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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 exceptionalities, 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 exceptionalities.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 exceptionalities.
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
The online master’s degree in special education can help enhance accessibility to aspiring educators. By earning your degree online, you’ll be able to access course materials from virtually anywhere and continue to meet your existing commitments while you further your education.3 This online program is taught by experienced faculty who can guide you through the changing landscape of special education laws and procedures.
GCU’s MEd in Special Education does not require any degree-specific prerequisites. However, to apply to this graduate program, you must follow the established university’s GPA requirement and have a bachelor’s degree (not necessarily in special education).
The completion of this master’s degree can help you become eligible to apply for initial teacher licensure. Licensure requirements can vary by state. Be sure to research the teaching license requirements for the state in which you plan to work.
During the program, you will complete:
These experiences can help you prepare to step into your own classroom. If you have already obtained a teaching license, consider our Master of Education in Special Education (Does Not Lead To Initial Teacher Licensure) program.
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
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.
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.
Some examples of teaching strategies and skills taught in this program for special education classrooms include:
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:
This degree has received programmatic 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.
Whether you’re currently working in education or you’re thinking of transitioning into a teaching career, 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.
Join other future special educators in the Master of Education in Special Education program at GCU today.
If you are seeking licensure/certification, please refer to the Accreditation and Compliance/State disclosures link for the specific program of interest’s website for your location and/or employment state licensure requirements, per 34 CFR 668.14(b)32 and 668.43(c).
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.
Up to 12 credits or 1/3 of the total program requirements in transfer (whichever is less)
Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer
Admission Requirements (Master's)
OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and
Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an accredited college or program that has been approved by GCU.
** Combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011 (1,000 combined verbal and quantitative, prior to August 2011).
