Special Education (M.Ed.)

Improve the lives of children and youth with disabilities at the top special education graduate program in the nation, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.

campus

SPED Links

Collaborate with faculty and other students on important initiatives, participate in colloquia with experts from various disciplines through courses, fieldwork, and research, while fulfilling the special education teacher requirements.

Special Education Graduate Program Overview

Becoming a special education teacher at Peabody allows you to develop competencies in all categories of exceptionality, but your studies will focus on one of three special education track areas:

High Incidence, for those intending to become intervention specialists for children and young adults with reading and math disabilities and persistent behavior problems

Within the Low Incidence Program:

  • Severe Disabilities, to serve students with intellectual disability, autism, multiple disabilities and other intensive support needs
  • Visual Disabilities, to serve students with visual impairments, blindness, and deafblindness, and to collaborate with teachers, school staff, and families

For those interested in early childhood education, see our Integrated Early Childhood Education program.

Because there is a shortage of qualified special education teachers, your education may be funded through U.S. Department of Education grants.

Careers

Of Special Education job-seeking graduates, 100 percent were employed or are attending graduate school within four months of graduation.

Info Session

  • Nov. 4, 2025

    5:30 p.m. (CST)

    Special Education (M.Ed.) Info Session

    If you've identified an interest in Peabody's Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Integrated Early Childhood Education (IECE), or Special Education M.Ed. programs, we invite you to join us for a combined program information session taking place Tuesday, November 4 at 5:30 p.m. CT. 

    Drs. Joey Staubitz, and Alexandra Da Fonte, Program Directors, will discuss the structure and curriculum of each program, career outcomes, application requirements and timeline, and end the webinar with a Q&A with current students to discuss the Peabody and Special Education department student experience. We encourage you to register to attend!

    ABA, IECE, and Special Education are all campus-based programs, each with teacher licensure-granting and non-licensure tracks

    Special Education is a campus-based program that offers both teacher licensure and non-licensure tracks.

    Register Now

Sissy Peters, M.Ed.

"I know with confidence that my impact in the field reflects Peabody's No. 1 ranking."

Sissy Peters, M.Ed., Curriculum Manager, Faculty Development, HCA Healthcare

Explore how to teach for impact with a master of education in our digital guidebook.

Special Education Program Facts

Program Director: Alexandra Da Fonte
Admissions Coordinator: Katherine Prioletti
Admission Term: Fall
Credit Hours: 30-60

Application Dates

  • Priority Decision 1

    December 1*

  • Priority Decision 2

    January 3

  • Rolling Decision

    After January 3

*For more information on application dates and requirements, and the benefits of Priority Decision, see the How to Apply page.

Request Information

Master’s in Special Education Curriculum

The Special Education degree program stresses field-based learning and experience, with the opportunity to participate in supervised research. Programs of study are planned in consultation with the faculty advisor. To satisfy your degree requirements, you will take a comprehensive sit-down exam that evaluates your competence in the field of special education and complete a master's specialty area project or thesis.

Special Education (M.Ed.) Coursework

  • Required Courses by Specialization

    Early Childhood Special Education

    • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
    • SPEDE 7100 Advanced Issues in Family Intervention
    • SPEDE 7400 Instruction and Learning in Early Childhood Special Education
    • SPEDE 7450 Screening and Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education
    • SPEDE 7500 Special Topic: Curriculum Design in Early Childhood Special Education
    • SPEDE 7600 Recommended Practices in Early Elementary Grades for Students with Disabilities
    • SPEDE 7951 Field Work in Early Childhood Special Education
    • SPEDE 7953 Advanced Field Work in Early Childhood Special Education
    • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
    • SPEDS 7700 Characteristics of Students with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities

    High Incidence (Intervention Specialist): K-8

    • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
    • SPED 7810 Research Methods in Special Education
    • SPEDH 7100 Trends and Issues in Learning Disabilities or SPEDH 7200 Trends and Issues for Students with Behavior Disorders
    • SPEDH 7300 Teaching Mathematics to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties: K-8
    • SPED 7350 Assessment for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPED 7410 Teaching Reading to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7420 Advanced Reading Methods for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7440 Teaching Middle School Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
    • SPEDH 7953 Advanced Field Work in Special Education

    High Incidence (Intervention Specialist): 6-12

    • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
    • SPED 7810 Research Methods in Special Education
    • SPEDH 7100 Trends and Issues in Learning Disabilities or SPEDH 7200 Trends and Issues for Students with Behavior Disorders
    • SPEDH 7310 Teaching Mathematics to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties: 6-12
    • SPED 7350 Assessment for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7400 Teaching High School Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPED 7410 Teaching Reading to Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7440 Teaching Middle School Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
    • SPEDH 7953 Advanced Field Work in Special Education

    High Incidence (Intensive Intervention Specialist)

    You must have teacher licensure to pursue this program area.

