The Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) degree program is an advanced graduate program that enables students to develop competence in an area of educational specialization with emphasis on practice. The specialist degree in special education is designed for students who desire to increase their expertise beyond the master’s degree level and become leaders in field-based settings.

Degree Requirements

Major Requirements (24 cr.)
The credits in the major are chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor and program advisory committee.

Inquiry Requirements (6 cr.)
These hours will be selected in consultation with the student’s advisor and program advisory committee. They will be selected from the approved list of current Inquiry Core courses: A list of approved inquiry courses may be found at https://education.indiana.edu/docs/graduate-program-documents/approved-inquiry-courses.pdf.

Minor Requirements (9 cr.)
The minor must have integrity in its own right and must complement the major. The minor field must demonstrate wholeness within itself and contribute to the student's overall doctoral program. Minors are normally formulated within a single program area. However, an interdisciplinary or individualized minor is also possible. Interdisciplinary or individualized minors require a written description of the minor's underlying theme along with a rationale for each course's contribution to that theme through the Minor Justification form. This form should be submitted and approved by the Graduate Studies Office prior to enrolling in the minor courses.Major area courses may not be used in the minor.

Elective Requirements (26 cr.)
Elective courses must be approved by the advisory committee. They must be relevant to the program. The electives category may be used to add to the major, research/Inquiry, or minor components.

Capstone Project or Comprehensive Examination
A substantial project or a comprehensive examination constitutes the culmination of the Ed.S. program. A project normally requires a written manuscript describing the project. Projects vary from program to program.

Practical Experience
Ed.S. students must have demonstrated successful practical experience in order to be eligible for graduation. This experience may be in the form of work experience prior to or during the program of studies, or it may be accomplished through practicum and internship courses taken during the program.

Final Meeting
A final meeting of the advisory committee is required, at which the student’s entire program, including the project manuscript or comprehensive examination results, are reviewed. If the committee is satisfied that all program requirements have been successfully completed, the student is recommended for graduation.