Master’s in Special Education (MEd) Degree
Prepare to Teach Students With Exceptionalities
The Master of Education (MEd) in Special Education degree from Grand Canyon University can help prepare you to pursue licensure as a special education teacher. This master’s degree program is designed for those who are changing careers and need to pursue a teaching license or for those currently working in education. If you are passionate about working with K-12 children with mild to moderate learning abilities, you will have opportunities to develop a foundation for your career at GCU.
Every child in the U.S. has the right to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that meets their unique needs and provides them with an education that is comparable to that provided to students without disabilities.1 As a future inclusive education teacher, you’ll have the opportunity to be in a position that is instrumental in safeguarding the rights of the children in your classroom, and in helping them overcome barriers to academic success and independence. This program can qualify you to pursue licensure so you can work toward making a positive difference in the lives of children with disabilities.
Pursue Your Master’s Degree in Special Education From GCU
Inclusive education can be a rewarding field. Beyond the professional benefit of obtaining a master’s degree, specialized competencies in education can be of great service to your students. Learners with specialized learning circumstances need access to educators with adaptive learning competencies, along with classroom and learning station modifications, modified assessments and educational aids, such as assistive technologies.2
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Explore Strategies and Skills for Inclusive Classrooms
In this master’s in special education program, you will be taught teaching and classroom strategies, and skills that suit the needs of students with specialized learning circumstances. These tools and skills can help prepare you to teach any subject, from math to language arts, to students with mild to moderate exceptionalities. These teaching methods will take into account the language, emotional development and physical and cognitive disabilities of each student.
Some examples of teaching strategies and skills taught in this program for special education classrooms include:
- The design of lesson plans and teaching aids for students with varied learning abilities
- The modification of lesson plans to suit individual student needs
- Environment and lesson plan design that can help enhance student focus
- The establishment of clear behavioral and academic expectations
- Student assessments and progress monitoring
- Classroom management for students with behavioral and emotional differences
Additionally, you will be taught how to impact populations with mild to moderate disabilities in culturally and linguistically diverse environments. You will explore core skills and strategies in developing and implementing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with special learning needs.
Comprehensive Curriculum for Special Educators
As an aspiring exceptionalities educator, you will need to know how to teach all subject areas while also supporting students with unique learning challenges. This specialized education is the cornerstone of this program. You will be immersed in theory and research that examines the implementation of specialized instruction, including how to adapt, modify and accommodate learning based on the needs of a student with mild to moderate exceptionalities.
Throughout the program, you will be taught how to become an advocate for your own students. Common areas of study in this master’s program include:
- Professional ethics, standards, laws and regulations for special educators
- Models for effective collaboration and communication
- Behavior management: assessments, interventions and support
- Instructional and transition planning
- Language development: typical, atypical, disabilities and disorders
- Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) technologies
- Foundations of Structured English Immersion (SEI)
- Research-based instructional strategies and interventions
Career Paths for MEd in Special Education Graduates
Aspiring to become an adaptive learning educator can offer you the potential to empower children facing additional challenges in life, thereby fostering positive change within the classroom. The coursework and experiential learning components of this program can help equip you to pursue potential roles as a:
- Middle school special education teacher
- Secondary school and all other special education teachers
- Elementary school special education teacher (including kindergarten)
- Special education teaching assistant
- Postsecondary education teacher
MEd Program and University Accreditation
This degree has received full accreditation from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. This designation is a reflection of the College of Education’s emphasis on quality of instruction.
In addition, GCU has been institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. GCU is committed to preparing effective educators and upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
Special Education Master’s Program FAQs
Whether you’re currently working in education or you’re thinking of transitioning into a teaching career from another field, making any career-related move can be a significant decision. The following frequently asked questions and answers can help guide your decision-making process.
Students with learning challenges need and deserve an education that meets their unique needs and educators who are committed to facilitating their success. If you decide to pursue a career in tailored education, you may have the potential to make an impact on the students and families you’ll work with, which can make this degree worth your investment. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, special education teachers had a median annual wage of $62,950 in May 2022.4
The requirements to become an inclusive education teacher vary based on factors such as your geographical location, whether you intend to teach in public or private schools, and whether you completed an education baccalaureate degree that led to your licensure as a teacher. In public schools, all states require teachers who provide diverse learning support to hold at least a bachelor’s degree, and some states require these professionals to obtain a master’s degree after obtaining a teaching job.5
If your bachelor’s degree is in a field outside of education and you’re not yet licensed as a teacher, you may be eligible for a pathway to licensure that deviates from traditional routes. This master’s degree program at GCU is specifically structured as an alternative route to licensure for individuals without an existing teacher’s license.
