Special Education (MED/MS)
Experience the convenience of our fully online master's program in special education, tailored for busy professionals looking to enhance their impact in broad education.
- Offered Hybrid Online and Face-to-Face in Commerce, Mesquite and Navarro.
- 2 to 3 years
- 39-42 credit hours
- Thesis and non-thesis options available
- No foreign language credits required
Empower Every Learner
What innovative strategies will you implement to ensure every student not only thrives but excels? With a master’s in special education, you’ll explore the characteristics of mild to severe disabilities and master assessment applications, as well as develop effective strategies for supporting all learners. Make a meaningful difference in the lives of your students.
$500/Semester Quick Start Grant
You may be eligible for this renewable $250 or $500 grant if you are a new student starting your master’s degree program in Summer 2026, Fall 2026 and Spring 2027.
What Are My Job Opportunities?
A master’s in special education can open a number of career opportunities in schools and community organizations. From a special education teacher to a director of special education, you can make a meaningful impact on students with unique needs.
Careers and Salaries
Current Median Salaries from US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2023
Program Details
Our program offers a thorough curriculum that blends theory with practical application. Gain hands-on experience to develop vital skills for assessing and supporting learners with different needs.
What Might I Learn?
You will have the opportunity to gain experience in a number of key areas.
Comprehensive Assessment Skills
Learn to conduct and interpret various assessments to identify students’ individual learning needs.
Evidence-Based Intervention Strategies
Discover effective, research-backed interventions tailored to support a range of learning styles and challenges.
Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
Master the development and implementation of IEPs that cater to the unique needs of each student.
Inclusive Classroom Strategies
Learn how to create and sustain welcoming, supportive environments that promote opportunity and access for every learner.
Curriculum
Our program offers four tracks to align with your research and career goals.
Current Educators
Already have a Texas teaching certificate? Consider earning your master’s degree in special education! Our program teaches you to identify and support students with exceptional needs in K-12 grade levels. What’s more, you can choose between a thesis or non-thesis track to better fit your goals. (Total Hours: 39-42)
Future Educators
Are you ready for a career change? Interested in becoming an educator but don't have a teaching certificate yet? We're here to help! Earn your teaching certificate while studying special education through our post-baccalaureate certification program. Our non-thesis track is designed to educate you in student engagement, classroom management and teaching interventions. (Total Hours: 36)
Special Education with Educational Diagnostician Certification
Do you want to become an educational diagnostician while earning your master's degree in special education? Our program expands your knowledge and teaches you to support your students with disabilities through assessment, planning and implementation of an academic plan to meet their educational needs. This track has a thesis and a non-thesis track. (Total Hours: 39-42)
Educational Diagnostician Certificate Only
Do you have three years of teaching experience, a master's degree in special education and a desire to advance your career? Then, we have a certification-only program for you. As an educational diagnostician, you may consult with your colleagues and students' parents as you develop and implement an academic learning plan for each student. (Total Hours: 21)
Taking Classes
Our hybrid online master’s program is specifically designed to meet the needs of current educators and working professionals.
Online and Face-to-face
With a focus on flexibility and convenience, this program allows you to earn your degree without sacrificing your job or personal commitments. Engage with innovative coursework and practical applications through classes offered online, or face-to-face at the Mesquite Metroplex Center, Navarro College and our main campus location in Commerce.
Note: Our master's degree in special education with an educational diagnostician certification requires two face-to-face classes offered in a summer block. For an up to date list of course offerings, locations and times, please check the schedule of classes, which is subject to change.
Adding Value with Certificates
A graduate certificate in areas like behavioral analysis or assistive technology can enhance your expertise, boosting career prospects and qualifications.
Educational Diagnostician Professional Certification
Instructional Design Graduate Certificate
This certificate program prepares you to create top-notch curricula. Once you complete this certificate, you’ll be eligible to begin your career as an instructional designer, training coach or other related path.
Instructional Coach Graduate Certificate
This certificate will prepare professionals to train and empower educator leaders to support and guide their colleagues in effective instruction within the classroom.
Supplemental Certifications
Learn about specialized topics from our experienced faculty! Available courses can help prepare you for supplemental certification exams. Once you hold a Texas Teaching Certificate, you may then take additional tests to add any of these supplements to your certificate.
Note: Supplemental certificates are optional.
Assistive Technology Lab
As a collaboration among the Department of Psychology and Special Education, the Center for Information Technology Excellence, and Velma K. Waters Library, this unique facility features multiple examples of assistive technology specifically designed to empower individuals with disabilities and educate future teachers.
Finding My Community
We believe that education thrives in an environment where collaboration, support and mutual respect flourish. Our community of students and professors embodies these values, creating an enriching and dynamic atmosphere for learning and growth. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wide range of experiences and perspectives to the table. Our professors are not only experts in their respective fields but also dedicated mentors who are committed to guiding and nurturing the next generation of scholars.
