Master of Education in Special Education with Certification (100% Accelerated Online Classes)

Our accelerated online M.Ed. in Special Education equips future teachers with the experience they need to become certified to teach in Texas and meet the academic needs of students with disabilities.

Apply on ApplyUTA

Fully Online

Complete your graduate degree with the flexibility of our 100% online classes.

No GRE

No GRE or GMAT required for unconditional admission for most students.

TEACH Grants & Scholarships

Help pay for your degree and apply for competitive scholarships and grants, including a TEACH grant of up to $3,772 per academic year for qualified applicants.

TEACH Grants & Scholarships

Affordable Cost

View the UTA Tuition Estimator for an estimation of the program cost.

Tuition Estimator

Teacher with students in a classroom. Teacher is giving one student a high five.

Future Students Start Here

Take classroom learning beyond the books in our unique, 100% online Master of Education in Special Education. Through this degree, teachers and educators will equip themselves with the know-how to meet the learning and educational goals of students with special needs. Options are available for individuals who are already certified teachers and those who need to obtain initial certification.

Interested in a Grant-Funded Degree?

Consider Project Match Made in Schools and join a cohort of future educators and social workers committed to teaching and holistically supporting some of the nation's most vulnerable students. The program pays for 100% of tuition and partial fees for one year towards a master's degree.

Learn More

About the Program

Ready to become a special education teacher? Learn to meet the needs of students with disabilities in our online M.Ed. in Special Education, with in-person field placements. This option is for those with a bachelor's in another field who need to prepare for teacher/special education certification.

Program Advantages:

Prepares you for the Special Education Ec-12 TExES (161) and PPR EC-12 TExES (160) exams.
Approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as an Educator Preparation Program.
Taught by leaders in the field (nationally and internationally!) in special education who were all classroom teachers.

Learning outcomes for this program include:

Preparation to succeed in the critical role of an effective special education teacher within EC-12 schools
Understanding and application skills to employ research and evidence-based practices with a wide range of students with disabilities
Implementation of data-based decision making to assess, design and implement quality individually designed instruction
Emphasis on Multi-tiered Systems of Support, including response to practice and positive behavior supports across school and community settings

Career Opportunities:

Future roles could include special education teacher, inclusion facilitator, and community transition specialist. This program requires approved administrative practicum work, including a full-time, -n-person clinical teaching semester with a licensed special education teacher.

Cost of Attendance

Photo of U T A special education student Amanda Smith The estimated cost for tuition and mandatory fees is $3,628 as of Spring 2024 for an in-state, Texas resident enrolling in 6 credit hours (two courses) of graduate coursework through the College of Education.

Please note that the cost can vary by student in relation to that student's individual circumstances. Additional fees may apply.

For the best approximation of your school costs for tuition and fees, visit the UTA Tuition Estimator.

Paying for School

We offer competitive funding options, including TEACH grants, which provide up to $3,772/year to help you pay for school. View more funding options, including scholarships, on our website.

Certificate Information for Texas Residents

The M.Ed. in Special Education includes a heavy emphasis on teaching and learning with assistive technology, evidence-based behavioral strategies, and research. This graduate program has multiple emphasis areas including an option for initial teacher certification preparation. Students who successfully complete the certificate coursework, state and program requirements, and required exams will be eligible to apply for Texas EC-12 (early childhood-12th grade) Special Education certification. This program is uniquely focused on the needs of students with disabilities.

Information for Out-of-State students who complete education programs

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires candidates seeking certification to complete all practical in a TEA-approved site. Out-of-state students who do not complete the practicum at a UTA College of Education and TEA-approved site and meet all other TEA requirements do not qualify for Texas educator certification. If seeking certification outside of Texas, please work with your state agency in the state in which you are seeking certification to determine eligibility and to complete any additional requirements. Please note that after successful completion of your UTA College of Education degree, you may request a memo indicating your degree completion. UTA cannot recommend out-of-state students for certification and cannot recommend out-of-state students to take Texas certification exam(s). Additionally, UTA faculty and staff cannot complete out-of-state form requests for individuals seeking certification, licensure, and/or endorsements in another state according to TEA.

Changes

Program requirements may change as state/TEA certification requirements change.

