The Master of Education degree in Special Education: Visual Impairment is a degree offered collaboratively by USC Upstate and the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind. Orientation sessions for potential candidates are offered prior to the beginning of the summer sessions and at the beginning of the fall semester.  More information about this program is available from the USC Upstate Graduate Programs Office at 864-503-5573.

The masters in Special Education-Visual Impairment requires:

1. Successful completion of an approved program of study providing 39 hours of graduate credit.
2. Successful completion of a case study demonstrating competency in working with individuals with visual impairment. The portfolio will be a requirement in EDVI U735 Practicum in Special Education: Visual Impairment.

For the degree, a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (B) is required on the total graduate program.  An accumulation of grades below B on 12 hours of graduate work attempted at the university will disqualify a student for a graduate degree.

Every candidate admitted for the degree of Master of Education in Special Education - Visual Impairment will have a faculty advisor assigned to monitor the program of study. The program is a Cohort model intended to be completed in two calendar years; however the program may be extended over four years. Embedded in degree requirements are courses required for an endorsement in visual impairment education.

Required Courses

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
I. Research Competencies
EDRM U700	Introduction to Research in Education	3
II. Professional Studies
EDLC U721V	Instructional Strategies for Reading in Grades PK-5: Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments	3
EDTE U726	Standards-Based Assessment for PK-12	3
III. Visual Impairment Studies
EDVI U610	Nature and Needs of Learners with Visual Impairment	3
EDVI U650	Anatomy, Physiology, and Disorders of the Visual System	3
EDVI U675	Functional Low Vision Assessment and Intervention	3
EDVI U705	Literary Braille Code	3
EDVI U706	Advanced Braille	3
EDVI U712	Assistive and Instructional Technology for Learners with Visual Impairment	3
EDVI U717	Orientation and Mobility for Learners with Visual Impairment	3
EDVI U724	Visual Impairment and Multiple Disabilities	3
EDVI U730	Assessment and Educational Methods for Learners with Visual Impairment	3
EDVI U735	Practicum in Special Education: Visual Impairment	3
Total Hours		39

Admission Standards for Degree Seeking Students

Individuals seeking admission to USC Upstate as a degree candidate will be considered for full admission when the USC Upstate Admissions Office receives all admissions materials. A baccalaureate or higher degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency is required. All graduate admission decisions are made by the individual academic units where the program resides.

Applicants whose educational preparation is equivalent to that represented by a baccalaureate degree and who have sufficient preparation to undertake advanced study may be admitted after review of their application materials, including appropriate test scores, recommendations, and transcripts.

Academic units have the option of recommending the applicant for admission with conditions. This indicates that an admissions committee has met and determined that it is not yet ready to recommend full admission for the applicant. This conditional recommendation is appropriate for applicants who:

• need to take undergraduate courses or other prerequisites;
• need to prove themselves capable of graduate course work in the program by achieving a minimum GPA of 3.25 on the initial 12 hours of USC Upstate graduate program course work;
• need to satisfy any other valid conditions that the committee sets before full admission can be recommended

Application Requirements for Master of Education Programs

1. Application, application fee, residency form with all requested information and supporting documents.
2. Transcripts: Individuals seeking admission must provide official transcripts showing all post-secondary course work attempted and the award of the baccalaureate or higher degree by an accredited college or university. Official transcripts verifying all previous college-level course work are required for the University's records. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly from the institution to USC Upstate or delivered in a sealed envelope bearing a registrar's stamp.
3. Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation using forms provided.
4. Official Test Scores: Submission of either the Miller Analogies Test or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is acceptable. Note: GRE and MAT scores are valid for five years.
5. Valid Teacher Certificate
6. Personal Statement: Applicants are required to submit a 1-2 page personal statement that describes their academic and/or other interests.
7. Proof of immunization for measles (rubeola) and German measles (rubella) if born after Dec. 31, 1956.

Applicants Not Seeking a Degree

Students wishing to enroll in either program courses or professional development courses but who do not wish to pursue a graduate degree at USC Upstate must submit the following admission materials:

• Application for Non-Degree Seeking Graduate Students (available at www.uscupstate.edu)
• Residency form with all requested information and supporting documents
• $10 application fee
• Proof of immunization for measles (rubeola) and German measles (rubella) if born after Dec. 31, 1956.

Students admitted as non-degree students may take up to 18 hours of graduate work. In order to enroll in more than 18 hours as a non-degree student, the applicant must complete another non-degree application form, a state residency status form, and submit a copy of a teaching credential.