Master's Degree in Special Education

The Master of Science in Special Education (M.S.) is designed for educators and other professionals interested in the study of individuals with diverse learning needs. The emphasis of this program will have a research to practice focus. This fully online graduate special education degree is appropriate for certified teachers or those seeking a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis. Our approved teacher certification program is transferable to most states.

For candidates without a bachelor's degree in education and who are seeking an initial teaching license, apply for the Master's of Education in Special Education.

Master's Degree in Special Education Specializations

Customize your master's degree in special education with specializations:

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)

The ABA specialization area includes coursework and an intensive practicum that focuses on concepts and principles, assessment and behavior change systems, methods and applications, ethics and research methods. This specialization is approved by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The ASD specialization area focuses on children, adolescents, and adults with ASD and addresses several aspects of ASD including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies, interagency collaboration/support and application in a field setting.

Behavior Intervention Specialist (BIS)

The BIS specialization prepares educators to support children and adolescents who use behaviors that interfere with instruction and social-emotional development. This specialization provides training and experience in assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors and facilitation of interdisciplinary and stakeholder teaming to support individual children and their caregivers.

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

The ECSE specialization area focuses on children from birth to age nine and addresses various disabilities, primarily developmental in nature, and addresses several aspects of ECSE including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies, all forms of development, (e.g., language, physical) and application in a field setting.

General Special Education

The general specialization area is a “design your own program” option. Students can choose courses from all of the courses offered by the special education program.

Emotional Behavioral Disorders (EBD)

The ED specialization area focuses on children and adolescents with both emotional and behavior disorders and addresses several aspects of ED including characteristics, assessment, behavior and academic methods/strategies and application in a field setting.

Intellectual Disabilities (ID)

The ID specialization area focuses on children and adolescents with DCD (the federal law refers to this population as those with mental retardation) and addresses several aspects of ID including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies and application in a field setting.

Learning Disabilities (LD)

The LD specialization area focuses on children and adolescents with learning problems that are not due to developmental, emotional or cognitive disabilities and addresses several aspects of LD including characteristics, assessment, methods/strategies and application in a field setting.

Special Education Specialist (SES)

The SES specialization area is a cross-categorical area that encompasses all of the courses in the specialization areas of ID, ED and LD. Since it addresses three disability areas, it is the largest specialization area in number of credits required.

Visual Impairment (VI)

The VI specialization area focuses on children and adolescents who are visually impaired or blind and addresses several aspects of VI including characteristics, assessment, braille code, methods/strategies, orientation/mobility and application in a field setting.

See our Special Education graduate certificates in ABA, ASD, BIS, EBD, ECSE, ID and LD.