Grow Your Skills, Advocacy and Knowledge
Make a difference in the lives of pre-K-12 students with disabilities through advanced knowledge in special education. The master’s in special education at ACE equips you with the skills you need to develop curriculum, design engaging learning environments, and deliver effective instruction that meets the developmental needs of all learners. You’ll be prepared to evolve your classroom with evidence-based theories, resources, materials and technology beneficial for SPED students.
This program provides practical and applicable frameworks to help you establish and maintain partnerships with families, fellow educators, administrators and the community. You’ll also apply action research to promote advancements to better support students with disabilities within educational settings. Become a leader in special education and use the power of knowledge to make an impact.
Note: This program is not designed to lead to licensure. If you’re interested in a shorter, licensure-based pathway, you can explore our Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Special Education program.
Empower your students and community, and take the next step toward a future full of possibility.
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 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.
Here are the courses you’ll take when working towards this program. If no focus of study option is selected, you can choose any 3 courses from the study options below.
Visit the College Catalog to see all courses.
We believe in full transparency with our total cost of attendance. No hidden fees. No surprises along the way.
Continuing your education is a big decision that involves an investment of your time and money. We recognize that, which is why we're committed to ensuring you experience a positive return on that investment.
You only pay the cost it takes for us to deliver your education, nothing more. By keeping our tuition low, we’ve helped our students see a $19.20 return in future higher earnings for every $1 they invested in their ACE education.1
Because of our low tuition and total program cost, 87% of our students graduate debt-free.2 Popular payment options include paying by course, paying by month or paying in full. Visit our payment options page to learn more.
You deserve a great return on your educational investment, and we deliver master's degrees at a total average cost of $10,000*. We also award over $1.2M in scholarships and grants each year.
Tuition & ROIWe 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 85% graduation rate.3 Our curriculum equips you with practical strategies you can apply right away, as well as skills to help you advance your career.
Success StoriesOur 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.
Support ServicesBecause we don’t have a physical campus, our students don’t need to pay infrastructure or facility fees. We also keep our operational costs low by not participating in Title IV federal funding. We pass all these savings along to our students.
Due to our engaging online format, you’ll connect and learn from industry peers worldwide. And even though you’re learning online, you won’t feel alone thanks to student discussion boards and online forums.
Learn strategies and skills you can apply immediately and leverage for future career advancement. Employers of ACE graduates report a 96% satisfaction rate,3 while 98% of our students felt their professional skills were stronger after graduation.3
Every course is created by our in-house curriculum and production team working in tandem with our academic leaders. Plus, all courses follow a consistent structure. No outdated coursework, no surprises.
*The application fee is valid for one year from date of submission.
**Additional evidence may be required to fulfill state requirements, including but not limited to verification of professional experience, test scores, or an interview.
All applicants must submit, to the Admissions Office, an official evaluation from a NACES-approved organization.
All applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate competence in the English language as demonstrated in one of three ways:
2Internal research conducted November 2025
4Education Data Initiative accessed on January 28, 2026
Our Enrollment Counselors are here to answer your questions and walk you through the enrollment process.