Online Master of Education — Special Education

Prepare to serve children across the spectrum of special education and help them reach their full potential.

4/29/24 Next Application Due Date
5/13/24 Start Classes

Program Overview


See a snapshot of the online M.Ed. in Special Education program

$15,000* Total Tuition
As few as 12 months Duration
50 Credit Hours

Gain the credentials to advance your career in a rewarding, high-demand field in the Master of Education – Special Education online program from Eastern Washington University. The flexible online format enables educators to continue working while earning a master's degree from the leader for educator preparation in the Northwest in as few as 12 months.

Deepen your insight into all aspects of inclusive education for students with disabilities in P - 12. Coursework is 100 percent online. Focus on designing instruction for students with low- and high-incidence disabilities. Increase proficiency in managing student behavior and social interaction skills and their assessment. Learn about the diagnosis and evaluation of exceptional students and how to nurture the unique skills of young children in school settings.

This online special education program meets the requirements for an add-on endorsement in special education for teaching certificates in the state of Washington.* For working special education teachers who have obtained a special education endorsement on a teaching license at the undergraduate level, an M.Ed. can increase earnings potential and open up leadership opportunities in special education.

Through curriculum aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards, this program also provides an opportunity for general education teachers to earn a second endorsement in a specialty area*, in addition to the potential for career advancement.

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The Eastern Washington University School of Business is accredited by AACSB International (AACSB).

Graduates of this online special education program will be prepared to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of the field of special education and disabilities as measured by passing the Washington State National Evaluation Series tests;
  • think critically about new research and current issues in education and special education and apply this information to problems of practice;
  • support the inclusion of students with disabilities in the K-12 public school system;
  • administer, interpret, use and communicate assessment information in the delivery of special education services;
  • deliver specially designed instruction that is evidence-based, meets Washington State and Federal legal requirements, and improves the lives of students with disabilities;
  • collaborate with families, teachers, school staff and the community in the delivery of special education services;
  • produce legally correct and professionally appropriate special education documents (such as individualized education programs, evaluation reports, functional behavior assessments, positive behavior support plans and lesson plans) and communicate the contents of these documents as appropriate and needed for the delivery of special education services.
  • demonstrate an understanding of the field of special education and disabilities as measured by passing the Washington State National Evaluation Series tests;
  • think critically about new research and current issues in education and special education and apply this information to problems of practice;
  • support the inclusion of students with disabilities in the K-12 public school system;
  • administer, interpret, use and communicate assessment information in the delivery of special education services;
  • deliver specially designed instruction that is evidence-based, meets Washington State and Federal legal requirements, and improves the lives of students with disabilities;
  • collaborate with families, teachers, school staff and the community in the delivery of special education services;
  • produce legally correct and professionally appropriate special education documents (such as individualized education programs, evaluation reports, functional behavior assessments, positive behavior support plans and lesson plans) and communicate the contents of these documents as appropriate and needed for the delivery of special education services.

Also available online:

EWU offers a variety of graduate education degree programs in a convenient online format. Check out all our online M.Ed. programs.

$15,000* Total Tuition
As few as 12 months Duration
50 Credit Hours
Professional Educator Standards Board logo

The School of Education programs are approved by the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB).

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Need More Information?

Call 800-826-3411

Call 800-826-3411

Tuition


Learn more about our pay-as-you-go tuition

The M.Ed. – Special Education online degree program offers affordable, pay-by-the-course tuition rate to all students residing in and out of the state of Washington.

Tuition breakdown:

$300 Per Credit Hour
$15,000* Total Tuition

*Tuition and fees subject to change. Total program cost does not include foundation courses. If foundation courses are required, the cost will be added to the total program cost.

Tuition breakdown:

$300 Per Credit Hour
$15,000* Total Tuition

Calendar


Take a look at upcoming EWU dates and deadlines

The M.Ed. – Special Education online program is designed to be flexible for working professionals, with six-week courses and seven start dates a year. View the full calendar to find the upcoming start date that’s best for you, along with corresponding deadlines for submitting documents, enrolling, and paying tuition.

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes
TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition Deadline
Winter II2/12/241/29/242/7/242/10/24
Spring I4/1/243/18/243/27/243/30/24
Spring II5/13/244/29/245/8/245/11/24
Summer I7/8/246/21/247/2/247/6/24
Fall I9/23/249/9/249/18/249/21/24
Fall II11/4/2410/21/2410/30/2411/2/24

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Admissions


Know the requirements for the online Master of Education in SPED program

The admission process for the M.Ed. – Special Education online is streamlined to help you get started sooner. A teaching certificate is not required for admission to this program. However, this program will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington.

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Teacher certification

M.Ed. – Special Education Online Requirements

  • Teaching certificate required
  • Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester-graded postsecondary credit hours**
  • Official transcript from the college/university where degree was earned

Have a question? Call us at 800-826-3411.

