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Call 314-246-7800 or 800-753-6765 or email admit@webster.edu
200,000+
Alumni from our Global Campuses
Our Special Education program is proudly celebrating its 45th anniversary.
This program is grounded in an integrated philosophy of social justice and inclusion, while preparing teachers and individuals who are interested in this field of study to advocate for an improved quality of life for people with disabilities. The curriculum emphasizes developmentally oriented theory and research in the areas of cognitive and socio-emotional development.
Depending on your area of interest, students who enroll in a Master of Arts degree (MA) in Special Education will take additional graduate courses to be a certified specialist with an emphasis of your own choosing. For students who are interested in teaching children with special needs, the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) with an emphasis in special education prepares candidates for initial teacher certification in mild/moderate disabilities, providing options for other certifications requirements and additional elementary content.
Special Education Programs
Students can pursue an MA and choose from one of five area of emphasis. If interested in initial teacher certification, choose the MAT with an emphasis in special education.
Master of Arts in Special Education
Earning a MA requires 33 credit hours. Adding an emphasis requires additional 18-21 credit hours.
Note: This program does not lead to initial teacher certification in special education.
Master of Arts in Teaching, Emphasis in Special Education
MAT requires 37 credit hours of course work and 14 hours of field experience. It prepares candidates for initial teacher certification in mild/moderate disabilities.
Student Voices
Certificates and Requirements
The 21-hour online advanced graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis is designed for educators and health care professionals working in schools, community agencies, residential centers and family settings who provide services to children and adults with developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, psychiatric and behavioral challenges. The program also prepares professionals to teach the skills and abilities needed to live and interact responsibly in the community.
The Association for Behavior Analysis International and the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, Inc. have approved the course sequence. These classes meet the coursework requirements for eligibility to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst Examination®.
Program Requirements
Students will complete a sequence of seven courses. Enrollments are twice a year in a cohort format that will begin in the fall term or in the spring term. Learn more about requirements for this program.
Learn more about the field of behavior analysis.
View the fieldwork experience standards.
This is an 18-hour program to complete a graduate certificate in Dyslexia.
This program offers the six required courses that are aligned with the International Dyslexia Association's (IDA) Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading.
Program Requirements
Earning this graduate certificate in Dyslexia, students must take all of these six courses at our main campus in St. Louis, MO.
Learn more about requirements for this program.
This is a 20-hour advanced graduate certificate program.
This program is designed for educators and other qualified professionals who are interested in pursuing careers as a behavior specialist and/or statewide, regional, or district-wide multi-tiered systems (MTSS) developers and consultants.
This program focuses on Response to Intervention (RTI) and Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) to building capacity of school districts, regional consortia, and state agencies to plan and implement tiered prevention systems to improve social behavior and learning outcomes for K-12 students.
This is an 18-hour advanced graduate certificate designed to build on the knowledge base of special educators who are qualified to teach students with mild and moderate disabilities.
This program will extend the capabilities of special educators to provide individualized and appropriate educational opportunities to all children.
Program Requirements
Students seeking this advanced graduate certificate must have earned a recognized master's degree with a graduate cumulative GPA of 3.0.
This is an 18-hour advanced graduate certificate.
This program is designed for practicing teachers, school-based mental health specialists, counselors, and other related services professionals, who are interested in expanding their expertise in advocating and working with children who have experienced trauma as well as severe emotional and behavioral disorders.