Programs such as the Master of Education in Special Education: Moderate to Severe (Licensure) degree qualifies you to apply for your teaching license following completion. If you already have a teaching license, a master’s in special education (non-licensure) program may be a good option for you to build on your previous teaching knowledge and obtain your graduate degree.

The different levels of special education encompass varying degrees of needs, with categories spanning from mild to moderate to more intensive, such as moderate to severe exceptionalities. According to the Arizona Department of Education, these categories can include conditions like autism, intellectual disabilities, traumatic brain injury, emotional disability, specific learning disability, orthopedic impairments, developmental delay, health/hearing impairments, among others, each requiring specific interventions and support.¹

GCU offers different graduate certificates and degree options available for the specific levels mentioned above, including a Graduate Certificate of Completion: Special Education, Mild to Moderate and Master of Education (MEd) in Special Education: Moderate to Severe (Non-licensure) degree. 

Yes. While this master’s degree program at GCU requires you to hold a bachelor’s degree to be eligible, it does not need to be a bachelor’s in education. The program is designed to help prepare you to possibly change careers or help you work toward enhancing your current career in the education field.

An online master’s degree in special education from GCU delivers the same quality education as a traditional, on-campus degree while providing you with a more convenient format. Online degrees are becoming increasingly popular, and employers are typically most concerned with an institution’s accreditation status rather than the format in which the degree was obtained.^2,3 

The main difference between mild to moderate and moderate to severe special education lies in the varying levels of severity. Mild to moderate special education typically addresses conditions such as autism, traumatic brain injury, certain emotional or behavioral disorders, developmental delay and/or other health impairments.⁴ Students in this category may require specialized instruction and support but often participate in general education settings for a significant part of their school day.

On the other hand, moderate to severe special education involves more profound impairments that can significantly impact a student's cognitive, behavioral, social or physical functioning. This category includes severe intellectual challenges, significant developmental delays or health impairments, severe autism spectrum disorders, orthopedic impairments and severe behavioral or emotional disturbances.⁵ Students with moderate to severe exceptionalities usually need more intensive and individualized support, specialized educational settings, extensive accommodations and may often face challenges accessing the general education curriculum.

Yes. Specialized focuses in advanced special education, like autism spectrum disorders or emotional and behavioral disorders are available depending on the school you attend. At GCU, you have the potential to advance your focus in special education programs by pursuing one of our master’s programs in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). These concentrations can offer more focused coursework and interventions like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), communication skills, social development, behavior management, and tailored support strategies for ASD or EBD challenges. These specialized tracks can help you support individuals with diverse needs in educational settings.