By connecting theory and practice and through hands-on coursework, you’ll master classroom management, data-driven instruction and teaching strategies. Your learning culminates in an action research applied project, where you’ll identify a real challenge in K–12 education, implement an intervention and measure its impact. This experience ensures you graduate with practical, research-backed solutions to support student success.
Along the way, you’ll build expertise in advocacy, collaboration, critical thinking, data literacy, learning design, principled innovation, technology integration and teacher leadership, preparing you to make a lasting impact.
Choosing the right special education master’s for you
ASU offers multiple online graduate programs in special education, each designed to support different career goals. Advance your expertise, earn teaching certification or specialize in autism or applied behavior analysis with these flexible, research-driven programs.
- Special education
- This program will deepen your knowledge of K–12 special education and is ideal if you’re currently certified or do not need certification to reach your goals. While earning this degree does not lead to teacher certification, you’ll build expertise in teaching and research-based intervention strategies.
- Special education with teacher certification*
- Designed for students seeking teacher certification in K–12 special education, this program offers two routes:
- Traditional route: Complete coursework online while gaining hands-on experience through internships and residencies in local school districts. You can earn dual certification in K–8 elementary education and K–12 mild/moderate disabilities special education. A special education-only certification option is also available.
- Alternative pathway route: Developed for current full-time teachers on an Arizona Alternative Teaching Certificate (or equivalent in other states), this option allows you to immediately apply coursework to your classrooms while earning a K–12 mild/moderate disabilities certification.
- Designed for students seeking teacher certification in K–12 special education, this program offers two routes:
*Both routes include teacher observations, internships, apprentice teaching and student teaching to ensure you’ll gain practical, real-world experience.
- Special education with a concentration in autism spectrum disorders
- This program prepares educators, interventionists, psychologists, speech pathologists, behavior analysts and family members to provide research-based support for autistic individuals. You may want to pursue this path if working exclusively with children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder is a career goal. You’ll complete a customized practicum and an applied project or portfolio demonstrating your expertise.
- Special education with a concentration in applied behavior analysis (ABA)
- If you want to specialize in applied behavior analysis (ABA) to support individuals with learning and behavior challenges in education, business or health care, this program — offering verified university coursework for pursuing Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification — may be your best choice. While BCBA certification is not required, all instructors are Board Certified Behavior Analysts, ensuring you’ll receive expert guidance. The program culminates in a capstone or applied project.
Make a difference in K–12 classrooms as a special education teacher. Arizona State University’s online Master of Education in special education prepares you to support students with mild-moderate disabilities. You'll graduate ready to create learning environments that empower students with special needs and build a meaningful career in education.
Coursework explores various topics, including instructional methods, assessment strategies, special education law and ethics and language and literacy development. The program culminates in an applied research project, where you’ll identify an educational challenge and design an intervention to address it in the classroom.
The Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation faculty draws from a range of academic disciplines including cognitive science, psychology and economics. They seek to answer questions about the process of learning, teaching practices and effects of education policy. Our faculty is also committed to connecting research to schools and other learning environments. They ensure teacher and leadership preparation programs combine scholarly rigor with practical application.
Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation brings people and ideas together to increase the capabilities of educators and the performance of education systems. Our university has been recognized with peer-reviewed honors from U.S. News & World Report.
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Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
Please note: This program has an earlier application deadline than other online degrees offered by Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. Provisional admission may be extended to applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 2.75-2.99, provided the application is otherwise strong.
All applicants must submit:
- Graduate admission application and application fee
- Official transcripts
- Three letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Resume
- An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) must provide proof of English proficiency.
- The three letters of recommendation should be from individuals who’ve worked with you in professional or academic capacities, and who can attest to your aptitude in this field and your ability to succeed at graduate-level coursework.
- You must provide a personal statement on the following:
- Describe the personal and professional goals that motivate you to apply for the MEd in Special Education.
- Explain what led you to this career path and how you will excel as a special education teacher in the classroom. The admission committee pays particular attention to the quality of writing and ideas expressed in the personal statement.
- The statement should consist of approximately 500 words (two pages, double spaced), prepared in an MS Word (.doc), Rich Text (.rtf), Portable Document Format (.pdf), or Text (.txt) file format.
- You are required to answer the following additional questions as part of the application:
- Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
- Are you now or have you ever been subject to any investigation regarding child abuse or neglect?
- Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted for any criminal offense involving a child?
- Have you ever previously enrolled in any program or courses that lead to teacher certification?
- Have you ever been subject to sanction, discipline or dismissal by any academic institution?
- Have you ever been employed by and/or terminated from an Arizona K-12 school or school district?
- Have you already submitted an application to DPS for your IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card?
- Do you understand this program requires daytime internship and/or student teaching commitments?
Note: Although not required for admission, students must provide a copy of their valid IVP Fingerprint Clearance card (or equivalent in their state if outside Arizona) prior to enrolling in the first term professional experience. Students who are unable to provide this documentation may be unable to start the program in the desired term/session. It’s important prospective students are aware of this requirement when applying for the program.
No, Arizona State University’s diplomas don’t specify whether you earn your degree online or in person. All diplomas and transcripts simply say “Arizona State University.”