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New Mexico State University

Graduate Program

The Department of Special Education/Communication Disorders offers programs for students wishing to become master special education teachers, special education administrators, educational diagnosticians, school psychologists, and speech-language pathologists. The Master of Arts in Education can be earned in general special education with emphasis in mild or moderate disabilities (behavior disorders, learning disabilities, and mental retardation), communication disorders, early childhood special education, bilingual special education, special education administration, deaf/hard of hearing education, educational diagnostics, and Adapted Physical Education. The educational diagnostics program leads to New Mexico certification as an educational diagnostician.

The Master's degree program in Communication Disorders is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology (CAA) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Graduates of the Master's degree program obtain the requred knowledge and skills through academic coursework as well as the 400 supervised clinical clock hours that are necessary for the Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) in Speech-Language Pathology (ASHA). In addition, graduates complete requirements that are necessary for professional licensure in the state of New Mexico (as well as other states). Faculty provide mentoring in a wide variety of areas in the discipline.

The School Psychology program at New Mexico State University is an interdepartmental collaboration between the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology (CEP) and the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders (SPED/CD). The program is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the only such accredited program in the state of New Mexico. Upon successful completion of the school psychology program, students graduate with a Specialist in Education (Ed.S.) degree, which is granted through CEP. The program meets the standards for licensure as a school psychologist in New Mexico and beyond. For more information, visit the NMSU school psychology website (http://education.nmsu.edu/cep/eds/index.html).

The Department of Special Education/Communication Disorders offers two doctoral degrees in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis in Special Education: Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

Doctoral programs prepare individuals for positions as higher education faculty in special education, fields related to communication disorders, and for leadership positions in public education.

The following psychometric scores are required for admission to the Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs: Miller Analogies Test and Graduate Record Examination (aptitude).

For detailed information on admission requirements, stipends, and program requirements, write to the Department of Special Education/Communication Disorders, MSC 3SPE, NMSU, P.O. Box 30001, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003-8001.

Admission to the department's M.A. programs is based on the evaluation of a portfolio of materials that includes:

  • Undergraduate GPA
  • Graduate GPA (if applicable)
  • Academic Transcripts
  • Psychometric score on the Miller Analogies Test or scores on the Graduate Record Exam (aptitude portion) depending on the program of interest.
  • An academic vita
  • A one-page letter of interest in which the candidate cites relevant background experiences and personal motives for applying to the program
  • Three letters of reference
  • Other optional materials (as available) such as samples of writing, evidence of scholarship, indication of membership in a group traditionally underrepresented in graduate programs, or extenuating factors highlighted by applicants in their letters of interest