FAQs
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M.S. Ed. in Special Education Administration |
Categories of FAQs
Application Questions
Course and Advising Questions
Portfolio Questions
Other
Application (and pre-application) Questions
Q. How do I become matriculated into the Special Education Program?
A. A matriculated (degree-seeking) student is a student that has been accepted in a program of study. Some of the benefits of becoming matriculated included having the opportunity to:
- register for courses prior (3-7 days is typical) to non-matriculated students,
- meet (via in-person, phone, or email) with a program advisor to discuss various aspects of your program,
- attend orientations and other events so that you develop an accurate vision of what is expected from you during your program of study, and
- receive emails regarding upcoming events, reminders, and other pieces of information (via our program and/or advisor listserve).
Q. I am not clear on the admissions requirements. Do I need to take the GRE, MAT, or the PRAXIS?
A. Currently, prospective students are not required to take the PRAXIS – however, this is a requirement for state certification.
Applicants are required to take one of the following tests:
- Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
Applicants whose native language is not English must also take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Please refer to the Graduate Admissions Office for more detailed information
Q. How many classes can I take before I actually apply to the program?
A. Non-matriculated students may take two courses (six credit hours) that they pass with a grade of 'B' or better prior to applying. Students may enroll in up to two courses for the semester in which they apply (for a total of four courses). Only courses taken within three years of application will be considered.
Q. What is my concentration or focus area?
A. Students have the following options:
Course, Program, and Advising Questions
Q. Do I really need to schedule a meeting with my advisor?
A. . It is very important that you meet with your advisor, especially at the beginning of your program and prior to your capstone courses at the end of your program. Advisors are available to work with students in multiple ways (in office meeting, via phone, via email, etc). Please contact your advisor to schedule an appointment.
Q. How long do I have to complete my program of study?
A. You have five years from the date of your admission into the program.
Q. How can I register for classes? When can I register? How much will it cost?
A. You can search for the courses that you are interested in here. Choose "Special Education" under the subject area. Here are some other helpful links:
- Registrar's office main webpage
- Methods of Registration
- Registration dates (Remember that there are different registration dates for courses, depending on whether or not you are a matriculated student.)
- Student Billing office main page
- Tuition and Fees
- Billing Calendar
If you are a non-matriculated student (non-degree seeking), it is possible you will not be eligible to take some special education courses. If you have any questions, you can contact the instructor directly to ask for permission to enroll. You will need written permission (an email is ok). Present this written permission to the Registrar's Office when you are ready to register.
Q. What happens if a class is "closed" or "cancelled"?
A. If a course is "closed", it means that it has reached it's capacity. The course search function will indicate course status by highlighting the course information in a gray-tone.
At this point, you can contact Kat Schorr, and she will add you to a wait list. If seats become available, then she will contact students on the wait list in the order that they are listed. If you do not hear from her by the second week of the class, then no seats are available, and you should consider other course options.
If a course has been "cancelled," it means that the course section is no longered offered that semester. Courses can be cancelled due to low enrollment or other factors. If you are registered for a course that has become cancelled, then you will be contacted as soon as possible by your USM email address and/or by phone. The course search function will indicate course status by highlighting the course information in a gray-tone.
Q. I will not be able to enroll in classes for one semester. Is there anything I need to be aware of?
A. The master's program has a continuous enrollment policy, which states that matriculated students must take at least six (6) credits a year to remain active in the program. If you decide that you cannot take courses or you have a medical/family reasons which prevent you from enrolling, then you need to send a written letter to your advisor informing them of your intentions.
Q. How do I find out if a course has prerequisites?
A. This information is typically printed in the course schedules. In the Special Education program, the following courses have prerequisites:
- SED 682 Special Education Law - prerequisite is SED 540
- SED 688 Internship in Special Education – advisor permission
- SED 685 Advanced Seminar – instructor permission
- SED 699 Directed Study – instructor permission
Additionally, students who wish to take EDU 600: Research Methods must be matriculated.
Q. What is the portfolio and what do I need to do for it?
A. The portfolio is the culmination of all of your effort and study in the Master of Science in Special Education program. The purpose of the portfolio is to provide an opportunity for students to reflect upon the knowledge and skills they have acquired in the program. All of the components of the Portfolio are aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children’s standards for preparation of special education teachers (2001), and demonstrate mastery of one or more of the ten standards. Therefore, each component is essential to the completed portfolio.
Q. What portfolio guidelines do I follow?
A. Students follow the guidelines that they were accepted under (different years have different guidelines). Detailed information is available to students on student orientation night. If you are unsure, please contact either Kat Schorr or your advisor.
Q. When are portfolio presentations?
A. Typically presentations occur twice a year, once in December and once in April, just prior to graduation.
Useful Information regarding ID cards, parking, blackboard, library access, etc.
Getting a USM ID Card
Getting your USM CARD is easy, quick . . . and necessary!
