Teachers respectively, are both required to:

1. Hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Have a 3.0 GPA (on a 4-point grading scale) for full admission to the program. A 2.75 GPA is needed for conditional admission.
3. Provide two letters of recommendation, (which need to be uploaded directly by the referees into the online application system), from school administrators, supervisors, or people familiar with his/her educational background and work experience.
4. Submit, (in the online application system), their resume and a one-page essay explaining why they are interested in the program and what they expect to learn
5. Have an Illinois professional educator license (this only applies to candidates who are interested in admission to the program for certified teachers, or those who are only interested in adding the special education endorsement to their current teaching license).
6. Be admitted to the School of Graduate and Professional Studies (this only applies to candidates who are interested in admission to the program for initial certification or certified teachers)
7. Be admitted to the College of Education this only applies to candidates who are interested in admission to the program for initial certification, or those who are only interested in adding the special education endorsement to their current teaching license).

Applicants who are interested in the special education initial certification program but do not have the required 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours can qualify for a master’s plus licensure program by taking 9 hours of graduate-level program course work (which must be completed within one year) and earning a grade of B or better in each of these courses. Grades of B or above in graduate course work completed prior to applying to a CSU licensure program can be used towards eligibility. Applicants who do not qualify after taking 9 hours of course work will be counseled by the Office of Licensure Services to choose another teacher preparation program to pursue at the license-only level.

Required Documents

Domestic Applicants	International Applicants
Resume	Resume
Upload Personal Essay (in the online application portal).	Upload Personal Essay (in the online application portal).
Provide two letters of recommendation, from school administrators, supervisors, or people familiar with his/her educational background and work experience. Note: Applicants are required to request recommendation letters by entering your recommender’s First Name, Last Name, and Email Address in the online application portal. An email will be sent to your recommender with a link to complete the recommendation. Please reach out to your recommender to ensure they submit the letter through the link they receive. Applicants cannot upload recommendation letters directly.	Provide two letters of recommendation, from school administrators, supervisors, or people familiar with his/her educational background and work experience.. Note: Applicants are required to request recommendation letters by entering your recommender’s First Name, Last Name, and Email Address in the online application portal. An email will be sent to your recommender with a link to complete the recommendation. Please reach out to your recommender to ensure they submit the letter through the link they receive. Applicants cannot upload recommendation letters directly.
Official Transcripts from all higher education institutions/colleges/universities attended. [Undergraduate & Graduate] The official transcript must be either sent directly from each university (through Parchment or Student Clearing House or must be placed in a sealed envelope and signed by the university registrar and be sent to(Office of Graduate & Professional Studies 9501 S. King Dr., ADM 129,Chicago, IL 60628). An official transcript is not required for Chicago State University earned credits Domestic applicants who have attended/earned credits from outside the USA. A course-by-course evaluation of all foreign educational credentials (transcripts) is required and must be reported directly to the university(Office of Graduate & Professional Studies 9501 S. King Dr., ADM 129,Chicago, IL 60628) by any of the following and/or professional evaluation service agencies. Education Credentials Evaluators (ECE). World Educational Service (WES). Educational Perspective (EP). Scholaro.	Foreign Credentials Scholaro GPA and Degree Report Applicants are required to submit a Scholaro's GPA and Degree report through the dedicated custom link for Chicago State University here.
Program Specific Requirement: Completion of six credit hours of prerequisite courses, which must include three credit hours in developmental psychology and psychological statistics (with a grade of B or better in at least one). A student may be granted conditional admission until the prerequisites are met.	Program Specific Requirement: Completion of six credit hours of prerequisite courses, which must include three credit hours in developmental psychology and psychological statistics (with a grade of B or better in at least one). A student may be granted conditional admission until the prerequisites are met.
End of Requirements for Domestic Applicants.	Proof of English Proficiency (Submit one of the following) TOEFL Official score Report, Minimum total score of 69 is required. IELTS Official Score Report, Minimum overall score of 6.0 is required. TOEFL Essential Official Score Report, Minimum overall score of 8 is required. Duolingo Official Score Report, Minimum overall score of 95 is required. Pearson Official Score Report, Minimum overall score of 51 is required. English Proficiency Waiver Application: Request for waiver of English language. Download: Waiver Form.
End of Requirements for Domestic Applicants.	Bank Statement Account summary (or) Letter from the 'Bank' showing the availability of funds is sufficient. We do not need detailed transactions.
End of Requirements for Domestic Applicants.	Important Note: For International Applicants Within 45 days of first semester enrollment to the classes, applicants must submit a General Credential Evaluation of all foreign educational credentials (transcripts) directly to Chicago State University by any one of the following professional evaluation service agencies: Scholaro. Education Credentials Evaluators (ECE). World Educational Service (WES). Educational Perspective (EP). Note: Not adhering to this requirement may lead to a registration hold for subsequent terms and could potentially result in the cancellation of your university admission.

Contact Information & Hours of Operation

Please contact the Graduate Admissions Office at (773) 995-2404 or by email: grad-admissions@csu.edu if you have any questions
Our hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 5 PM CST.
Office Address:

Office of Graduate & Professional Studies,

9501 S. King Dr., ADM 129

Chicago, IL 60628