**We encourage you to apply if your GPA is lower than a 3.0 and you have at least 3 years of professional work experience. Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 are considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. Please contact an Enrollment Services representative at 800-826-3411 for more information.

This offering is available as an endorsement program for those teachers who hold or who have held an initial, residency, continuing or professional teaching certificate in the state of Washington. If you do not hold a teaching certificate in Washington or do not hold a teaching certificate at all, you are still encouraged to apply.

Please note however that this will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington. Additionally, this program may satisfy the requirements for states other than Washington. Please check with your applicable licensing board to determine whether this program satisfies requirements for licensure in the state in which you reside. For current contact information for applicable licensing boards, please refer to our State Authorization page. For information on certification in the state of Washington, contact Christi Wavada at [email protected].

Document Submission Information

For Spring 2024 Applications: Please do not send transcripts directly to EWU, as this may delay processing your application. If you are ordering electronic transcripts, please select the CAS application as the recipient.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471

Note: You will need to use the Transcript ID form (found in your GradCAS application portal) as part of your submission so that your transcript can be matched to your application.

For Summer 2024 Applications and all future terms:

Order your official, electronic transcripts from the degree-granting institution where you earned your highest degree (bachelor’s or master’s) and have them sent to Eastern Washington University.

  • Most EWU graduate programs only require one transcript. Please submit a transcript from your degree-granting institution. This transcript should include the final two years of your degree completion. If it does not, please submit transcripts to cover your final two years of earned credits.
  • Please note that transcripts ordered by main may take 4-6 weeks to arrive.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

Eastern Washington University
Showalter Hall 206
Cheney, WA 99004

Courses


Read about our online special education classes

In order to earn the Master of Education – Special Education online, you must complete 14 courses (50 credit hours), comprised of 16 credit hours of core courses and 34 credit hours of specialization courses (including an internship). All courses are six weeks in length.

You must take the following courses.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Issues such as federal aid, teachers' tenure, teachers' salaries, the political control of education, indoctrination versus education, religious and public education, school-district reorganization, the community-centered school and academic freedom.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Four philosophies in education will be studied. The implications of each for school organization and classroom instruction will be examined. Participants will be invited to analyze their beliefs and how these beliefs form into a coherent philosophy of education.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Required of all graduate students pursuing the master of education degree program unless an alternative research course is scheduled. It provides the background of research methods and techniques necessary for meeting the requirements of Education 600 or 601. The methods, tools, and strategies used in educational research, both quantitative and qualitative, will be explored. Continued level teacher certification research requirements may be met through this course.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course focuses on reforming and transforming the processes, perceptions and practices of learning and teaching by emphasizing diversity, social justice and equity. First, psychological principles underlying current educational culture will be analyzed. Second, reforming relationships, interactions and contexts for learning will be addressed through reflective practices, and third, rethinking and transforming connections, will be viewed through the lens of learners of diverse backgrounds.

You must take the following courses.

Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course provides an overview of special education services; special education legislation; historical backgrounds; educational approaches; etiologies of disabilities; characteristics of individuals with disabilities; key elements of the RTI/MTSS process; locating, researching, and selecting academic and behavioral evidence-based practices
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course provides fundamental knowledge and experiences for understanding human behavior in general and classroom behavior in specific. Principles of behavior will be discussed at length along with school-wide and classroom-based management systems.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will give students the knowledge and skills of evidence-based teaching methods and academic intervention programs that are commonly used with students with mild/moderate disabilities to teach reading, writing, spelling, and math. This includes use of explicit instruction, differentiated instruction, and specific academic intervention programs.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will focus on instructional strategies, including modifications and accommodations, for students with severe disabilities and autism. This will include Standards-Based IEPs, Evidence-Based Practices, Progress Monitoring, and Alternate Assessment, working with related service providers, and meeting student’s physical, sensory, and health care needs.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will focus on the assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation of students for special education services, which includes the knowledge and skills to evaluate, interpret, select, develop, and use formal and informal assessment tools to make decisions about special education services delivery.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will give students the knowledge and skills to participate in the writing of legally compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including transition IEPs, that reflect best practices in the field of special education. Collaboration with students, educators, parents, and community agencies in this process will be emphasized.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
The purpose of this three-session internship course (you will take 2-credits of EDUC 695 across 3 separate sessions for a total of 6 credits) is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
The purpose of this three-session internship course (you will take 2-credits of EDUC 695 across 3 separate sessions for a total of 6 credits) is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
The purpose of this three-session internship course (you will take 2-credits of EDUC 695 across 3 separate sessions for a total of 6 credits) is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
The purpose of this course is for the student to prepare reflections and evidence to document her/his knowledge and competence in the Washington State Special Education Competencies for an add-on endorsement in special education as established by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). The student provides a formal presentation of her/his electronic portfolio as a culminating experience in the program. Pre-requisites: SPED 500.

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