Yes. In this master’s degree program, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate the skills you’ve been taught by completing a 15-week practicum/field experience and 99 hours of observation and fieldwork. Following degree completion, aspiring special education teachers seeking to work in public schools must pursue and obtain state-issued licensure or certification, but the requirements vary by state.5 The master's degree in special education program at GCU can help you prepare for initial teacher licensure in Arizona and potentially in other states.
A master’s in special education offers opportunities for both personal and professional growth. A master’s program in special education may lead to more effective teaching styles, fostering a desire for lifelong learning and impacting the lives of students and their families, which you may find rewarding. In addition to the coursework and student teaching experience, this degree program gives you the opportunity to engage in intellectually stimulating discussions with your peers and instructors. You’ll have the opportunity to benefit from the exchange of ideas and the perspectives of those with varying worldviews while working toward career opportunities in adaptive learning.
The MEd in Special Education degree typically requires a significant duration of study beyond the undergraduate level, encompassing coursework, practical training and often a capstone project or thesis. The duration of this program may vary depending on whether you enroll on a full-time or part-time basis, as well as your individual personal commitments and the specific requirements of the institution. You can fill out the form on this page to request a consultation with a university counselor, who can help you better understand how long it may take to earn your degree.
Join other future special educators in the Master of Education in Special Education degree program at GCU today.
If seeking licensure or certification, applicants to the program are responsible for contacting their state department of education for licensure requirements and program approval. In addition, fingerprint and background clearance is required.
1 Office for Civil Rights. (2023, July). Free appropriate public education for students with disabilities: requirements under section 504 of The Rehabilitation Act of 1973. U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved on March 22, 2024.
2 National Science Teaching Association. (2017, February). Students with exceptionalities. National Science Teaching Association. Retrieved on March 22, 2024.
3 Excluding observational and practice-based experiences, and student teaching.
4 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Special Education Teachers as of May 2022, retrieved on April 4, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as special education teachers, nor does it reflect the earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc. against a pool of candidates.
5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2023, Sept. 6). How to become a special education teacher. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved on March 22, 2024.
Core Courses
Course Description
Teacher candidates will survey the philosophical, historical, and sociological influences upon which special educational theories and practices are constructed, and explore a variety of the common issues, trends, and opportunities that professional special educators face in the field. Special Education Teacher candidates will prepare for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University by developing and strengthening the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in the College of Education. Practicum/field experience hours: 6. Fingerprint clearance not required.
Course Description
Teacher candidates are introduced to the educational needs of students with mild to moderate disabilities and their families, including the definitions, characteristics, prevalence, causes and educational approaches to these disabilities and disorders. Teacher candidates will identify cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional patterns of learning and development for students with mild to moderate disabilities. Teacher candidates also survey the special education process involving the application of various laws and regulations. Practicum/field experience hours: 6. Fingerprint clearance not required.
Course Description
Teacher candidates survey professional ethical principles, professional practice standards, law and regulations that guide special educators. Teacher candidates build upon the foundational knowledge to understand the multiple roles and complex situations of professional practice that require attention to a variety of legal, professional, and ethical issues. Practicum/field experience hours: 6. Fingerprint clearance not required. Prerequisite: SPD-500 or approved enrollment in the Graduate Certificate of Completion: Special Education, Mild to Moderate.
Course Description
Teacher candidates survey theories and models for effective collaboration and communication with students with exceptionalities, colleagues, other school professionals, families and community members. In addition, teacher candidates apply collaboration and communication theories and models, incorporating technology, across a wide range of contexts to ensure active involvement in the education process for students with exceptionalities. Practicum/field experience hours: 6. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: SPD-510.
