Special Education, Master of Education

The Master of Education in Special Education is designed to prepare professional educators with advanced competencies related to the field of special education. This program provides students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to apply research, methods, and recommended practices for the effective assessment and instruction of learners with special needs in diverse school and community settings.

This program’s course of study also provides the academic foundations necessary for an Educational Diagnostician Certification. The program offers assessment courses that follow a hybrid live model with 4 face-to-face classes at The Woodlands Center campus and weekly Zoom meetings.

This program consists of four degree paths:

• 1. MEd in Special Education (Online)

  The MEd in Special Education course of study advances the candidates’ knowledge and expertise in innovative research and teaching practices for learners with disabilities. This online program seeks to examine and refine disability policies informed by current research, implement and evaluate research-based practices, seek solutions to systemic injustice, and explore diverse cultural perspectives on disability. Candidates enrolled in the online MEd Special Education program maximize their professional competence, career advancement, leadership roles, advocacy and systems’ change competencies.

  This online program offers the convenience of studying at one’s own pace and in comfortable spaces.

• 2. MEd in Special Education with Transition Services Certificate

  The MEd in Special Education with Transition Services Certificate course of study is aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children's Advanced Special Education Transition Specialist standards and is designed to meet the growing need for a specialized skilled set in transition services for special education teachers and professionals working in the field of special education transition services. Candidates enrolled in the online MEd in Special Education with Transition Certificate program maximize their professional competence, career advancement, leadership roles, and advocacy and systems’ change competencies in the field of transition.

• 3. MEd in Special Education with Educational Diagnostician Certification

  The MEd in Special Education with Educational Diagnostician Certification course of study provides the academic foundations necessary for the Standard Educational Diagnostician Certification. This program provides candidates with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to apply research, methods, and recommended practices for the effective assessment and instruction of learners with special needs in diverse school and community settings.

  The coursework for the Educational Diagnostician Certification is included in this degree path, or the certification can be earned after completing an MEd in Special Education.

  To be eligible to receive the standard Educational Diagnostician Certificateion, candidates must meet the certification requirements.

• 4. MEd in Special Education with Educational Diagnostician Certification and Bilingual Diagnostician Certificate

  The MEd in Special Education with Educational Diagnostician Certification and Bilingual Diagnostician Certificate course of study provides the academic foundations necessary for the Standard Educational Diagnostician Certification. This program provides candidates who have Spanish and English language proficiency the ability to evaluate Emergent Bilingual (EB) students as well as students who are monolingual English speakers. Graduate students learn to establish language dominance and proficiency in Spanish and English, conduct assessments, interpret results, and make educational recommendations for learners in school settings.

  The coursework for the Educational Diagnostician Certification and Bilingual Diagnostician Certificate are included in this degree path, or the certification and certificate can be earned after completing an MEd in Special Education.

  To be eligible to receive the standard Educational Diagnostician Certification, candidates must meet the certification requirements.

Program Breakdown