Special Education Master’s Degree Programs: A Guide

Being a teacher of any grade can be an extreme challenge. You are forming the minds of young individuals and will influence their lives for years. This can be an extremely rewarding career and process. 

It is a fact that educators and licensed teachers guide young people through the mazes of life. However, there are unsung heroes among them: special education teachers. These people teach students suffering from intellectual disabilities how to better function in a fast-paced world. 

Have you dreamed of helping students with learning disabilities? Have you wanted to make a meaningful difference in such a student’s life? Earning an online Master’s Degree in Special Education will allow you to do just that. 

How to Join a Special Education Master’s Degree Program

There are quite a few prerequisites to gain admission to a special education master’s degree program. Becoming a graduate student is no easy feat. In short, you will need to be an exemplary student dedicated to learning and educating. 

Teachers of any group of students must acquire their teacher certification. You can do this by earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education, followed by completing a teacher prep program. Then, you will be required to pass an exam provided by the state you live in before applying for certification. 

When this process is over, you can finally take the next steps toward teaching special education students. 

The base requirement for gaining admission to a special education master’s program is that you possess a bachelor’s degree. For some institutions, your prior degree may not have to be in education, but it helps.

Online or In-person Learning, What’s Better?

Earning a degree online is becoming standard. Doing so allows students to have more freedom and flexibility over their schedules. This can be especially helpful in situations where full-time jobs and families occupy a student’s day.

If you are having trouble deciding if online is right for you, there are also a large number of hybrid programs. A hybrid program combines aspects of face-to-face learning with online education. This can be a viable option for those who do not want to take the plunge into full online learning.

COVID-19 effectively forced universities and colleges of education to emphasize online programs. Hybrid and online programs may very well remain the standard in higher education in the future. 

This is where the expertise of both web developers and designers come into play. These experts have to work overtime to make sure that everything online is able to work properly for students. A proper interface is crucial to successful online learning.

Choosing online programs can be somewhat daunting, as there are a plethora of different degrees to choose from. For now, we are going to examine some of the better online special education master’s programs available to you.

Best Online Special Education Master’s Degree Programs

There are quite a few online programs that give students more flexibility by allowing them to create their own schedule. While students can opt for the lecture halls at celebrated institutions, many state universities give the option for robust online programs. 

Here are some noteworthy schools that offer some of the best options for the budding special education teacher.

• Vanderbilt University
• Application Requirements 
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • GRE required
  • Tuition (master’s, full-time)

$1,938 per credit

• Tuition (master’s, part-time)

$1,938 per credit

Vanderbilt University is ranked #1 in special education programs by US News & World Report. The Vanderbilt program offers 30 to 60 credit hours of valuable special education knowledge. It has three specializations: early childhood, low incidence, and high incidence. The program includes concentrations in helping students with visual disabilities as well as severe disabilities. 

Vanderbilt emphasizes fieldwork that students will take part in. This gives students the ability to work firsthand with school-aged children before graduation.

• University of Kansas
• Application Requirements
  • Letter of introduction
  • Current resume or CV
  • Completed a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
  • Application fee:

Master’s degree: $65 for U.S. residents, $85 for international applicants

Graduate certificate: $30

Licensure endorsement: $30

• Tuition (master’s, full-time)

$448 per credit (in-state)

$1,029 per credit (out-of-state)

• Tuition (master’s, part-time)

$448 per credit (in-state)

$1,029 per credit (out-of-state)

Kansas University is ranked #2 in the best special education programs by US News & World Report. It also ranked #18 in the best educational programs.

Kansas offers a few special education master’s programs specializing in a few different fields: 

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) 
• Leadership in Special and Inclusive Education 
• High Incidence Disabilities
• Secondary Special Education and Transition

The autism spectrum disorder master’s degree will take students about two years to complete. This totals 12 courses taking eight weeks to complete each course, culminating in a total of 36 credit hours. This degree requires no GRE scores to apply.

Kansas has a renowned online format to help students learning 100 percent online. Some courses students will take: 

• Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder 
• Teaching Language and Communication Skills to Learners with Autism and Developmental Disabilities 
• Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities: Autism Spectrum Disorder. 

