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online maed/spe degree

Master of Arts in Education/Special Education

Start your online Master of Arts in Education degree

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.

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online education degree

Education should hold practical value. That’s why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

Requirements: 46 credits

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.

14 Core Courses

2 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Courses

During your clinical practice experience — one of the final steps to complete your degree — you’ll complete a student teaching experience where you will apply your instruction and classroom management skills full time. Working under the supervision of a teacher and a University of Phoenix faculty supervisor, you’ll develop lesson plans, teach, work with diverse student populations and incorporate technology into the classroom.

2 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Courses

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes.

Plus, you’ll find support from our dedicated education program specialists who work with you 1:1 during your 100 required hours of clinical experience (or more if required by your state) and a minimum of 12 weeks of clinical practice (or more if required by your state). Our education program specialists also help you navigate your state licensure requirements for teacher certification, and can help with questions along the way.

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.

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.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with the labor market researcher Lightcast to identify in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Tuition

Affordable, fixed tuition

Lock in the peace of mind that comes with fixed, affordable tuition. You’ll enjoy one flat rate from the moment you enroll until the day you graduate from your program. That’s your Tuition Guarantee.

Tuition Guarantee

Affordable, Fixed Tuition

$540

Cost per credit

$540

Scholarships to earn your master’s degree, more affordably.

Everyone deserves an affordable education. That’s why we offer an unlimited number of scholarships, so if you qualify, you can get one. We believe everyone deserves an affordable education they shouldn’t have to compete for. Starting with your first course, every qualifying new student will be awarded one of our scholarships - regardless of your financial situation or GPA, or you’ll get the best savings you qualify for. Whether you’re a new or transfer student, you can apply for a scholarship. Explore scholarship options at University of Phoenix.

Financial aid

You may have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

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

Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

A MAEd/SPE can prepare you to be a:

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

Top skills learned in this program:

  • Curriculum development

  • Professionalism

  • Special education

  • Differentiated instruction

  • Innovation

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

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.  You’ll learn how to:

  • Design and implement effective instruction in the P-12 classroom to produce a positive impact on student learning.
  • Evaluate effective professional practice in special education.
  • Apply professional ethics to their instructional practices in special education.
  • Create and modify instructional and behavioral plans for a variety of learning needs.
  • Create innovative strategies and incorporate technology in a P-12 classroom setting.

0% Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it is projected that there is no expected job growth for special education teachers between 2022 and 2032. 

The BLS Projected Growth for 2022-2032 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No cost to request prior transcripts
  • No GMAT
  • No essay required

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. 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.[1] Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive 1-on-1 support

You have a support team of real people you can lean on. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 85% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, September 2022-August 2023 (23,739 respondents)

Start a conversation with an enrollment representative today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

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.

Online learning

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

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 14 hours a day, 5 days a week. 

Computer requirements for courses

Many course assignments will require you to use a computer to complete and submit your assignment. 

Phoenix provides support and resources for busy students

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 28 years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Donna Lange

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

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

Accreditation

Count on the quality of your education

University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978.

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The following program educationally prepares students to apply for initial teacher certification in select states:

Master of Arts in Education/Special Education (MAED/SPE).

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 or the principal licensure page for state specific requirements prior to reaching out to your state agency.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.