Exceptional Student Education, M.A.

The M.A. in Exceptional Student Education is a comprehensive program. There is a critical shortage of certified teachers, administrators, related professionals, and specialists in many areas of exceptional student education, and teacher education students may be eligible for the Critical Teacher Shortage Loan Forgiveness Program and/or the Critical Teacher Shortage Tuition Reimbursement Program.

The comprehensive master’s degree program in Exceptional Student Education is an NCATE accredited program but is not an approved initial certification program. While students may use the course work completed to apply for initial teacher certification,  students who are seeking certification are responsible for referring to the appropriate school district or state Department of Education to determine specific requirements for teacher certification. This program is designed to develop master teachers who will be prepared for instructional and leadership roles in special education.

Students will be assigned a faculty mentor who will provide career advice, provide advice about the selection of elective courses related to the student’s area of interest, and provide directions and advisement concerning professional issues. Students in this master’s degree program must complete a 21-semester-hour core, which includes a twelve-semester-hour  School of Education core and a nine-semester-hour Educational Investigative Sequence as shown below.

Students must also complete a cognate program of study of at least 15 semester hours. The pre-approved cognate area options are the following:

• Special Education

• Applied Behavior Analysis

• PreK Disabilities

• Exceptional and Alternative Educational Studies

For more information about the Applied Behavior Analysis Cognate

For more information about the Exceptional and Alternative Educational Studies Cognate

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View Admission Requirements

For more specific requirements, visit the Online UWF Catalog.