Master of Special Education at East Carolina University

The Special Education is a Master degree offered by East Carolina University at its main campus in Greenville , United States of America. The program is delivered on campus as a Full Time course in English and requires approximately 2 years to complete. Students study at the university's main campus while gaining the knowledge and practical experience expected for this area of study. The next intake is available from August 21, 2027.

About Master of Special Education

Do you feel called to teach? Do you seek a fulfilling career you are excited about, a career through which you make a real difference in the lives of people with special needs?

The special education program at East Carolina offers a rich combination of mentoring and course work coupled with extensive field-based practices to further your knowledge and skills to teach students with special learning needs. The MAEd program in special education is the only totally online accredited program in the state. It is designed for you to take graduate courses part-time while continuing to work in your local community. The part-time program generally takes two years to complete, but you do have the option of full-time graduate studies.

All MAEd students are required to complete a series of core courses, followed by additional course work provided in your choice of four categorical areas: intellectual disabilities (ID), learning disabilities (LD), behavioral/emotional disabilities (BED), and low-incidence disabilities (LID).

Throughout this program, you will become a savvy consumer of education research in your licensure area and well poised to select and use evidence-based practices to further learning of your students. During your capstone action research or thesis research experience, you will extend your knowledge of assessment, technology, and culturally responsive teaching.

Institutional and Professional Licensure Disclosures for Enrolled and Prospective Students

ECU degree programs satisfy the professional licensure and/or certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for these exams. However, requirements in other states may be different.

If you are considering a degree program that may, would, could or potentially lead to a professional license and/or certification, please note that at this time ECU may or may not be able to advise whether a program meets requirements outside of North Carolina. Prior to enrolling in a degree program, please discuss this important topic with your program of interest.

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Program Director: Sandra Warren (107-A Rivers Building; 252-328-2699; [email protected])

The Special Education, MAEd is an advanced licensure program designed to refine curriculum knowledge and instructional competencies across four concentration areas: behavioral/emotional disabilities, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, and low-incidence disabilities. The program is administratively located in the Department of Special Education, Foundations, and Research.

The degree requires a minimum of 30 s.h. as follows:

Required core course - 3 s.h.

Choose one course from the following:

EDUC 6480 - Introduction to Research

EDUC 6482 - Trends and Issues in Educational Research for Practitioners

SCIE 6500 - Understanding and Engaging in Educational Research

Special education required courses - 12 s.h.

SPED 6010 - Issues, Trends, and Law in Special Education
SPED 6012 - Assessment in Special Education
SPED 6014 - Positive Behavior Intervention and Support
SPED 6015 - Facilitating Systems Change through Collaboration and Co-Teaching

Concentrations - 15 s.h.

Choose one of the following concentrations:

Behavioral/emotional disabilities concentration

SPED 6023 - Instructing Students with Behavioral/Emotional Disorders
SPED 6027 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning for Students with Behavior Disabilities
SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education

SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education

SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education

Approved elective

Intellectual disabilities concentration

SPED 6020 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning in Special Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities
SPED 6021 - Instructing Students with Intellectual Disabilities
SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education

SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education

SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education

Approved elective (3 s.h.)

Learning disabilities concentration

SPED 6022 - Instructing Students with Learning Disabilities
SPED 6025 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning for Students with Learning Disabilities
SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education

SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education

SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education

Approved elective (3 s.h.)

Low-incidence disabilities concentration

SPED 6030 - Curriculum Development and Program Planning in Special Education for Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities
SPED 6031 - Instructing Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities
SPED 6994 - Research Review and Planning in Special Education

SPED 7000 - Thesis in Special Education

SPED 7002 - Action Research Project in Special Education

Approved elective (3 s.h.)

Electronic portfolio requirement:

Requires the demonstration of field-based master teaching, research, collaboration, and leadership skills throughout the Special Education, MAEd program.

Comprehensive assessment requirement:

All ECU graduate programs require students to successfully complete a comprehensive assessment. This program requires the completion of a thesis (SPED 7000) or an action research project (SPED 7002). Both require a presentation to faculty and students.