- Stop by the Campus Card Office, Upton Hall, Gorham or Telecommunications
4 Payson Smith, Portland. Open Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm., extended hours during first week of semester - Provide identification (license, passport)
- Complete a form
- Have your photo taken. Your card will be ready in minutes.
Why do I need a card? This is your official USM ID and you will need it to use USM computers, libraries, and other resources.
www.usm.maine.edu/usmcard
Activating your USM ID Card and using the computer labs
After getting your USM ID card, bring your ID to the Computer Lab to activate your UNET account. Computer Labs that can activate your account are located at: Luther Bonney Hall in Portland; Bailey Hall in Gorham; and Computer Lab at Lewiston-Auburn.
Why do I need to activate my ID and get a UNET Account?
Activating your USM ID Card enables you to access to
- computers in the computer lab, library, and classrooms
- library resources
- print from a computer and make copies
- Blackboard and Course Reserves
- on-campus wireless service
- USM resources from off-campus
The Computer labs have PC and Mac computers and printers.
www.usm.maine.edu/computing
Accessing the library
USM ID cards have a library barcode on the front. This number is usually in small red print below the barcode. It begins with “25022…” You need to activate it by visiting the circulation counter at any of the USM libraries. Activating your card will allow you to:
- check out materials
- search the online databases or access reserve materials from off-campus
- use interlibrary loan (see below)
- print (4¢/page) and photocopy (7¢/page)
Librarians are available in multiple formats: By phone: Gorham 207-780-5344; Portland 780-4272; Lewiston-Auburn 753-6540. From the webpage, they can be contacted by e-mail and sometimes live chat. Students can make an appointment with a reference librarian or visit in person. Hours and much more information is available on the library webpage. http://library.usm.maine.edu/
It is free and easy to create an inter-library loan account (ILLIAD) and will enable you to borrow books and have journal articles emailed from other libraries.
See Library Services for Students: http://library.usm.maine.edu/services/forstudents.html
Photocopying or printing from a computer
Photocopying and printing is easy if you have “Husky Bucks” on your USM ID Card. You can add value (money) to your card by using the card machines at the Portland or Gorham libraries or online at: www.usm.maine.edu/usmcard/funds.htm
Using your student ID and password
When you enroll in a class, you are assigned a student identification number. This number usually is the same as your Social Security number. (You can request a different number.) This number is used in a variety of settings: to login at the computer labs, to check your grades, register for classes over the phone or by computer (IVR or DSIS), or financial aid tracking.
You also are assigned a personal identification number (PIN) at the same time. Your PIN number is initially your 6-digit [mmddyy] date of birth. The first time that you use DSIS (Distributed Student Information System) or Interactive Voice Response (IVR) to register for classes or check your grades, for example, you will be required to change your PIN. If you change your PIN and for some reason it won't work, you will need to contact the Registrar’s office at 780-5230 to have it reset. They cannot tell you what the number is, but can reset it to the default (6-digit date of birth).
Accessing your BlackBoard account
Computing services has a great online guide on how to use BlackBoard. The link is http://www.usm.maine.edu/computing/resources/blackboard/bb5_guide.jsp
But here are some quick tips:
- Your UserName is the same as your University e-mail name (the part of your
e-mail address before the "@"). (For example: if your e-mail address is
John.Jones@maine.edu, your e-mail name is John.Jones). - If you don't have a University e-mail account, one will be set up for you within 24 hours after you register for a course that uses Blackboard and automatically entered into Blackboard. New e-mail accounts/UserNames are set up with this convention: Firstname.Lastname, eliminating any hyphens, apostrophes, and periods in your last name.
Having trouble accessing BlackBoard? Call 1-800-696-4357 (HELP) or techsupport@maine.edu USM Computing Services provides useful technical information and instruction at http://www.usm.maine.edu/computing/
You can obtain help in this area in a number of ways. Computer Resources has a wide selection of information for students http://www.usm.maine.edu/computing/resources/index.htm
For computer information specific to BlackBoard go to
http://www.usm.maine.edu/computing/resources/blackboard/bb5_guide.html
If you continue to have trouble, please contact the HELP!Desk at 780-4029 or email them at helpdesk@usm.maine.edu
Getting a parking permit
You’ve already paid for a parking permit through your student fees, you just need to pick it up! Parking permits can be picked up at the USM Police Department in Upton Hall, Gorham or at the USM Police Department 46 Bedford St., Portland. Hours are 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, extended hours during first week of semester. You will need a copy of your vehicle registration. http://www.usm.maine.edu/police/parking.htm
For a parking permit by mail, go to http://www.usm.maine.edu/police/pdf/parking_student.pdf
and follow the instructions.
Please note: Gorham campus has a major construction project going on behind Bailey Hall that will result in less parking available close to the building. Please give extra time for traffic delays and to find a parking space.
