Become a special education teacher and create a classroom where all students feel welcome.
Teachers are vital for the future, and this is especially true for special education. Students in special ed programs need teachers who are well trained and who care about their success. This online special education master's degree program prepares you to become a teacher who can make a difference in the lives of your students. This degree program is perfect for current teachers who already have their license and want to add special education certification, and for those with a bachelor's degree who want to become a licensed teacher. Whatever your current career, this degree program can prepare you to become licensed in special education and get started in the classroom.
In this online master's degree program you will be trained in special education and prepared for teacher licensure in your state. In this cross-categorical program, you’ll be trained to teach students with varying disabilities (from mild to moderate) and learning needs, with ages ranging from grades K–12.
The special education program includes coursework, carefully designed assessments, and completion of clinical experiences. While you’ll study and submit your coursework online, you’ll also complete Demonstration Teaching (student teaching).
This program contains
52 CU's
CU's or competency units measure the courses in a program. WGU allows you to prove your mastery and move through courses at your own pace. The result: You may finish faster.
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Tuition per six-month term is
$3,490
Tuition charged per term—rather than per credit—helps you control the ultimate cost of your degree. Finish faster, pay less!
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Graduates who recommend WGU
97%
The vast majority of alumni say WGU delivered on its promises. In fact, over 50% of students found WGU thanks to a friend's recommendation.
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Help students discover their strengths.
Find a rewarding career teaching students with diverse challenges. You’ll gain expertise in instructional design, IEP development, and behavioral management. Graduates of this program work in a variety of school settings, including inclusionary K–12 classrooms or resource rooms. Grade-level eligibility will depend on your state’s requirements.
A highly relevant curriculum developed by education experts.
This online master's degree in special education provides you with the essential skills, knowledge, and field experience needed to become a special education instructor for students with mild to moderate disabilities. This degree program is also AAQEP and CAEP accredited and recognized.
The WGU special education master’s degree program was designed (and is regularly updated) with input from the experts on our Education Program Council. These experts know exactly what it takes for a graduate to qualify for a successful career teaching elementary school students with diverse learning abilities and styles.
Why WGU?
Discover why special education teachers love WGU:
You aren't on your own. WGU has Program Mentors who work with you from the day you start all the way through graduation. They help you set up your Demonstration Teaching, learn about teaching certification in your state, and more. You're not alone when you choose an online degree at WGU.Flexible schedule. Students choose WGU for their online special education degree program because of its flexibility. Whether you already have a full-time job, have responsibilities as a parent, or just have a busy schedule, WGU can work for you.
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Degree Curriculum
Discover what you'll learn in this master's program:
Educational psychology and human development
Schools as communities of care
Essential practices for supporting diverse learners
Creating and managing engaging learning environments
Special education practices
Management strategies for academic and social behavior
Assessment and evaluation procedures for special education
Disciplinary literacy
Special education methods
Using educational technology for teaching and learning
Explore the curriculum
A Respected Degree
Earn a degree your colleagues will value.
Strong alumni network. When you enroll in an online special education degree program at WGU, you join an impressive network of teachers. Over 8,000 students graduated from the Teachers College in 2019 alone, taking their skills and impacting the educational system all around the United States.Impact on every level . When you get an online special education degree from WGU, you are prepared to impact students in many ways. From individual pupils, to entire classrooms, to your whole community—you are trained to make a difference.
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A supported, personalized experience.
WGU is different from other online universities—in the best possible ways! Take a quick look at what we mean:
Faculty
Learning
Assessment
In-Classroom Experience
Alumni Support
Faculty
SUPPORTING YOU: Faculty focused on students.
An entire team of faculty members has one goal in mind: your success. Your Program Mentor is your individually assigned faculty member, providing regular program guidance and instruction from the day you start, to the day you graduate. In addition, Course Instructors provide regular, subject-matter instruction and support, typically one-on-one, throughout each course you take.
Learning
YOUR ROADMAP: A personalized learning plan.
Your program is made up of a series of courses, each a personalized journey toward subject mastery. A preassessment provides insight into what you already know. You’ll then learn what you still need to learn, using online learning resources—available 24/7—along with one-on-one or cohort-based faculty instruction.
Assessment
PROVE IT: Show you know your stuff.
WGU measures learning, not time, so each course in your program culminates in an assessment—a test, paper, project, or presentation that allows you to prove what you know. As soon as you’re ready, you take the assessment. Take proctored exams from the comfort of your own home—via webcam, any time of day!
In-Classroom Experience
REAL-WORLD: Experience in a classroom.
Most of your program will be completed online but all teacher licensure programs—and many graduate-level programs for already-licensed teachers—also include the opportunity to observe and practice in a K–12 classroom setting. We’ll help you set everything up at a school near you.
Alumni Support
ALWAYS a Night Owl: WGU for life.
Continued support after you graduate includes many opportunities for professional development and enrichment, career support, and networking. WGU Night Owls may be independent learners, but they also become highly engaged in our active alumni community through apps, groups, and events.
The accreditation you need, plus industry respect and recognition.
One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality has been recognized.
Accredited
Western Governors University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), which provides the accreditation of many other major institutions, such as the University of Washington, University of Oregon, Gonzaga University, University of Utah, University of Idaho, and Brigham Young University, to name just a few.
Respected
“After graduating from WGU, and through all the rigor and quality of instruction that I received in the educational field, I was awarded Hawaii District Teacher of the Year in 2012.”
Amoreena Nestman
Recognized
The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) in 2017 placed WGU’s Teachers College in the top 1% nationwide for the quality of its secondary teacher-preparation programs. This follows several other NCTQ recognitions, including the nation’s #1 best value for teacher education in 2015.
Our programs check all the boxes. If this degree is your goal, get started toward becoming a student today—programs start the first of each month.
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