Licensure for the Special Education, MAEd

The Special Education, MAEd leads to a NC Advanced, M Level license in one of four licensure areas. The licenses issued with this degree will be one of the following: Behaviorally/Emotionally Disabled Grades K-12, Learning Disabled Grades K-12, Mentally Disabled Grades K-12, or Severely/Profoundly Disabled Grades K-12. Candidates may be admitted to the Special Education, MAEd if they do not hold the valid NC initial, A level license in one of the four special education licensure areas noted above, including anyone with a license in another area, with an out-of-state license, or with no license at all. These candidates will be required to sign the LNNC Waiver and by doing so are duly informed that they will not receive the NC recommendation for the chosen area of the Special Education Grades K-12 advanced, M level licensure until the NC initial, A level licensure requirements in the same area are met, which will include additional NC licensure tests and may include additional coursework. The LNNC Waiver can be located at https://education.ecu.edu/graduate/. The waiver should accompany the application for admission to the MAEd. ECU degree programs satisfy the professional licensure and/or certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for these exams. Requirements in other states may be different. Upon successful completion of ECU educator preparation program degree requirements and licensure requirements for the State of North Carolina candidates will be eligible for an ECU recommendation for a NC license. However, final licensure granting decisions are the sole responsibility of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction not ECU. Candidates who seek out of state employment or out of state licensure will have to meet the receiving state's requirements. There is no automatic licensure reciprocity between states. ECU will verify the completion of an approved, accredited program for candidates who seek this verification, but those candidates will be responsible for working with the receiving state to complete any additional requirements to obtain the license and/or employment in the receiving state.

For more information about this degree visit the university's academic catalogs.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of Special Education at East Carolina University

Entry Requirements

In order to be considered for admission, international graduate applicants follow the same steps as a U.S. applicant with a few exceptions as identified in Red font. Step by step instructions are identified below:

Complete the ECU Online Graduate School Application: One application fee and one set of supporting documents should be submitted for each program of study applying to.
Pay the Application Fee: Payment will be made through the self-service portal prior to submission of the application. The payment portal accepts debit or credit card only.
Provide Foreign Transcript Evaluation:

An official course by course credential evaluation of all foreign transcripts indicating that, at minimum, the US equivalent of a bachelor’s degree has been awarded by an accredited college or university is required.

Provide Official Transcript(s) & Diploma Copy: A copy of your transcript(s) and diplomas showing a full education history issued in your native language as well as a notarized or certified copy in English must be uploaded to your application.
Provide Evidence of English Proficiency: If English is not your native language and you have not completed at least one year of education (minimum of 18 credit hours) at a United States school, you are required to take a standardized English language exam or complete the ECU Language Academy (ECULA).
- Language Exam Options: The Graduate School accepts either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Duolingo English Test or Pearson Test of English (PTE) and scores must be forwarded to the Graduate School by the testing service. The paper- or computer-based TOEFL exam is accepted by request only.
ECU Language Academy: You may choose to attend the ECU Language Academy instead of taking the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. Also, if you do not obtain the required score on the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE, at least one session of the ECU Language Academy may be required prior to the start of your program. Successful completion of all levels of the ECU Language Academy is required for admission without TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. More information on the ECU Language Academy, including the ECULA application, is available on the Intensive English Program website. Individual programs may have higher minimum requirements.
Provide Official Standardized Admissions Test Results: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange for an official score report to be sent directly to the Graduate School by the testing service (GRE or GMAT). ECU’s institutional code is 5180. ECU does not have departmental codes.
Upload Statement of Purpose: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your personal statement (why you believe you would be a good candidate for the program) to your application. You may want to use resources to help you write a personal statement in English such as this webinar.
Provide Letters of recommendation: If required by the program you’re applying to, please arrange to have LOR’s submitted electronically with the online application. Review your program’s application requirements to determine the number of letters, if any, that they require.
Upload Resume: If required by the program you’re applying to, please upload a copy of your most recent resume to your online application.
Provide Financial information: If/when you are admitted to a graduate program at ECU you will be required to provide certified evidence of financial resources adequate to cover educational costs and living expenses. Documents only need submitted if/when an offer of admission is extended.

English Requirements

PTEMin 65
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 78

Career Opportunities after Completing Master of Special Education

Graduates with this degree are successful in many fields and careers, including the following:

Education/Teaching of Individuals with Specific Learning Dis
Special Education Teachers, Preschool, K and Elementary

Career Opportunities

ECU has developed resources to help you learn more about career opportunities and job market outlook. In addition, the websites below provide specific information on careers in the various majors from which students may choose:

NC Tower

This website provides graphs and tables of in-depth information on employment rates, wages and ongoing higher education enrollment of graduates from the North Carolina Community College System and from the University of North Carolina system schools. NC Tower includes data on former UNC students who are working in roughly 90% of all jobs in North Carolina. This database excludes information for graduates who are:

Self-employed;
Work for the federal government, including the military: or
Work outside of North Carolina.

US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

This website also provides in-depth information regarding pay, projected new jobs, required education, growth rate and on-the-job training information on various occupations.

Degree-specific internships

For information on internship information for specific majors, go to the home page of the department in which the major is located and, as available, find the link to the information on internships in that major.

Tuition and Fee Information for Master of Special Education at East Carolina University

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for Master of Special Education at East Carolina University

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Master of Special Education at East Carolina University

East Carolina University

United States of America, Greenville