Vision Studies (MEd) - Teacher of Students with Visual Impairment Track

Program Requirements

Complete 37 credits from eleven required courses.

Capstone: Completion of a portfolio, normally during the final semester, as part of VISN 619 .
Licensure: Students seeking initial licensure must pass all teaching test requirements (MTEL, Communication/Literacy; Foundations of Reading; General Curriculum) and the Braille Proficiency Exam before being placed in a practicum.

Statute of Limitations: Five years.

Course Requirements

Required Courses (37 Credits)

VISN 602 - Education of Students with Visual Impairments 3 Credit(s)
VISN 603 - Braille I 3 Credit(s)
VISN 604 - Eye Anatomy and Disease 3 Credit(s)
VISN 605 - Clinical and Functional Assessment of Vision 3 Credit(s)
VISN 610 - Braille II 3 Credit(s)
VISN 612 - Orientation and Mobility and Independent Living Skills 4 Credit(s)
VISN 613 - Assessment of Students with VI Including Those with Additional Disabilities 4 Credit(s)
VISN 614 - Assessment & Instructional Strategies for Students with VI Including Those with Additional Dis II 4 Credit(s)
VISN 619 - Teacher of the Visually Impaired Practicum 4 Credit(s)
VISN 648 - Cortical/Cerebral Visual Impairment 3 Credit(s)
VISN 660 - Introduction to Assistive Technology for People with Visual Impairments 3 Credit(s)

State Licensure Requirements

The licensure of educational personnel requires a bachelor’s degree and the completion of a program that has been approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, with course and field work that include at least 75 hours of pre-practicum field observations and a supervised student teaching experience or internship. In addition, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requires satisfactory performance on a test of proficiency in written and spoken English, and on competency examinations in a field of knowledge. A For individuals seeking licensure as Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, applicants must pass the Communication and Literacy Test to demonstrate written and spoken English competency. The field of knowledge is covered in the General Curriculum Test, which addresses the range of subjects covered in the elementary curriculum.

Candidates must also pass a Foundations of Reading Test. Individuals who have completed such a program and have passed the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) will be granted “Initial Licensure” and are eligible to teach in a public school.

Those holding initial licensure have up to five years from the time they are first employed to complete the additional requirements for Professional Licensure. These include a master’s degree and successful teaching experience. Professional Licensure is renewable every five years; re-licensure requires the accumulation of Professional Development Points and the payment of a fee. More details concerning licensure and re-licensure are available in a booklet available from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 350 Main Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148-5023, or at www.doe.mass.edu.