The MA in Special Education equips you to serve students with disabilities at the elementary and secondary levels in either public or private settings. In collaboration with faculty, students will explore topics and interventions that support a diverse range of disabilities. The program prepares students for both careers as teachers and leaders in K-12 classrooms and future graduate study.
Program Overview
The MA in Special Education provides in-depth theoretical and field work experiences in special education. The 32-semester hour program offers specialization in three areas: K-8 Strategist I, 5-12 Strategist I: Mild/Moderate, Instructional Strategist II: Behavior Disorders/Learning Disabilities (K-12).
Your program advisor will help guide you through the requirements for degree completion. For a complete list of requirements and courses, please visit the General Catalog.
Program Requirements
Funding
Scholarships are available as part of a federally-funded grant that provides intensive and collaborative training in School Psychology and Special Education (SP2). For details on this funding opportunity, please visit the grant website.
Admissions and Application
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester—July 15 (April 15 for international students)
- Spring Semester—December 1 (October 1 for international students)
- Summer Session—April 15 (March 1 for international students)
- A bachelor’s degree from a Regionally Accredited American College or University, or an equivalent degree from another country as determined by the Office of Admissions
- Cumulative undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 or better on a four-point scale
- The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General test – verbal and quantitative - is not required.
- Applicants whose first language is not English must score at least 100 (Internet-based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (English Proficiency Requirements)
- Experience and/or teaching licensure/certification
- An interview may be requested
Final admission decisions are made by the Special Education Graduate Admissions Committee and are based on a composite analysis of the candidate's likelihood for success in the program.
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions
- The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General test – verbal and quantitative - is not required.
- Official TOEFL scores may be required for some non-native speakers of English
- Evidence of experience and/or teacher licensure/certification
- A statement of purpose
- Three letters of recommendation*
* You will be asked to give the contact information of your recommenders, including their email, on your Admissions Profile. The recommender will then get an email with instructions on how to upload the recommendation letter and/or form.
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Please review the required supplemental documents above before starting the general graduate application. To begin the application process, set up an account with an existing email address and password