    • SPED 7350 Assessment for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Difficulties
    • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
    • SPED 7810 Research Methods in Special Education
    • SPED 7962 Practicum: Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Behavior Difficulties
    • SPED 7961 Practicum: Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7100 Trends and Issues in Learning Disabilities or SPEDH 7200 Trends and Issues for Students with Behavior Disorders
    • SPEDH 7600 Advanced Procedures in Classroom Management and Social Skills Instruction for Students with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
    • SPEDH 7610 Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Academic Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7620 Intensive Interventions for Students with Severe and Persistent Behavior Difficulties
    • SPEDH 7800. Collaboration, Ethics, and Leadership to Support Students with Severe and Persistent Academic and Behavior Disabilities

    Severe Disabilities

    • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
    • SPEDE 7100 Advanced Issues in Family Intervention
    • SPEDS 7100 Augmentative and Alternative Communication
    • SPEDS 7250 Methods of Instruction for Students with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
    • SPEDS 7954 Field Work in Special Education: Autism, Intellectual, and Multiple Disabilities
    • SPEDS 7700 Characteristics of Students with Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities
    • SPEDS 7200 Advanced Access to General Education and Teaching Functional Academics
    • SPEDS 7300 Advanced Procedures for Transition to Adult Life
    • SPEDS 7710 Seminar: Current Issues in Autism and Severe Disabilities
    • SPEDS 7953 Advanced Fieldwork in Multiple and Severe Disabilities
    • SPEDS 7991 Extended Student Teaching for Graduate Students

    Visual Disabilities

    • SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior
    • SPED 8810 Introduction to Single-Subject Research Methodology
    • SPEDV 7510 Medical and Educational Implications of Visual Impairments
    • SPEDV 7520 Educational Procedures for Students with Visual Impairments
    • SPEDV 7530 Advanced Braille
    • SPEDV 7540 Communication and Literacy Skills for Students with Visual Impairments
    • SPEDV 7550 Orientation and Mobility Skills for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments
    • SPEDV 7560 Characteristics and Instruction for Students with Multiple Disabilities Including Deaf-blindness
    • SPEDV 7570 Advanced Procedures for Students with Visual Impairments
    • SPEDV 7951 Field Work in Visual Impairments
    • SPEDV 7953 Advanced Field Work in Visual Impairments

Selected Special Education Faculty Research

Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez, associate professor of special education and associate dean for graduate education

Jeannette Mancilla-Martinez, associate professor of special education and associate dean for graduate education

Professor Mancilla-Martinez's program of research is focused on advancing students' language and reading comprehension outcomes, including those of students from Spanish-speaking, low-income homes. Her studies build on her earlier research in reading development and the central importance of supporting students' language comprehension to mitigate later reading comprehension difficulties.

Naomi Tyler, associate professor of the practice

Naomi Tyler, associate professor of the practice

Professor Tyler's research focuses on improving the education of students with disabilities in inclusive settings, translation of research to practice, supply and demand of special education faculty, diversity in personnel preparation, teaching diverse learners, and high incidence disabilities.

Teacher Pathway Scholarship

  • Scholarship Details

    Applicants to this program qualify for the Teacher Pathway Scholarship, which guarantees a minimum 30% scholarship to all admitted students in initial licensure programs and advanced programs (eligible programs listed below). This guaranteed funding has been put in place in order to

    • broaden access to high-quality graduate education for individuals hoping to enter the teaching profession, and
    • make a commitment to increasing the teacher workforce, particularly in Tennessee.

    Eligible Programs

    Initial Licensure Programs

    • Secondary Education
    • Elementary Education
    • Multilingual Education
    • Special Education

    Advanced Programs

    • School Counseling
    • Reading Education
    • Pre-K-12 EdD

    Applicants are automatically considered for this, and all merit-based scholarships. There's no extra work for applicants to do on their application in order to qualify.

    Scholarship cannot be combined with other Peabody scholarships; if a student is eligible for multiple awards, the larger amount will be granted. Students who accept grant-funded positions and those who opt out of merit aid consideration are excluded from the scholarship.

Faculty

    No matches