Master’s in Special Education

The Department of Special Education at Florida Atlantic University offers a fully online Master’s in Special Education (M.Ed.) that is carefully crafted to meet the needs of a variety of professionals seeking to expand their knowledge of the field of special education. Our faculty hold terminal degrees (i.e., Doctoral–level), are highly respected in their field, and are well-connected within professional organizations. Our focus is on preparing highly qualified professional educators and personnel to work with special populations.

The M.Ed. in Special Education is fully online and prepares students to work with individuals with various disabilities across many settings. This degree is based on the most up-to-date professional standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)- Advanced Preparation Standards. Based on the concentration chosen (see options below), students completing the M.Ed. in Special Education have the option of seeking teacher certification/endorsement in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), Exceptional Student Education (ESE) K-12, Pre-K Disabilities, Early Intervention Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist training (ITDS), or preparation for the Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) exam.

This fully online degree program offers a combination of synchronous and asynchronous, traditional semester-long and fast-track courses, which can be completed in as little as 16-24 months. The tuition costs at FAU are among the lowest in the nation, thus students are able to earn their Master’s degree for less than $14K in tuition costs. (view full details about tuition rates). The Department has a limited number of competitive graduate research assistantships (GRA) available to assist with tuition costs.

Graduate applications are processed through GRADCas. Learn about the application process and apply here: https://www.fau.edu/graduate/apply/

Core Courses

These courses provide students with essential knowledge spanning a scope of critical topics and skills. The Special Education Core courses are required to be completed by all students in the program:

• EEX 6515 Special Education Leadership, Policy and Ethics
• EEX 6225 Assessing Students with Disabilities
• EEX 6320 Program Evaluation of Special Education Programs, Supports, and Services
• EEX 5622 Enhancing Collaborations between Schools, Communities, and Families of Students with Special Needs
• EEX 6480 Instructional Design in Special Education
• EEX 6971 Thesis (optional)
• EEX 6942 Field Project (optional)

Areas of Concentration

Students completing the M.Ed. in Special Education choose a specific area of concentration in one or more of the following areas of concentration: Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Early Childhood Special Education, or Special Education Intervention Specialist.

Applied Behavior Analysis

This concentration offers specialized training in the design and implementation of intervention strategies to teach socially valid behavior, intended to increase social participation and enhance quality of life. The knowledge and skills gained from this concentration serve as the foundation and preparation for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA) examination. The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI®) verified the program sequence (#51327) as meeting the coursework requirement for eligibility to apply for the BCBA certification exam. Our program meets the behavior-analytic coursework requirements for those pursuing the BCBA Pathway 2 eligibility route. Additional requirements by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB®) include supervised fieldwork experience, degree status, and examination. Learn more about the degree application, admission, and program requirements here. In addition to the College of Education and Department of Special Education core courses, students pursuing this concentration area must also take the following courses:

• EEX 5612 Applied Behavior Analysis
• EEX 6680 Theory and Philosophies in ABA
• EEX 6602 Behavior Change and Management Strategies
• EEX 6615 Behavior Assessment and Intervention Selection
• EEX 7618 Advanced Applied Behavior Analysis
• EEX 6747 Ethics in ABA
• EEX 6626 Behavior Analytic Supervision & Management

Get full details about BCBA certification here.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

This concentration offers specialized training to work with children and adults with an ASD diagnosis across a variety of school and community settings. The ASD concentration is based on Accreditation Standards for ASD Endorsement: Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)- Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD); Florida Department of Education Autism Spectrum Disorders Specialization Competencies; Educator Accomplished Practices: Florida Education Standards Commission (EAP); and, Subject Matter Content Standards for Teachers: ESOL = (ESOL). By completing this area of concentration, students are eligible to apply for the State of Florida teaching endorsement in ASD. In addition to the College of Education and Department of Special Education core courses, students pursuing this concentration area must also take the following five courses:

• EEX 5612 Applied Behavior Analysis
• EEX 6095 Nature and Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders
• EEX 6602 Behavior Change and Management Strategies
• EEX 6210 Diagnosis, Assessment, and Instructional Decision-Making for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• EEX 6298 Intervention for Social, Communication, Academic, and Functional Skills for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

This concentration offers specialized training to work with young children (birth to age 8) with special needs or disabilities across a variety of education and care settings. The ECSE concentration is based on these Accreditation Standards for Early Childhood: State of Florida Prekindergarten–grade 3 Specialization Competencies (PK/P); National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) personnel standards; Educator Accomplished Practices: Florida Education Standards Commission (EAP); Subject Matter Content Standards for Florida's Teachers: ESOL; and, Florida's Early Intervention Professional Competencies (ITDS Appendix A). By completing this area of concentration, students are eligible to apply for the State of Florida Pre-Kindergarten Disabilities Endorsement (Pre-K –grade 3) and the Department of Health/Early Steps Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS) Certificate. In addition to the College of Education and Department of Special Education core courses, students pursuing this concentration area must also take the following five courses:

• EEX 5015 Survey & Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education
• EEX 5017 Atypical Development Early Childhood ESE
• EEX 5245 Methods in Early Childhood Special Education
• EEX 5755 Family & Community Resources in Early Childhood Special Education
• EEX 6707 Early Intervention Services

Special Education Intervention Specialist

This concentration offers specialized training to provide learning and behavioral interventions to students with disabilities in school settings. The Intervention Specialist concentration is based on the most up-to-date Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Advanced Preparation Intervention Specialist Standards. By completing this area of concentration, students may seek certification initial teacher certification in Exceptional Students Education (K-12). In addition to the College of Education and Department of Special Education core courses, students pursuing this concentration area must also take the following five courses:

• EEX 6027 Seminar in Special Education
• EEX 6259 Cognitive Metacognitive Strategies
• EEX 6609 Behavior Analytic Teaching
• EEX 6290 Mathematics Remediation & Intervention for Students with Disabilities
• EEX 6292 Literacy Remediation & Interventions for Students with Disabilities

Program Overview

Consult the FAU Course Catalog for course descriptions and other details.

How to Apply

To be considered for admission into the Master’s program in the Department of Special Education, applicants must complete a graduate application online through FAU’s Graduate College at www.fau.edu/graduate; select M.Ed. in Special Education.

Students are admitted for Fall (August) or Spring (January) entry. Application deadlines for fall entry: January 15 (International); or June 1 (Domestic). Spring semester entry: June 15 (International) or October 1 (Domestic).

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DOMESTIC APPLICANTS

• Bachelor’s Degree
• An undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0. If GPA is below 3.0, applicants may submit one letter of recommendation from an (education related field) employer or current/former university instructor
• Personal statement not exceeding three double spaced pages, indicating applicant’s reasons for pursuing a Master’s degree and career goals

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS

• Bachelor’s Degree (w/course-by-course evaluation of international transcripts if applicable)
• An undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0 or if GPA is below 3.0, applicants may submit 1 letter of recommendation from (education related field) employer or current/former university instructor
• Personal statement not exceeding three double spaced pages, indicating applicant’s reasons for pursuing a Master’s degree and career goals
• Have attained minimum English proficiency scores within the last two years: TOEFL 500 (paper-based test), or 213 (computer-based test), or 79 (Internet-based test); a score of at least 6.0 on the IELTS; or, Duolingo 110