The graduate program in Special Education at WVU is designed to prepare professional educators to work with children and adolescents with mild/moderate disabilities including learning disabilities, emotional/behavior disorders, autism, and intellectual disabilities. This graduate level program prepares special education teachers and other professionals to engage in current research-based practices to provide high quality educational programs and services to promote academic achievement and post-school outcomes in inclusive elementary or secondary schools.
The program offers these options:
Master's degree in Special Education with emphasis in Multicategorical Special Education
- For individuals holding a WV Professional Teaching Certificate:
- Adding an Endorsement on the Professional Teaching Certificate with Passing Praxis Scores (Based on Content Proficiency) in Grades K-6 or 5-Adult
- Adding an Autism Endorsement on the Professional Teaching Certificate
- For individuals not holding a WV Professional Teaching Certificate:
- To apply for a Professional Teaching Certificate under the pathway WVDE Alternative Certification
Program Delivery Format
This program is offered entirely online.
Graduation and Completion Requirements
The minimum time to complete most certification or degree programs in special education is:
- Two (2) calendar years at the rate of six (6) credits per semester including summer (part-time study – recommended for students who are working full time and/or have extensive family responsibilities.
- One and one half (1.5) (Three semesters including summer) calendar years at the rate of twelve (12) credits per semester (full-time study- recommended for students who are not employed and/or have minimal family responsibilities.
The maximum time to complete a graduate degree program at WVU (including all transferred courses) is eight (8) years