Master of Science

Special Education

Central to Maximizing Student Success. 

Create more equitable schools and services by enhancing and improving learning for struggling learners and students with exceptional needs with a CCSU MS in Special Education. Learn foundational skills to create an inclusive and culturally responsive learning environment that builds equity and supports all students. Develop teaching skills to meet the unique academic and social-emotional needs of learners. Licensure/certification programs nationally accredited by the Council for Exceptional Children and meets the requirements of the Connecticut State Department of Education. 

Program Features

  • Starts every January and August  
  • Attend full- or part-time  
  • Flexible scheduling: over 80% hybrid and/or accelerated formats, evening classes  
  • Course-embedded assignments facilitate application and transfer of learning to the classroom  
  • Course content aligned with edTPA; candidates receive guidance and support throughout their edTPA development  
  • Extensive experience and support with Durational Shortage Area Permit (DSAP) process  
  • Applied Capstone sequence providing opportunity to implement and assess evidence- based supports and focuses on data-based individualization typically taken during first year of teaching  
  • Financial aid is available  
  • No GMAT/GRE required 

Program Options

Inclusion & Transition

General education teachers or individuals with a degree in a related area of study develop the knowledge, skills, and professional disposition to effectively teach individuals with disabilities and/or assist in their transition to a different learning environment. Well-suited to work in adult programs, residential programs, community- based programs, and non-profit agencies.

Specialization for Special Educators

Special Education teachers develop advanced knowledge, skills, and professional disposition to effectively teach individuals with disabilities. Customized to meet the professional development needs of special education teachers prepared at the undergraduate level.  

- Ryan McMahon

CCSU's Special Education program helped prepare me for the variety of situations and nuances that are a part of being a special education teacher. Individual students and teaching environments can be so variable in this field that a special ed teacher must have the skills to research, adapt, be flexible and critically analyze each individual situation. The professors of the Special Education program have helped prepare me not only with background knowledge of teaching techniques and features of common disabilities but prepared me to look at every situation critically and how to teach according to individual needs.

- Ryan McMahon

Did You Know?

CCSU’s program offers specially designed instruction (SDI) containing 3 methods courses that focus on special education methods in reading instruction, writing instruction, and content-area instruction. 

What You'll Gain

  • Understanding of the development and characteristics of learners, individual learning differences, and the use of appropriate instructional strategies for various learners  
  • Experience individualizing learning for students with exceptional learning needs  
  • Ability to analyze multiple forms of standardized and curriculum-based assessments and use the information for a variety of educational decisions  
  • Tools to promote professional, ethical, and collaborative practices in the field of special education  
  • Understanding of how to select, adopt, and use evidence-based instructional strategies to enhance learning  
  • Ability to design, deliver, and assess literacy/language strategies to deepen literacy and content learning  
  • Skills to design and deliver instructional and assessment strategies that facilitate significant learning for all students  
  • Ability to modify learning environments to meet student needs 

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