Master's and Advanced Certificate Programs in Special Education
The Department of Special Education offers multiple options for graduate study to meet the varying professional needs and goals of teachers interested in enhancing their competency to educate individuals with disabilities.
Master of Science Degree - online
The Master of Science program is designed to meet the advanced study needs of current teachers with special education licensure. The program focuses on developing leadership, action research, and other advanced competencies.
Master of Science in Education Degree - online
The Master of Science in Education program is designed to develop foundation competencies in special education, while supporting the induction of general education teachers into the field of special education. The program addresses the needs of individuals with teacher licensure in fields other than special education. The program is appropriate for both individuals who wish to better serve students with disabilities as general education teachers and those who wish to move into the role of special education teacher.
Master of Science in Education in Low Vision and Blindness Degree - online
This program is open to licensed teachers who want to gain specialized skills to work with blind or visually impaired students covering ages three to twenty-one.
Interdisciplinary Early Intervention Sensory Disabilities - partially online
This program prepares you to meet the unique needs of infants and toddlers with sensory disabilities and their families. The first cohort begins summer 2021. The second cohort begins summer 2023.
Advanced Certificates
The Department of Special Education offers several advanced certificate programs aligned with the Illinois State Board of Education LBS II options. We currently offer programs for Behavior Intervention and Curriculum Adaption, which can be taken as electives within the Master of Science program. We also offer programs for Multiple Disabilities and Transition Specialist, which can be taken as electives within the Master of Science program or as stand-alone certificate programs.