Department Overview
SPED ranks high in scholarly production and leads in equipping special educators to deliver outstanding education for students with disabilities.The department has a rich tradition of excellence in teacher education and is routinely ranked as one of the top training programs in the country. Students gain the skills necessary to assess, plan, and monitor the progress of persons with disabilities. Master's program graduates typically receive multiple offers of employment, and doctoral program graduates assume faculty and research positions in leading universities across the country.
Undergraduate Program
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Special Education (B.S.)
The undergraduate program in Special Education prepares students to work with persons with disabilities and leads to teacher licensure. Students pursue an interdisciplinary major in exceptional learning with emphasis in one of three specialty areas: High Incidence Disabilities (K-8 and/or 6-12) or Multiple and Severe Disabilities.
Master's Programs
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Applied Behavior Analysis
Housed within the U.S. News & World Report No. 1 ranked Department of Special Education, the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) M.Ed. Program is designed for licensed special education teachers who want to practice ABA in educational settings or are specifically interested in training focused on school-based applications that integrate best ABA and SPED practices. -
Special Education (M.Ed.)
This program is designed both for students who have teacher licensure and those wanting to obtain it. Students choose from 4 concentrations: early childhood, high incidence disabilities, severe disabilities, and visual disabilities.
Doctoral Program
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Special Education (Ph.D.)
The doctoral program is designed to prepare students for faculty and leadership positions in colleges, universities, research institutes, or human service agencies. The program is competency based, with specific emphases on research and teaching. An individually crafted program of study consists of core requirements and an individually designed series of courses and competencies.
Post-Master's Certificate
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Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate
Peabody College's Online Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis features coursework verified by the Association for Behavior Analysis International and is grounded in educational research and technology. The program challenges students to integrate applied behavior analysis into practice as they deliver high-quality behavioral services under challenging, real-world conditions to develop and extend behavioral technology to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities.
![SPED at work in the classroom](https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-sub/wp-content/uploads/sites/280/2023/07/sped-classroom.jpg)
Special Education News
Faculty
Administrative Staff
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Vahideh Ahlhauser
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Craig Brodie
Administrative Officer
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Kelly Limina
Admission Coordinator
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Erin Hernandez-Hollie
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Maggie Shelton (Simmons)