Master of
Autism Studies
Learn a Full Range of Intervention Strategies. Fulfill the Needs of a Community. Enhance your response to autism. Through our interdisciplinary curriculum, you will develop the interprofessional skills and the autism-specific expertise needed to become a leader in autism-related fields and to make a positive impact on the lives of people who have autism. Respond to critical needs. Gain both interdisciplinary scope and disciplinary rigor. Explore voices of people with autism. Examine a broad range of evidence-based autism interventions. Be a leader in understanding and responding to autism. Whether you are a current student, a practitioner working in an autism-related field, a caregiver, or a person on the spectrum, our master’s degree will provide you with expertise in autism, developing your ability to improve the lives of people with autism.
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Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame, Indiana
Degree Details • 36 credit hours • Completing a capstone project or comprehensive exams • On campus • Full-time option 15 months (includes two summer terms)
• Part-time option Two years (includes three summer terms) • Courses offered primarily at night
Where This Degree Can Take You* • Into cutting-edge work in the field of autism • Into emerging positions such as autism specialist or autism consultant in many types of organizations • Into leadership positions in autism-related fields such as education, speech language pathology, occupational therapy, and psychology • Into related graduate and professional programs, such as the MS in speech language pathology, PhD in clinical psychology * May require additional certifications or degrees
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Curriculum • • • • • • • • •
Gateway: Autistic Experiences Autism and Humanity A Biopsychosocial Understanding of the Autism Spectrum Quantitative Methods in Autism Research Autism Research Design and Methods Approaches to Autism Intervention Occupational Therapy and Autism Autism and Communication Autism and Education
• Social Policies and Social Services for Individuals on the Autism Spectrum and Their Families • Autism and Ethics • Practicum • Research • Capstone Project
Curriculum Highlights Approaches to Autism Intervention Explore a broad range of historical and modern approaches to autism interventions through in-depth evaluation of their theoretical underpinnings and practical workshops devoted to common interventions. Study behavioralist and developmental models, focused and comprehensive interventions, school-based, communication-based, and social skills models.
Gateway: Autistic Experiences Through experiential learning and studying first person accounts of life with autism, examine a diverse range of autistic lives and explore ways in which gender, culture and other factors impact life with autism.
Autism and Humanity Addressing topics such as autistic identity and autistic culture, investigate ways in which our understanding of autism can both enrich and be enriched by a broader philosophical and theological understanding of what it means to be human. For a complete list of courses and descriptions visit grad.saintmarys.edu/MAScourses
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Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame, Indiana
Faculty Work with faculty members who are experts in autism. Some are distinguished researchers who publish in the field’s top journals; others are skilled clinicians with decades of experience working with people on the spectrum; all are passionate teachers who will be committed to your success. In small classes and face-to-face interactions, they will help you gain the expertise you need to meet your goals for understanding and responding to autism.
Joshua John Diehl, PhD Clinical Psychology
Juhi Kaboski, PhD
Social Work and Social Policy
Susan Latham, PhD, CCC-SLP Speech Language Pathology
Jennifer Burke Lefever, PhD
Developmental Psychology & Research Methods
Nancy Turner, EdD Education
Jennifer Rotondo Waddell, PhD
Social Psychology & Quantitative Methods
Michael Waddell, PhD Philosophy & Theology
“In this program you will gain a working knowledge of evidence-based interventions, treatments and services, and government laws and social policies as they relate to autism. You will gain confidence as an advocate and case coordinator in diverse settings such as schools, health care, residential care, social service agencies, and advocacy organizations.” — Juhi Kaboski, PhD, Faculty Fellow
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Application Requirements A bachelor’s degree from a nationally accredited institution Competitive candidates will have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA in undergraduate coursework 2-3 letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic and/or professional abilities Personal statement that addresses reasons for pursuing a Master of Autism Studies and professional objectives Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions and a current resume An academic writing sample or a video interview
Students interested in becoming a speech language pathologist focusing on clients with autism may wish to consider a dual degree with our Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology program. The dual degree application is available on CSDCAS. To find out more information about this option, visit grad.saintmarys.edu/dual-degree.
Cost Entering a graduate program, you are investing in your future. We understand that navigating the financial aid process for a graduate degree can be overwhelming. To make sure you reach your goals, we will help you identify various funding sources, analyze repayment options, and provide you with tools to establish a budget, estimate costs, and plan for your future. Students entering summer 2019 pay $861 per credit. For a breakdown of all costs associated with the program and additional financial aid information visit grad.saintmarys.edu/MAS. 6
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Saint Mary’s College of Notre Dame, Indiana
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The amount your tuition will increase from term to term as long as you remain enrolled in the program.
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Schedule a campus visit at grad.saintmarys.edu/visit. Visit Us You’ve seen pictures, read brochures, and visited our website. Now it’s time to visit campus—the best way to experience Saint Mary’s distinctive qualities. Take a campus tour. Explore our library facilities. Speak with your admission counselor. Meet with faculty. Learn why Saint Mary’s should be your top choice for a graduate degree.
Connect With Us Office of Graduate Studies Notre Dame, IN 46556 graduateadmission@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-5098 (phone) (574) 216-3873 (text) grad.saintmarys.edu/MAS