Master of Special Education at San José State University

San José State University offers the Master of Special Education as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its main campus in Aberdeen, United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 2 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for special education and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on August 21, 2027.

About Master of Special Education

Advisors: Dr. Andrea Golloher, Dr. Peg Hughes, Dr. Sudha Krishnan, Dr. Saili Kulkarni, Dr. Matthew Love, Dr. Hyun-Sook Park, and Dr. Lisa Simpson.

The MA in Special Education is a 30-unit program, offered by the Department of Special Education , that prepares candidates to be transformative educators who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to creatively and holistically meet the intersectional identities (dis/ability, race, gender, linguistic, and ethnic identities) of all learners, and who work as change agents to create equitable and inclusive environments in schools and communities in order to reimagine accessible schooling. Students complete an MA action research project in their fieldwork setting. Students may opt to complete the MA simultaneously with the Education Specialist credential.

Department of Special Education Master's Program Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system at calstate.edu/apply and meet all the university and department admission requirements. See the GAPE Graduate Admissions website and this Catalog for general information about graduate admissions at SJSU. Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on GAPE's Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage. For TOEFL requirements, see the Policies and Procedures section, Graduate and Post-Baccalaureate Information in this Catalog.

CSU Apply application with statement of purpose for admission to SJSU.
Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
Grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 in last 60 units of coursework.
45 hours of Pre-professional experience.
Certificate of Clearance (fingerprint clearance) from California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).
Two letters of recommendation.

If completing MA simultaneously with the Education Specialist Credential must also submit:

7. Verification of Basic Skills or Passing scores on the California Basic Education Skills Test (CBEST) - submit by end of first semester in program.

8. Verification of Subject Matter Competency or California Subject Examination for Teachers - submit by end of first semester in program.

Upon review of submitted document applicants may be called for a department interview. Applicants are encouraged to attend a department information session for more information about the application process and program offerings. Students must complete each course with a B or higher and maintain a GPA of 3.0 in the program.

Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy

To be advanced to candidacy for the Master of Arts degree, a student must first meet the university requirements for the degree as stated in the Advancement to Candidacy section. Applicants may be admitted to classified standing if they meet the admissions requirements for both the Graduate Division and the department. The minimum requirements for the program are a bachelor's degree in any discipline and a minimum 2.75 GPA at entrance. Candidates must maintain a 3.0 GPA for Advancement to Candidacy.

University Requirements

Candidacy denotes that a student is fully qualified to complete the final stages of the Master of Arts degree. General university requirements for advancement to candidacy are detailed in the Graduate Policies and Procedures section of this catalog. Candidacy includes successful completion of the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR). For graduate courses that meet the GWAR, by successfully completing EDSE 285 - Seminar on Issues Related to Teaching Exceptional Individuals with a grade of B or higher.

Department Requirements

1. Complete the Graduate Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) by completing EDSE 285 with a grade of B or higher. 2. Maintain an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher 3. Meet with your graduate advisor to complete the Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form.

University Graduation Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must pass the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) course and Culminating experience identified below..

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of Special Education at San José State University

Entry Requirements

U.S. bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, or the completion of a 4-year bachelor’s degree from a recognized, accredited, and approved institution from a country outside of the U.S.
A 2.5 institutional or college cumulative GPA (from the 0.0 - 4.0 U.S. grading scale) in the last degree completed, or a 2.5 GPA in the last two years of full time study. Please note that individual program requirements may have a higher GPA requirement.
Good academic standing at the last institution attended.
English Language Proficiency Exam, if necessary.

English Requirements

PTEMin 53
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 80

Tuition and Fee Information for Master of Special Education at San José State University

Application Fee 250

How to Apply for Master of Special Education at San José State University

Submit an online application through Cal State Apply for desired term and program to San José State University. This step must be completed regardless of any extra steps required by your specific graduate program. You may only apply to one degree program per admission term. NOTE: Admission term can be selected on the Cal State Apply landing page.

For a step-by-step guide on how to complete the Cal State Apply application for SJSU, visit our International Application Tutorial [pdf].

Note: An application fee is due at the time you submit your Cal State Apply application. This fee is non-refundable, even if your application is withdrawn or denied and only used for the applied term. Fee waivers are not available at this time.

In order to successfully obtain an F-1 visa, you will need to correctly designate yourself as an international applicant planning to study on an F-1 or J-1 visa at the beginning of your Cal State Apply application during the “Complete Your Profile” section.

Select 'Yes' for the question: Do you have or will you require an F-1 (student) or J-1 visa (exchange) to study the California State University (CSU)?

If you mistakenly apply as a domestic applicant and intend to study on an international student visa for a program that is NOT currently offered to international students, your application will be withdrawn.

NOTE: Submit your Cal State Apply application per your legal name as indicated on your passport. Discrepancies in the spelling or order of your name will result in delays in processing your application.

Master of Special Education at San José State University

San José State University

United States of America, Aberdeen