Exceptional students require exceptional teachers.
How do you meet the diverse needs of students with exceptionalities? Designed for current PreK-12 teachers, the M.Ed. in Special Education provides an in-depth study of research-based methods to enhance instruction. You’ll gain valuable skills to develop curriculum, design learning environments, and to build and maintain partnerships to better support students.in the nation for most Master's degrees awarded in Special Education*.
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How you'll get there.
- You’ll take a total of twelve courses. Seven courses (most students take one at a time) center around special education. In your coursework, you’ll explore ethical practices and standards in special education, building collaborative relationships, and assessment and evaluation in special education. You’ll also take one course in classroom management and one course in research. Each course is five weeks long.
- Your chosen focus of study comprises three courses to align with your goals. Choose from Differentiated Instruction, Early Childhood Education, or General Special Education. Alternatively, you can customize your own General Track by selecting the courses that interest you most.
- Differentiated Instruction
- Early Childhood Education
- General Special Education
- General Track
- At the end of the program, you’ll complete a capstone course to demonstrate and document the impact of the knowledge you’ve gained throughout the program.
What you can expect along the way.
- Quality instruction ACE is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, and we’re the #4 nationwide conferrer of master's degrees in education.*
- Flexible class format Our asynchronous online classes enable you to plan your coursework around your life. Each course is 5 weeks long with outlined expectations each week.
- Relevant coursework You can immediately use what you learn. In this program, you’ll gain valuable instruction in diagnosing learning disabilities, developing individual education plans, special education counseling, and applicable laws and policies.
- Customizable curriculum Choose your focus of study: Differentiated Instruction, Early Childhood Education, or General Special Education. You can even create a General Track of the courses that interest you most.
What it costs
Our tuition and fees have nothing to hide. The total cost you see is your all-in price, without hidden fees, add-ons, and even textbooks. See if you can say the same about other institutions. Go ahead — we’ll wait.
Total Tuition
34 semester credits
x
$235 per credit
$7,990
Fees
$50 Application Fee
$1,360 Technology & Library Fee
($40 per credit)
$100 Program Conferral Fee
$1,510
Total Program Cost1
$9,500
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Request InfoOn average, see how ACE compares to other online universities.

Based on information on each institution’s website as of April 9, 2020. Totals include tuition only for M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction or comparable programs provided and do not include fees or associated expenses.
Partnerships save you more.
ACE has more than 1,750 education partners that provide a discounted rate and other partner benefits.

Meet your department chair.
Tiffany Hamlett, Ph.D.
Administrative Faculty and Chair,
Department of Teaching and Learning
A degree you can count on.
American College of Education is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission— a federally-recognized accrediting agency. The College’s accreditation includes approval to offer degree programs, in education, healthcare, nursing and business and leadership through distance education via the Internet. Accreditation ensures that an institution’s academic program meets or exceeds acceptable levels of quality and is the most recognized accreditation status for higher education entities. To receive and maintain HLC accreditation and affiliation approval, we must continuously undergo routine peer review cycles and provide proof that our programs meet or exceed HLC accreditation criteria and expectations of quality.
Courses
M.Ed. in Special Education
Explore the classes you'll take to fulfill this program's 34 semester credit requirement. For more information, a complete list of requirements, and course options, see the College Catalog.
Choose your focus of study.
Nine of your semester credits will specialize in a focus area of your choice. View the College Catalog for full descriptions. You also have the option of customizing this program by selecting a General Track and choosing the three courses that best fit your needs.
- Differentiated Instruction
- Early Childhood Education
- General Special Education
Curriculum and Instruction Course (3 semester credits)
Research Course (3 semester credits)
Special Education Courses (19 semester credits)
Focus of Study
Customize this degree by choosing a three - course Focus of Study to fulfill the remaining nine semester credits.
Differentiated Instruction
Early Childhood Education
Illinois Endorsement
Courses in this sequence are recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as meeting some of the coursework requirements for an endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education.
- Courses recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as meeting the coursework requirements for an endorsement in an Early Childhood Special Education can be found in
.Early Childhood Special Education Endorsement
General Special Education (Select three courses)
Illinois Endorsement
Some courses in the General Special Education Focus of Study option are recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as meeting coursework requirements for a Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBSI) endorsement.
• Courses recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education as meeting the coursework requirements for an endorsement in Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBSI) can be found in
General Track (9 semester credits)
Any three of courses from the courses above.
Admission Requirements
M.Ed. in Special Education
ACE General Admission Requirements
- Complete and submit all application components including the admission application, the enrollment agreement, and the payment agreement.
- Submit the nonrefundable application fee.*
- Provide official transcripts from a regionally accredited institution indicating successful completion of the level of education required for entry to the program.**
*The application fee is valid for one year from date of submission.
**Additional evidence may be required to fulfill state requirements, including but not limited to verification of professional experience, test scores, or an interview.
Program Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's or Highest Post-Baccalaureate degree earned
- Minimum Grade Point Average 2.50 on a 4.00 Scale for full admission
- Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.00 on a 4.00 Scale for Provisional Admission
- Applicants must acknowledge they have access to the educational settings for completion of course assignments throughout the program
- Applicants must achieve and maintain a 3.0 GPA throughout their program
A Note About Licensure:
While this program provides a comprehensive understanding of the intended program outcomes, it does not lead to licensure, certification, or endorsement. ACE offers several programs that do provide a pathway to licensure, certification, or endorsement and they can be found here.
1This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours or program pathway credit hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program or program pathway credit hours, receipt of, or eligibility for, institutional or non-institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, and adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section.
State of California Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF)
It is a state of California requirement that a student who pays his or her tuition is required to pay a state-imposed assessment two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) per one thousand dollars ($1,000) of institutional charges, rounded to the nearest thousand dollars, for the California Student Tuition Recovery Fund. For more information and to see if you must pay the state-imposed assessment for Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) click here.
For information on international transcript requirements, see the Admissions Information section of the College Catalog.
For English as a second language applicant information, see the Admissions Information section of the College Catalog.
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