Master of Science in Education in Special Education

The online Master of Science in Education in Special Education program sees the entire education landscape and combines practical experience with the latest breakthroughs and technology. You will learn new ways to ensure that students with special needs succeed.

The Online Master of Science in Education in Special Education at Purdue University focuses on mild intervention with an option to add additional coursework in intense intervention. Several options are available to meet your career needs:

• Master's only: Intended for those seeking knowledge in the area of special education. No practicum is required; an additional elective course is taken in its place.
• Master's with initial special education licensure: Intended for those seeking a master's degree as well as an initial license in special education in a mild intervention or mild and intense intervention. This track requires practicum and student teaching field experiences.
• Master's with additional special education licensure: Intended for those who already have initial (teaching) licensure and are looking to add an additional licensure in a mild intervention or mild and intense intervention. This track requires practicum experiences.
• Master's with additional special education licensure – intense intervention only: Intended for those who already have a special education teaching license in mild intervention and looking for additional licensure in intense intervention. This track requires practicum experiences.

The program will give you the ability to:

• Understand the various characteristics and categories of disabilities.
• Apply methods of learning assessment for students with challenges.
• Provide curricula adapted to individual students' needs and educational plans.
• Use current technologies to promote increased mobility, communication, self-determination, and cognitive functioning.
• Teach appropriate functional and social skills to students with challenging behaviors.

This online special education program is aligned with edTPA, a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system designed to meet state and national standards – including Common Core State Standards and the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) – to ensure new teachers are able to teach each student effectively. Students complete four professional portfolios and submit unedited video recordings of live teaching sessions to complete edTPA requirements.