MSEd, Special Education
Ignite your teaching career by earning a master’s degree in special education at St. Thomas Aquinas College. Our comprehensive program will prepare you to teach students with special needs and help them progress and prepare for adult life. Learn to collaborate meaningfully with parents and other educators, provide positive behavioral support, identify learning needs, and measure academic progress.
Our faculty of nationally recognized scholars will inspire you to learn research-based practices and implement them in your teaching. These supportive mentors will guide you through your academic journey to realize your potential as a skilled special educator capable of meeting the diverse needs of all students.
Choose from one of two program options: grades 1-6 or grades 7-12. The grades 7-12 track provides the foundation for educators to serve as co-teachers in inclusive classrooms and to earn two New York State grades 7-12 certifications: Students with Disabilities generalist and a content area extension, Students with Disabilities.
At a glance
- Graduate program
- 36 credits
- Main campus
Only at St. Thomas Aquinas College
Set on Your Success
St. Thomas Aquinas College was founded as a teacher’s college. We have a long legacy of preparing knowledgeable, caring educators who are passionate about learning, teaching, and making a difference in the world, one student at a time. Join our close-knit academic community of experts who will support you personally in advancing to the next level of your profession.
Earn Your Degree on Your Time
This 36-credit program can be completed in two years or at a pace that best suits your schedule. Designed with working professionals in mind, all classes are conveniently held in the late afternoon and evening. Complete your practicum in the summer on campus or during the school year in your classroom.
Keep Exploring
Featured Courses
Explore the special educator’s role and interrelationships with students, parents, professionals, and paraprofessionals in the inclusion of students with disabilities. Students work in a team to prepare an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for a student and simulate a full IEP meeting.
Examine the cognitive processes of perception, attention, memory, metacognition, and affective factors that influence learning in diverse learners, including students with disabilities, and English language learners. Learn how to apply the principles of cognitive psychology to motivate students and teach beginning reading skills, reading comprehension, writing, mathematics, and problem-solving in your classroom.
Study research validated instructional approaches for students with high incidence disabilities. Examine the principles of curriculum design, differentiated instruction, cognitive learning strategies, and study skills, to support student learning across content areas. Acquire strategies for monitoring progress and assessing students’ academic skills.
Program options
The MSED in Special Education equips today’s educators with advanced training for application in the classroom and in specialized leadership roles. Choose to focus on one of two student populations: Grades 1-6 or Grades 7-12.
In addition to the MSED in Special Education, St. Thomas Aquinas College also offers master’s programs in Special Education with an Autism Specialization and Literacy.
Graduates of the MSED programs are invited to return to St. Thomas Aquinas College to pursue post-master’s certificates in literacy or Autism at alumni discounted rates to qualify for additional certifications and salary increases.