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Priority Application Date for Fall Cohort

Fall Semester

Submit by July 26

Classes start mid-late August

Apply on ApplyUTA

Application Deadlines*, Course Start Dates & More

Semester Start	Courses Start	Application Deadline**	All Supporting Documents Due***	Registration Deadline
Spring II	03/17/2025	03/7/2025	03/11/25	03/16/25
Summer I	05/12/2025	04/28/2025	04/22/25	05/11/25
Summer II	06/30/2025	06/20/2025	06/10/25	06/28/25
Fall I	08/18/2025	08/1/2025	Contact Us	Contact Us
Fall II	10/13/2025	10/01/2025	Contact Us	Contact Us

Additional Information:

*The M.Ed. in Special Education program (with or without certification) only admits students into the first Fall Cohort.

** To meet this deadline, applicants should have applied to UTA's Graduate School. This includes completion of their ApplyUTA application, paying the application fee, and submitting their official transcripts.

***Applicants may still need to complete a program-specific application process after being admitted to the Graduate School.

Official Catalog: Admissions Requirements & Important Information

View the official catalog for additional admissions criteria and important information for the:

Recommendation Form

Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Education must submit two* recommendation forms. The required Recommendation Form is available for download here. Please wait until you receive your 10-digit, UTA student ID number and until a member of our academic team contacts you to submit your recommendation forms.

*Note: The Principal Certification Only Program requires three recommendation forms.

International Students

Program Eligibility, International Admissions and English Language Test Score Requirements

Information for Permanent Residents and International Applicants

Our fully online programs are open to United States Citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and International Students who do not hold F1, J1, B1, and B2 status. In addition to the required application and admission documents, the following materials must also be submitted:

Lawful Permanent Residents: Submit a copy of your Permanent Resident Card.
The TOEFL* or IELTS is required if an applicant’s native language is not English or if the applicant does not hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. It typically takes 10-15 business days for scores to arrive from ETS and be processed by Admissions. The test must be taken in time for results to arrive and be processed in Admissions before completion of the second course. Those wishing to request a waiver of this requirement should contact the graduate advisor. You are required to submit an official test score report sent directly from the testing agency. UTA's ETS institutional code is 6013.

*Certification programs only accept TOEFL due to Texas Education Agency requirements.

View test score requirements online.

Additional Resources

Have additional questions?

Email UTA's international office at international@uta.edu.

*The resources provided here are for informational purposes. Please review the UTA's website and Official Catalog for official information.

Featured Videos and News

The military life Lamiea Ezell had known ended abruptly. But following a strenuous recovery, she was able to begin a new chapter, which will culminated in her earning her master's degree in special education from UT Arlington.

Course of Study

The following are requirements for the M.Ed. in Special Education within initial certification.

Total 30 hours, including:

100% accelerated online classes
In-person field experiences
Non-Thesis (no thesis is required for this degree program)

Teacher talks with students in a classroom.

Special Education Degree Plan

Review the M.Ed. in Special Education degree plan based on the semester you start the program.

Fall Start

Program Director & Faculty Members

Dr. Ambra Green

Interim Department Chair

Associate Professor, Special Education

Email: ambra.green@uta.edu

Phone #: 817-272-2515

Office: 412 Hammond Hall

Research Interests: Multi-tiered systems of support and equity, disproportionality, equity, behavioral disorders : Ambra L. Green, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education within the College of Education at The University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Green is a national scholar with publications and research focused on students of color with and at-risk for disabilities, issues related to inequitable school practices experienced by students of color (i.e., disproportionality in special education and discipline practices), behavior disorders, positive behavioral interventions and supports, and teacher use of evidence-based practices. She is the Primary Investigator on a $1.1 million U.S. Department of Education Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP) personnel preparation grant which provides rigorous training for master’s special education and social work students to support K-12 students with disabilities and high intensity needs. Dr. Green also has experience working within the U.S. Department of Education Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP) and serves on the OSEP National Technical Assistance Center on PBIS Equity workgroup  Dr. Green was a special educator at the middle school level and a PBIS Coach. She holds current teacher certifications in EC-6 Generalist, 4-8 Generalist, and EC-12 Special Education in the state of Texas. 

Faculty Profile

Dr. John Romig

Assistant Professor

Research Interests: Writing assessment and writing instruction, SCRD, meta-analyses, RCT

Email: john.romig@uta.edu

Office: Hammond Hall 418

Bio: Dr. John Romig is an Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher and Administrator Preparation in the College of Education. A former classroom teacher, Dr. Romig earned his Ph.D. in Education from the University of Virginia with a concentration in special education where his research and teaching focused on writing assessment and writing instruction. Dr. Romig is especially interested in using assessment data to make instructional decisions and teaching struggling students to read and write.

Faculty Profile