M.Ed. in Special Education
Earn your master’s in one year or less!
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TOTAL COST
$9,500*
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NEXT START DATE
Apr 07, 2025
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COMPLETION TIME
12 Months†
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AVG. SALARY PREMIUM
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SEMESTER CREDITS
34
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- Overview
- Why ACE?
- Tuition
- Program Details
- Start Dates
- Courses
- Featured Faculty
- Admission Requirements
M.Ed. in Special Education
How do you meet the diverse needs of students with exceptionalities? Designed for current PreK-12 teachers, the M.Ed. in Special Education provides an in-depth study of research-based methods to enhance instruction. You’ll gain valuable skills to develop curriculum, design learning environments, and to build and maintain partnerships to better support students.
Why ACE?
Low-Cost, High Quality
You deserve a great return on your educational investment, and we deliver master’s degrees at a total average cost of $9,500. Our graduates enjoy an average pay increase of over $21,000.¹ We also award over $1.1M in scholarships and grants each year.
Quality You Expect
We are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Our faculty work in the industries where you work and are committed to your success, contributing to our 86% graduation rate.¹ Our curriculum equips you with practical strategies you can apply right away, as well as skills to help you advance your career.
Flexibility You Need
Our virtual campus and convenient start dates provide you the flexibility you need to achieve your goals at a time and place that works with your busy schedule. Our student support services are available 24/7 and tutoring is included at no additional cost.
1Source: Student Right to Know
Tuition
We believe in full transparency with our total cost of attendance. No hidden fees. No surprises along the way.
Total Cost M.Ed. in Special Education |
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Total Tuition 34 semester credits x $235 per credit |
$7,990 |
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Fees $50 Application Fee$100 Conferral Fee $1360 Technology and Library Fee (34 Semester Credits X $40 per Credit) |
$1,510 |
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Total Program Cost |
$9,500* |
Find a plan that fits your budget.
When We Say Low Cost, We Mean It

Western Governors University
Walden University
University of Phoenix
Purdue Global
Grand Canyon University
Southern New Hampshire University
Source: Internal Research Completed June 2024
Program Details
Focus of Study
Differentiated Instruction
Early Childhood Education
General Track
General Special Education
The M.Ed. in Special Education provides educators with the background to support students with exceptionalities in P-12 settings. The courses provide students with evidence-based methods to develop curriculum, design learning environments, and enhance instructional strategies and guidance techniques to support the diverse learning needs of students. The coursework is designed to provide students with an in-depth study of research-based methods to meet the needs of students with special needs in current educational settings.
Program Outcomes
- Design and implement appropriate curriculum and instructional practices to promote learning across all developmental domains.
- Implement program specific standards to develop curriculum to meet individual developmental needs of children in specific content areas.
- Develop a working knowledge of developmental theory, standards, frameworks, and concepts in relation to best practices to support learners with special needs.
- Create a developmentally appropriate learning environment by incorporating evidenced-based instructional practices and resources, materials, and technology to support individual learning needs.
- Construct a framework for establishing and maintaining communicative, collaborative partnerships between the school, professional colleagues, family, and community by advocating for appropriate learning experiences for children with special needs.
- Engage in action research to improve instructional strategies and enhance the learning environment for children with special needs.
- Create activities which promote leadership and advocacy in special education to enhance professional development.
Start Dates
With flexible start dates, you can begin your program when it’s best for you.
April 07, 2025 Term
Apr 04, 2025
Payment Due
Apr 04, 2025
Application Due
Apr 07, 2025
Term Start
Apr 11, 2025
Unregister/Cancel Deadline
May 11, 2025
Term End
May 19, 2025 Term
June 09, 2025 Term
July 07, 2025 Term
August 18, 2025 Term
September 08, 2025 Term
September 29, 2025 Term
November 10, 2025 Term
January 12, 2026 Term
February 23, 2026 Term
Courses
Here are just some of the courses you’ll take when working towards this program. Visit the College Catalog to see all courses.
SPED5013 |
Strategies for Teaching Diverse Learners |
3 Semester Credits |
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SPED5023 |
Assessment and Evaluation in Special Education |
3 Semester Credits |
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SPED5033 |
Law and Policy in Special Education |
3 Semester Credits |
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SPED5043 |
Building Collaborative Relationships |
3 Semester Credits |
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SPED5053 |
Developmental Characteristics of Exceptional Learners |
3 Semester Credits |
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SPED5103 |
Ethical Practices and Standards in Special Education |
3 Semester Credits |
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SPED5003 |
Principles and Practices of Classroom Management for Exceptional Learners |
3 Semester Credits |
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Featured Faculty
Our real-world coursework is taught by experienced faculty.
Admission Requirements
ACE General Admission Requirements
Program Admission Requirements
International Transcript Requirements
English as a Second Language Applicants
*This is an estimated value of the cost for tuition and fees. Amounts may vary depending on number of transfer credits applied to the selected program hours, the pace and satisfactory completion of the selected program, receipt of institutional scholarship and/or grant amounts, or adjustments to tuition or fees as described in the Catalog Right to Modify Tuition section. State sales and use tax will apply where required by law.
State of California Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF)
It is a state of California requirement that a student who pays his or her tuition is required to pay a state-imposed assessment of zero dollars and zero cents ($0.00) per one thousand dollars ($1,000) of institutional charges, rounded to the nearest thousand dollars, for the California Student Tuition Recovery Fund. For more information and to see if you must pay the state-imposed assessment for Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF) click here.
A Note About Licensure:
While this program provides a comprehensive understanding of the intended program outcomes, it does not lead to licensure, certification, or endorsement. ACE offers several programs that do provide a pathway to licensure, certification, or endorsement and they can be found here.
†This is an estimated time to completion. Actual completion time may vary depending on the number of transfer credits applied, availability of courses, a satisfactory pace, successful course completion, and meeting program milestones as required.