The CityU special education master’s degree was designed to provide educators with current, research-based methodologies that will allow you to gain and enhance your skills in order to work successfully in a variety of special education settings.

Your current teaching certificate and accredited bachelor’s degree is all you need to apply to our MEd in Special Education program. Candidates typically graduate in nine quarters; however, you can set your own pace and graduate in as few as seven quarters or up to four years.

M.Ed. Special Education Plan: In the courses, you will explore the most current research and practices in the field. Students will explore behavioral analysis, autism, student assessment for Special Education, the IEP process, and teaming and collaboration to name a few.

M.Ed. Special Education Endorsement: Wish to add a Special Education endorsement to a Washington State Teaching Credential? Complete the courses for the master's degree then complete an in-classroom practicum for 100 hours to earn your endorsement for Washington State. Note: Prerequisites in both reading and math are required. Talk with an advisor about these courses.

WEST-E® preparation: The program will help you prepare for passing the Washington Educator Skills Test for those seeking their endorsement.

Learning Outcomes

Throughout the Master of Education in Special Education program, you’ll learn:

• Critical application and value of current research processes
• Global, theoretical, and practical issues affecting education
• Improvement of the school community and profession
• Unique attributes of individuals with classic autism and high-functioning autism
• Inclusion and specialist paradigms in special education
• Foundations, strategies, and understanding to perform assessments and evaluations
• Writing and implementing an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP)
• Basic types of student behavior, motivation, prevention strategies, intervention strategies, and behavior change plans
• Disabilities identified with low-incidence disabilities
• Pedagogical foundations, strategies, and understanding to modify curriculum

Note: Statement on 34 CFR 668.43(a)(5)(v) and 34 CFR 668.43(c). Candidates of City University of Seattle Teacher Certification Programs, complete requirements to be recommended for certification or endorsement in the state of Washington. Except for Washington State, CityU has made no determination if this program will lead to licensure in another state. Please reference the resources below to determine licensure requirements and/or transfer policies in states other than Washington. The National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) have negotiated licensure reciprocity agreements among states. This means that if you earn licensure in Washington you may be able to gain licensure in another state based on proof of a valid Washington license. NASDTEC agreements can be found by clicking the following link. Requirements for licensure can change without notice, therefore it is important to contact the State Department of Education to confirm reciprocity in another state.