Today special education is a central issue not only of the wider European but also of the Greek educational and social policy. It is now imperative to create appropriate frameworks for the education and support of children with special educational needs, either in the context of general education or in the existing special education units, with the ultimate goal of reducing the exclusion and marginalization of these students. In addition, the growing need for organized provision of appropriate interventions has been identified as well as the need to staff special education with specialized educational staff.
The specific Master's Program "Educational Sciences: Special Education" comes to fill this gap and offer the possibility to scientists of various specialties to acquire the appropriate knowledge and skills to successfully respond to modern requirements the educational community.
Purpose of the P.M.S. is the specialization of postgraduate students of different specialties in the subject of Special Education. After the end of their studies, the graduates are expected to be well qualified scientifically and able to promote and connect theory, research and practical application in the field of Special Education. In particular, the P.M.S. aims for graduates a) to have sufficient theoretical training regarding special education, policies and practices in the field of special education and inclusion, the different types of disabilities, but also knowledge of contemporary trends, perspectives and research findings in relation to above fields, b) develop skills to differentiate, modify and adapt the Analytical Program, teaching methods and techniques, classroom organization, educational and supervisory material, as well as educational assessment procedures, c) acquire knowledge and develop skills related to the assessment of the needs and abilities of students with disabilities and/or special educational needs, as well as the planning of appropriate support and educational interventions based on the needs and abilities of each student with disabilities and/or special educational needs, d) to acquire knowledge and skills of classroom organization and management, implementation of strategies for the development of social skills of persons with disabilities and/or special educational needs, as well as intervention to alleviate the practices of marginalization and half-disability inside and outside the school environment.
Achieving the above is a difficult, multifaceted and complex process and requires:
- Lifetime attendance of courses related to the field of special education, disability studies, neurosciences, psychology and differentiated teaching methodology,
- Internship in public structures, where special education and training is provided to students with disabilities and/or special educational needs, such as special education and training school units of all levels, school units of all levels where integration departments operate, and Education Centers and Counseling Support (KESY)
- At a research level both theoretically with Qualitative/Quantitative Research and Statistics courses and with small-scale research projects within the courses and also during the preparation of Diploma Theses.