About the Special Education Program
In conjunction with the state of Texas, the special education program provides for coursework in the certification areas of generic special education, educational diagnostician, visual impairment, and deaf education. Additional national certifications are available in orientation and mobility and applied behavior analysis. Students in the graduate special education program are prepared to work with individuals with disabilities in a variety of settings, including the public schools, higher education, and the private sector. A post-baccalaureate degree to obtain generic special education certification is also available. To be certified in the state of Texas, students must pass the TExES examination for their area.
Specific areas of interest within the special education program include autism, applied behavior analysis, generic special education, orientation and mobility, visual impairment, deafblindness, deaf education, and special education transition.
A minimum of 36 hours is required for the master’s degree. Additional hours are required for certain certificates, including educational diagnostician. Students may select to write a thesis or complete the non-thesis route. A majority of the courses in the master’s program in special education are available online.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Special Education requires 90 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate. Courses in the doctoral core are generally available throughout the year, including the summer sessions. These hours are typically traditional on-campus classes with options for distance participation. The remainder of the program can be completed on campus or through distance education with a residency requirement.
Special education program applicants for the post-baccalaureate, certification, master’s, or doctoral program must complete an application found at https://www.depts.ttu.edu/education/graduate/. Acceptance to the master’s program does not guarantee later acceptance to the doctoral program. For additional information, visit www.educ.ttu.edu. For information about the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies leading to a special education certificate, refer to the Department of Teacher Education section .
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