This culminates in the master’s project, a thesis that gives the student freedom to choose the topic.

• University of Oregon 
• Application Requirements 
  • Different Test scores: SATs, GRE, Praxis Core, or rGRE)
  • Resume or CV
  • Statement about Experiences with Individuals with Disabilities
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official Transcripts
  • Tuition (master’s, full-time)

$18,243 per year (in-state)

$26,127 per year (out-of-state)

• Tuition (master’s, part-time)

$616 per credit (in-state)

$908 per credit (out-of-state)

The University of Oregon is ranked #3 for best special education master’s programs by US News & World Report. It becomes even more impressive when considering it also ranked #11 in the best educational programs in the country.

The University of Oregon and its College of Education prepares graduate students for multiple aspects of special education. Not only do they prepare students for teaching positions, but they also encourage individuals to involve themselves with bigger-picture issues. These include things like educational policy knowledge, research, and consultation. 

The special education master’s program requires students to take 45 credit hours. Six more credits are added if the student is taking part in a specialization. They allow for 15 transferable credits.

They require 30 credit hours in SPED courses and at least 9 credits in 600 level courses. Their only time frame requirement is that the student must complete the degree within 7 years. 

Special Education Master’s Degree Career Prospects

Special Education Teacher

Becoming a special education teacher is perhaps the number one occupation upon graduation from a special education master’s degree program. A special education teacher will ideally be familiar with advanced techniques like applied behavior analysis and emotional behavior support.

Special education teachers develop specialized learning programs, called IEPs. IEP stands for ‘individual education programs,’ and they outline the specific needs for different special needs students. These IEP details give students more specific benefits. This ranges from needing more test-taking time, more focused student-teacher interactions, outlining goals for the student, and more. 

IEPs provide a valuable guideline for both instructors and parents of children. IEPs were introduced through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990.

A special education teacher’s work environment is varied and can change quickly. A special education teacher could work in a school environment, classrooms, or behavioral health centers; they go wherever they are needed.

2019 Median pay: $61,030 per year

Typical Entry-Level Education: Bachelor’s degree

Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None

On-the-job Training: None

Number of Jobs in 2018: 437,200

Job Growth by 2028: 3% (Slower than average)

Employment Change from 2018-2028: 13,600

Special Education Tester

A special education tester is a valuable pillar in a school’s ability to screen for and help special education teachers. They do this by directing various cognitive tests for students with autism spectrum disorders, cognitive disorders, and overall severe mental illnesses. 

Their jobs serve as early preventative measures in a student’s ability to learn. This essentially gives licensed teachers the early ability to tailor their style of teaching to an individual special education student. 

These experts administer diagnostic tests to determine the learning ability of younger children and determine their needs. This vital information allows for specialized resources and individuals to assign to a special education student.

The median salary for special education testers is somewhere in the range of around $68,000 to $75,000. This makes it one of the more lucrative career paths after earning a master’s of education.

Childcare Worker

A childcare worker is an individual who looks after the basic needs of specific children. The childcare worker makes sure that the child is well-provided and helps with necessary day to day activities. The childcare worker also provides behavior support and has several varied responsibilities for the child’s overall well-being. 

Childcare melds both aspects of special education and social work into one cohesive field of work. These individuals can work in a child’s home, various behavioral centers, and schools. 

2019 Median Pay: $24,230 per year; $11.65 per hour

Typical Entry-Level Education: High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience in a Related Occupation: None

On-the-job Training: Short-term on-the-job training

Number of Jobs in 2018: 1,160,000

Job Growth by 2028: 2% (Slower than average)

Employment Change from 2018-2028: 27,700

Special Education Master’s Degree Programs: Final Word

Special education teachers are the unsung heroes of our society. Whether they are instructors or childcare workers, they are not babysitters. They actively help kids with learning disabilities, special needs, and behavioral problems. This gives these students a fair shot at a decent place in our society.

Enrolling in special education programs is a fantastic option for broadening your horizons. Helping those with different cognitive disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and engaging in behavior support is a noble profession. 

Earning a master’s in special education is the ideal way to make a difference. There are hundreds of thousands of school-age children to work alongside. With your new-found knowledge, you can help them achieve their personal goals, and enrich the world around us.