Master's degree

Master of Arts in Education/Special Education

Location:

21 months

Approximate Program Length

46

Total Credits

$540

Cost per Credit

Online

Format

Start when you're ready

Choose an upcoming start date:

Register by: Jun 16, 2021

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Exceptional students need teachers with extraordinary skills. If you’ve earned a bachelor’s degree in another discipline and have been thinking of making a positive impact on students with learning disabilities, start your Master of Arts in Education/Special Education. The curriculum is aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and ISTE standards, and helps cultivate strategies for teaching students with disabilities and collaborating to create individualized learning plans.

You won’t be in this alone. Our program support specialist can help you navigate teacher licensure and credentialing requirements. We’ll also help you with school placements for your clinical experience and clinical practice through our close partnerships with hundreds of school districts nationwide.

Assess students’ strengths and needs
Understand special education laws and their implications for identification, placement and instruction
Teach students with a range of disabilities, including behavioral, physical, developmental and the autism spectrum
Manage a classroom using inclusion strategies

Download program details

Courses

1

Course at a time

3 to 8

Weeks per course

9

Courses per year

Program Details

Requirements

You’ll need 46 credits to complete this Master of Arts in Education/Special Education. Your course schedule may vary based on previous experience, training or transferable credits.

14 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in this field.

0 General Education Courses

0 Elective Courses

2 Student Teaching/Clinical Practice courses

During your clinical practice experience — one of the final steps to prepare you to pursue employment in the teaching field — you’ll apply your instruction and classroom management skills full time. Working under the supervision of a classroom teacher and a University of Phoenix faculty advisor, you’ll develop lesson plans, apply instructional knowledge to your teaching, work with diverse student populations and incorporate technology into the classroom.

Core Courses:

MTE/507: ORIENTATION TO TEACHER EDUCATION
COM/516: PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS
SPE/513: ORIENTATION TO THE EXCEPTIONAL CHILD
SPE/578: MODELS, THEORIES AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR SPE
SPE/584: LEARNING DISABILITIES AND LANGUAGE AND DEVELOPMENT DISORDERS
SPE/512: SPECIAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT AND INTERPRETATION
SPE/576: CHARACTERISTICS OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
SPE/574: CHARACTERISTICS OF INTELLECTUAL/DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
SPE/544: CHARACTERISTICS OF EMOTIONAL & BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS
SPE/556: CHARACTERISTICS OF PHYSICAL & HEALTH DISABILITIES
RDG/570: CURRICULUM CONST AND ASSMT: READING AND LANG ARTS FOR SPE
SEI/500: STRUCTURED ENGLISH IMMERSION
MTH/575: MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
SEI/503: ADVANCED STRUCTURED ENGLISH IMMERSION METHODS

General Education Courses:

Elective Courses:

COE Central

College of Education students will find many helpful resources on COE Central. Program handbooks provide a wealth of information on topics such as professional expectations, clinical experiences, clinical practice, internships, edTPA and much more. Milestone roadmaps, technology and multimedia resources, and various toolkits are also available.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes.

Plus, you’ll find plenty of support from our dedicated program support specialists who partner with you during your 100 required hours of field experience and student teaching. Our program support specialists also help you navigate the world of state licensure requirements, special education teacher certification and any questions or obstacles you encounter along the way.

What you'll learn

When you earn your online Master of Arts in Education/Special Education, you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job.

Topics covered in this degree include:

Design individualized education programs (IEPs) to meet the needs of students with specialized learning needs
Design and implement effective instruction in the P-12 classroom to produce a positive impact in special education classrooms
Evaluate effective professional practice in special education classrooms
Apply professional ethics to their instructional practices in special education classrooms
Evaluate learning principles to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of diverse special education student populations
Create innovative strategies and incorporate technology in a special education classroom setting
Learn how to work in inclusive classrooms and partner with general education teachers

Learning Outcomes

Along with the knowledge and skills related to the University Learning Goals, students who graduate from the College of Education should gain program-specific knowledge, skills and abilities. Each college or school creates a set of Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) to describe the knowledge, skills or attitudes students will possess upon completion of the program of study. By the time you complete your Master of Arts in Education/Special Education, you should be able to perform these learning outcomes.

Program Purpose Statement

The Master of Arts in Education/Special Education is a graduate degree program intended to prepare students with no prior teaching experience for initial teacher licensure. The program is designed for students who want to become special education teachers. Candidates for this program already have a bachelor’s degree. There may be additional qualifications and/or disqualifications applicable in order to work as a teacher with any local, state or federal entity. Requirements for licensure vary by state. View your state’s teacher licensure requirements.

Careers & Outcomes

Possible career outcomes for graduates of this program

The data below reflects recent conditions in a dynamic and changing Arizona labor market, which may be different when you graduate. University of Phoenix does not and cannot guarantee employment, salary levels, or career advancement, as those outcomes vary by many factors specific to the individual. This data is not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Related occupations ¹

Arizona

Special Education Teachers, Secondary School

Teach secondary school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

Salary range ²

$41-59k

25th-75th percentile from BLS

EST. JOB POSTINGS ³

1005

12 mo. average from Emsi

Data last updated at 9pm on Oct. 20, 2020

The related occupation reflects the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupation for which this program prepares graduates.
Salary ranges reflect the 25th and 75th percentile for the occupation in Arizona, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).The salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location, and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level, or career advancement.
The estimated number of job postings over the past 12 months in your state are provided by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm. This data may not reflect your local market conditions. Further, market conditions are dynamic and can change. This data is not intended to predict the market conditions that will be present when you graduate from your program.