Course Description
Teacher candidates will investigate diagnostic and assessment tools. Teacher candidates will build foundational knowledge regarding the use of multiple methods of assessment and data-sources for diagnostic and educational decisions for individuals with mild to moderate disabilities. Practicum/field experience hours: 6. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: SPD-500 or SPD-502 or approved enrollment in the Graduate Certificate of Completion: Special Education, Mild to Moderate or approved enrollment in the Graduate Certificate in Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS 1).
Course Description
Candidates examine the United States Constitution, and the constitution of the State of Arizona. From this foundational review, candidates will explore application of the United States Constitution and the constitution of the State of Arizona in educational contexts. Practicum/field experience hours: 3. Fingerprint clearance not required.
Course Description
Teacher candidates examine how to create safe, inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments through collaboration with colleagues so that individuals with disabilities become active and effective learners and develop emotional well-being, positive social interactions, and self-determination. Teacher candidates focus on behavior management, functional behavior assessments, adaptive behaviors, positive behavior interventions and supports, and behavior improvement plans. Practicum/field experience hours: 9. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: SPD-500 or approved enrollment in the Graduate Certificate of Completion: Special Education, Mild to Moderate.
Course Description
Teacher candidates will examine how instructional planning advances the learning of students with mild to moderate disabilities by drawing upon knowledge of central concepts, structures of the discipline, and tools of inquiry of the academic subject-matter content areas and a variety of specialized curricula. Teacher candidates build foundational knowledge about individualized education plans and transition plans for a wide range of settings and different learning experiences. Teacher candidates engage in organizing knowledge, integrating cross-disciplinary skills, and developing meaningful individualized learning progressions through drafting an IEP. Practicum/field experience hours: 9. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: SPD-510 or approved enrollment in the Graduate Certificate in Learning Behavior Specialist 1 (LBS 1).
Course Description
Teacher candidates explore components of typical and atypical literacy development for students with exceptionalities. Coursework emphasizes research-based phonics development and the science of reading, including phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Teacher candidates focus on assessing developmental and other literacy concerns, including dyslexia, and differentiation strategies to support literacy development in students with exceptionalities. Practicum/field experience hours: 9. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: SPD-510 or ESD-530.
Course Description
In this course, teacher candidates examine the fundamentals of the legal, historical, and educational foundations of Structured English Immersion (SEI) and other instructional programs for English language learners. Theoretical principles of language acquisition and the role of culture in learning are examined. Methods of assessment are identified and analyzed. Teacher candidates identify strategies to promote English language development and improve student achievement. Through Universal Design for Learning they plan, deliver, and evaluate standards-based instruction for English language learners. Practicum/field experience hours: 15. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
Teacher candidates build foundational knowledge on a variety of research-based instructional strategies to encourage individuals with mild to moderate disabilities to develop understandings and connections within content areas, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways. From this foundational knowledge, teacher candidates select, adapt and use research-based instructional strategies and interventions in academic and specialized curricula to advance the learning of students with mild to moderate disabilities with focused attention upon mathematics. Practicum/field experience hours: 12. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisite: SPD-550 or ESD-530 or approved enrollment in the Graduate Certificate of Completion: Special Education, Mild to Moderate.
Course Description
Teacher candidates explore the language processing requirements of proficient reading and writing, including explicit, systematic, cumulative, and multisensory instruction that integrates listening, speaking, reading, and writing. In addition, disabilities, such as dyslexia, are reviewed to understand how they affect the acquisition of reading skills and how they vary in presentation and degree. Teacher candidates select, adapt, and use research-based instructional strategies and interventions in academic and specialized curricula to advance the learning for all students, including those with mild to moderate disabilities, with attention focused on literacy and reading. Practicum/field experience hours: 12. Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisites: (SPD-550 and SPD-578) or approved enrollment in the Graduate Certificate of Completion: Special Education, Mild to Moderate.
Course Description
Teacher candidates are engaged in the student teaching experience that includes practical classroom experiences, research, analysis, and teaching to support the creation of a Student Teaching Evaluation of Performance (STEP). Fingerprint clearance required. Prerequisites: Successful completion of all courses in POS and content area; a 3.0 GPA; successful completion of NES or your state’s mandated content area exams; and approval and placement by College of Education Office of Clinical Practice. All paperwork for student teaching must be submitted by the due date the semester prior to student teaching.
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* Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change.