Master of Education in Special Education / Cross-Categorical (Licensure)
Grand Canyon University

Program Details

Grand Canyon University’s Master of Education in Special Education (ITL) program is designed for education professionals with a passion to work with K–12 children who have mild to moderate disabilities; graduates of this program may seek initial teaching licensure. Courses are facilitated by experts in the field who incorporate their knowledge and experience in the areas of learning, emotional, behavioral, physical and cognitive disabilities and impairments into the curriculum. This program is formulated so that graduates have the readiness to impact special needs populations and implement individualized learning plans customized to various learning needs. The format and courses of this regionally accredited and Arizona State Board of Education approved program are designed for adult learners who build upon their strengths and expand their skill set to support children with diverse learning abilities. These courses also meet the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) principles and Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards. Throughout the program, students have opportunities to apply concepts, theories and research. Teacher candidates follow the field experience assignments of each course to gain 96 hours of observational and practice-based experiences. Access to a K–12 classroom is necessary to complete the program assignments. Teacher candidates also must have exposure to mild and moderate disability categories in the classroom. Teacher candidates are required to complete a full-time, 15-week student teaching component with a certified special education teacher. It is the responsibility of the teacher candidate to contact their state department of education for licensure requirements and program approval.

% Online

Mostly Online

School Accreditation & Licensing

Grand Canyon University is accredited by:

Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

Grand Canyon University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (https://www.hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

https://www.gcu.edu/academics/accreditation

Program Requirements & Restrictions

Minimum Education

Bachelor Degree

Recommended GPA

2.8 or above (4.0 scale)

Application Requirements

Official College Transcript(s), Additional Materials May Be Required

Additional Info

  • This program requires practicum/field experience hours.

Restricted States

Kentucky, Massachusetts

Disclosures

Online courses exclude programs with residencies and field experience.  

Grand Canyon University ©2022 – All Rights Reserved. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu. Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment.

For more information on the accreditation of nursing programs and other university approvals, please visit our University Accreditation and Regulations page: https://www.gcu.edu/academics/accreditation/college-of-nursing-and-healthcare