Master's Degree in Special Education.

Two Master’s degree programs are available depending on the concentration area: the Master of Education (M.Ed.; all coursework) and the Master of Arts (M.A) with a thesis. Though both programs prepare students for a variety of career options, they vary in their primary area of emphasis as described below. All degree plans require a minimum of 36 hours of coursework. 

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program reflects an applied emphasis, and is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in a variety of educational and related settings. Two options are available under the M.Ed. program: M.Ed. with coursework only (36 hours of coursework), or M.Ed. with Report (including 6 hours of report writing credit hours and 3 hour of additional coursework).

The Master of Arts (M.A.) is a research-oriented degree, structured to provide students both academic and practical experiences in conducting research in a variety of environments and to prepare them for future doctoral study. Students selecting this option complete a minimum of 54 hours of coursework (including 12 hours of thesis and 6 hours of additional coursework).

All coursework must be selected in consultation with, and approved by, your Academic Adviser. These general requirements for the Master’s degree set a minimum standard. Some areas of concentration require additional hours or prerequisite coursework. Please note that prerequisites typically do not count toward the Master’s degree. More information about these and additional requirements is available from the Graduate Adviser.