Arizona

Special Education Teachers, Middle School

Teach middle school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

Salary range ²

$37-51k

25th-75th percentile from BLS

EST. JOB POSTINGS ³

967

12 mo. average from Emsi

Data last updated at 9pm on Oct. 20, 2020

The related occupation reflects the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupation for which this program prepares graduates.
Salary ranges reflect the 25th and 75th percentile for the occupation in Arizona, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).The salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location, and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level, or career advancement.
The estimated number of job postings over the past 12 months in your state are provided by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm. This data may not reflect your local market conditions. Further, market conditions are dynamic and can change. This data is not intended to predict the market conditions that will be present when you graduate from your program.

Arizona

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School

Teach preschool school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

Salary range ²

$36-52k

25th-75th percentile from BLS

EST. JOB POSTINGS ³

5101

12 mo. average from Emsi

Data last updated at 9pm on Oct. 20, 2020

The related occupation reflects the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupation for which this program prepares graduates.
Salary ranges reflect the 25th and 75th percentile for the occupation in Arizona, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).The salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location, and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level, or career advancement.
The estimated number of job postings over the past 12 months in your state are provided by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm. This data may not reflect your local market conditions. Further, market conditions are dynamic and can change. This data is not intended to predict the market conditions that will be present when you graduate from your program.

Arizona

Special Education Teachers, Kindergarten and Elementary School

Teach preschool school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

Salary range ²

$36-52k

25th-75th percentile from BLS

EST. JOB POSTINGS ³

5101

12 mo. average from Emsi

Data last updated at 9pm on Oct. 20, 2020

The related occupation reflects the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupation for which this program prepares graduates.
Salary ranges reflect the 25th and 75th percentile for the occupation in Arizona, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).The salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location, and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level, or career advancement.
The estimated number of job postings over the past 12 months in your state are provided by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm. This data may not reflect your local market conditions. Further, market conditions are dynamic and can change. This data is not intended to predict the market conditions that will be present when you graduate from your program.

Arizona

Special Education Teachers, Preschool

Teach preschool school subjects to educationally and physically handicapped students. Includes teachers who specialize and work with audibly and visually handicapped students and those who teach basic academic and life processes skills to the mentally impaired.

Salary range ²

$31-51k

25th-75th percentile from BLS

EST. JOB POSTINGS ³

280

12 mo. average from Emsi

Data last updated at 9pm on Oct. 20, 2020

The related occupation reflects the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) occupation for which this program prepares graduates.
Salary ranges reflect the 25th and 75th percentile for the occupation in Arizona, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).The salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location, and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level, or career advancement.
The estimated number of job postings over the past 12 months in your state are provided by Emsi, a labor market analytics firm. This data may not reflect your local market conditions. Further, market conditions are dynamic and can change. This data is not intended to predict the market conditions that will be present when you graduate from your program.

What can you do with a Master of Arts in Education/Special Education?

A MAEd/SPE can prepare you to be a:

Special education teacher
Intervention specialist
Resource teacher
Learning support teacher
Special education inclusion teacher

3 %

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for special education teachers is projected to be slower than average between 2018 and 2028.

BLS projections are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Tuition

Paying for school

Keep the same fixed, affordable tuition from start to finish of your degree program, even if it takes longer than you planned. That’s our promise: no matter what surprises life brings, you can count on us.

NEED SOME HELP?

Our enrollment representatives provide personal support while you make an informed choice about going back to school. Reach us by phone at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

Connect with us

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Learn about our flexibility

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Read about online classes

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 20 hours a day, 5 days a week. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.

See student resources

Accreditation & Faculty

Count on the quality of your education

Institutional accreditation

University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org. Since 1978, University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor.

Real-world faculty

24

Average years of industry experience

60

Principals

85 %

Of surveyed students would recommend their instructors

Faculty Spotlight

From the very beginning, I always try to make students feel comfortable and connect with them.”

Donna Lange

Faculty of the Year 2020, College of Education

Read her story

You might also want to check out:

Master of Arts in Education/Elementary Teacher Education

Master of Arts in Education/Secondary Teacher Education

Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate

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The following programs — BSEd/E, BSEd/ECH, MAEd/TED-E, MAEd/TED-S, MAEd/SPE, CERT/AP-E, CERT/AP-S, and CERT/AP-SE — provide the academic preparation to sit for initial teacher certification exams in select states.

Educator/Principal licensure requirements vary by state. Candidates located in a state that does not provide a direct path to licensure will be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure in their home state as an out-of-state prepared teacher/principal candidate. Arizona certification requires candidates to pass all Arizona-specific licensure requirements, including any Arizona-specific exams (or home state equivalents if recognized by Arizona Department of Education.) After obtaining an Arizona teacher/principal certificate, candidates can then apply for licensure in their home state and may be required to complete additional testing and/or requirements at additional cost. Program requirements may change based upon your home state’s agency licensure requirements. Please visit the teacher licensure page https://www.phoenix.edu/colleges/college-of-education/teacher-licensure/state-requirements.html or the principal licensure page https://www.phoenix.edu/colleges/college-of-education/principal-licensure.html for state specific requirements prior to reaching out to your state agency.

While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.