Kelly M. Carrero, Ph.D., BCBA, LBA-TX
Faculty
Beth Jones, Ph.D.
Faculty
Anabel Vega Meyer Ph.D., LP, SP, LBA, NCSP, BCBA
Alum Faculty
Belinda Rudinger, Ed.D., ATP, CATIS
FacultyI’m Looking For Something Different
Is this program close, but still not right for you? Check out our related degrees!
Financing My Future
Financial Aid
Financial aid includes a variety of programs, like scholarships, federal and state grants, and federal and state work-study programs. Find out how you may be eligible for scholarships, grants, loans and/or a graduate assistantship. Financial Aid and Scholarships
On-Campus Employment Opportunities
Enhance your expertise through on-campus employment opportunities.
Graduate Assistant/Research/Teaching
Graduate assistant teaching (GAT), graduate assistant research (GAR), and graduate assistant non-teaching (GANT) assistantships at East Texas A&M offer financial support and professional development for graduate students. Assistantships are available in academic and non-academic departments.
Cost Before Financial Aid
East Texas A&M is one of the most affordable colleges around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Our tuition rates are some of the most competitive in Texas.
$3,669
for Texas residents
/
$7,341
For non-residents
Tuition and fees for graduate students taking nine credit hours are $3,669 for Texas residents and $7,341 for non-residents. But don’t worry: there are
Additional Fees May Apply
- Online Courses ($50 per hour)
- Remote Locations ($20 per hour)
- Lab Fees ($5 – $30 per course)
How Do I Get Started?
If you have not already done so, complete the Request Information form. You will be connected with your enrollment specialist, who can answer your questions. When you’re ready, go ahead and follow the steps below to apply.
Admissions Requirements
To be considered for admission, you must first meet the following criteria.
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university
Admission Process
Note: This program is not available to international students. If you are an H1B or H4 applicant, please contact the Graduate School for details.
- Create an ApplyTexas account or login if you already have one
- Complete your profile section first once you log into your account
- Select “School Search” and select East Texas A&M
- Choose the semester you wish to begin
- Select “Special Education, MS or Special Education, MED” as your “Program.”
- Pay the $50 application fee.
Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.
- Within two business days of your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.
Submit the following documents after you receive an application confirmation email.
- Upload your documents at myLeo > Apps > Check Admissions Application Status & Test Scores or email your documents to your graduate coordinator unless otherwise specified below.
Your Graduate Coordinator
Domestic Transcripts
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your Graduate Student Services Coordinator. We accept transcripts officially via email (directly from the institution), through Parchment, and any other official transcript providing agency. If your university does not offer an electronic transcript service, you may request them to be sent via regular mail to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
If your degree is from East Texas A&M University, you do not have to order a transcript. We will access your transcript.
If we already have your transcript, we will reuse it for a new application as long as it is still on file.
International transcripts
WES ICAP evaluations will be required for certain countries; those are listed below:
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in Nigeria
- Transcripts/Degrees from universities in China that do not come from CSSD (formerly CHESICC)
- Any country where the official transcript is not in English
For all other countries, an evaluation is not initially required. Original official transcripts are required for admission consideration.
Please know that upon receipt of your official transcript, the Graduate School reserves the right to require an external evaluation at that time.
Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to:
East Texas A&M University
Attn: Graduate School
2600 S. Neal St.
Commerce, Texas 75428
We will need official/original documents.
If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator for more information.
Submit a statement of educational and professional goals of 500 words or less on the following prompt:
- Discuss your educational and professional goals and how you believe this graduate degree will help you achieve them.
Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) which includes your academic and professional history and achievements.
Request three signed letters of recommendation, on letterhead, from professionals who can attest to your goals and ability to succeed in the program.
- At least one of the references should hold a doctoral degree.
Those individuals should
Send the letter to you. Then, you will utilize the upload system: myLeo > Apps > Check Admissions Application Status & Test Scores
Email the letter to your graduate coordinator or
Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status
- Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.
- Apply for scholarships and graduate assistantships once you are admitted.
- Apply for financial aid by submitting a FAFSA and sending it to school code 003565.
- Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.
Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist will contact you to complete registration.
View Degree Plan
DegreeWorks is where you track your progress through your program and make sure you are meeting all your requirements for graduation.
- Sing in to myLEO
- Navigate to “Student Resources”
- Select “Grad School DegreeWorks”
Register for Classes
- To register for classes, go to myLEO > Student Resources > Registration Menu.
Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.
Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist
I Still Have Questions
We are here to help! Send us an email. We can answer your questions and assist you in the application process.
Contact the Department
- Psychology and Special Education
- 903.886.5631
- [email protected]