Special Education: Visual Impairments (M.Ed.) |

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Program Overview

Through a combination of evidence-based coursework, hands-on training, mentorship, and extensive field experiences, graduates develop the specialized knowledge and instructional skills needed to provide direct services, teach the Expanded Core Curriculum, and collaborate with general and special educators to ensure equitable access to learning.

The program is designed for both aspiring and practicing educators and offers flexible pathways to meet a variety of professional goals. Students may choose between:

Low-Residency Track
- Combining approximately 75% online coursework with limited on-campus experiences, allowing candidates to complete practicum experiences within their home regions.
On-Campus Track
- Providing face-to-face coursework and clinical experiences in the greater Nashville area

Within each delivery format, students may pursue either initial teaching licensure (33-35 credits) or an added endorsement in Visual Impairments (30-32 credits), making the program accessible to career changers as well as licensed educators seeking specialized credentials.

Curriculum

The curriculum prepares teachers of students with visual impairments (TVIs) through a blend of specialized coursework and supervised clinical practice. Students build expertise in medical and educational implications of visual impairments; Braille reading, writing, and instruction; communication and literacy access; orientation and mobility foundations for teachers; educational access and collaboration across school settings; characteristics of students with low-incidence disabilities; classroom management and behavior support.

The low-residency option allows working professionals to complete much of their clinical preparation in their local communities while receiving mentorship and university supervision.

Candidates in all tracks and program formats (low-residency or hybrid) will engage in rich practicum experiences across semesters. Qualified candidates can request approval to be recommended for provisional endorsement so that they can work as a TVI of record during their second year in the program (completing practicum in their job rather than in a traditional practicum format).

Core Coursework

Core Courses
- SPED 7000 Education and Psychology of Exceptional Learners
- EDUC 6010 Educational Psychology
- SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behaviors
*All international candidates are required to register for EDUC 5100 US Education Concepts and Communication during the fall of their first semester at Peabody College. *This may change based on College and Department requirements.
Core Methods Visual Impairment Courses
- SPEDV 7100 Medical and Education Implications of Visual Impairments
- SPEDV 7200 Issues & Trends for Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
- SPEDV 7300 Braille Reading and Writing
- SPEDV 7400 Communication and Literacy Skills for Students with Visual Impairments
- SPEDV 7600 Educational Access and Collaboration for Students with Visual Impairments
- SPEDV 7700 Orientation and Mobility for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments
- SPEDS 7700 Characteristic of Students with Low Incidence Disabilities
- SPEDV 7900 Teaching Braille
Field Experiences
- SPEDV 7951 Fieldwork in Visual Impairments
- SPEDV 7952 Foundations in Advanced Fieldwork in Visual Impairments
- SPEDV 7953 Advanced Fieldwork in Visual Impairments
- SPEDV 7991 Extended Student Teaching for Graduate Students in Visual Impairments
Elective Courses

See Degree Audit for potential elective courses.
Thesis or Specialty Project
- SPEDV 7960 Reading and Research in Special Education (Independent Studies)
- SPED 7989 Specialty Project in Special Education
- SPED 7990 Master’s Thesis in Special Education

Career Outcomes

Graduates are prepared for specialized careers serving students with visual impairments, blindness, and deafblindness in schools and community settings. Depending on licensure status and chosen pathway, graduates may pursue roles such as:

teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI),
vision specialist,
Braille instructor,
educational consultant,
itinerant TVI,
early intervention specialist,
special education teacher,
transition specialist,
or program coordinator for visual impairment service.

ABA Add-On Program Option

Students in special education programs at Peabody have the option to add a specialization in applied behavior analysis to their degree.

What is the add-on specialization in applied behavior analysis (ABA)?

The add-on specialization in applied behavior analysis (ABA) is an option for students who are interested in a future career as a behavior analyst working in schools, early childhood centers, or other educational settings. This specialization is offered in conjunction with the special education degree program and involves completing the ABA course sequence (approx. 12-18 credit hours of additional coursework) and two semesters of ABA internship including fieldwork hours that can be accrued toward Behavior Analyst Certification Board requirements (please see www.bacb.com for a complete description of credentialing requirements). To learn more about ABA training at Vanderbilt, please visit our website.
Please note that it is required for Special Education M.Ed. students to complete teacher preparation requirements to participate in the ABA specialization. To participate, students must maintain good standing in their primary program (i.e., initial special education teacher licensure or endorsement in one of the following areas: early childhood special education, high incidence disabilities, severe disabilities, or visual disabilities).
What is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)?

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) are credentialed members of the healthcare and human services industry who have additional training in the science of behavior change. Behavior analysts may work in a variety of roles (e.g., consultants, trainers, educators) in a variety of settings (e.g., organizations, schools, clinics, homes).
In educational settings, which are the focus of Vanderbilt’s ABA training sequence, behavior analysts are team members in an individual’s behavior change process and work with individuals, families, educators, and other team members to promote therapeutic change in socially meaningful behavior (e.g., functional communication, social engagement, academic performance).

Program Facts

Program Coordinator: Rachel Schles

Admission Term: Summer

Enrollment: Full-time (on-campus program only, initial license or endorsement/add-on) and Working-Professionals (part-time, hybrid program; hybrid option limited to currently working teachers in Tennessee)

Credit Hours: 30-45

Format: Option to select between a traditional on-campus program or a hybrid/low-residential program

Licensure Tracks: Initial Licensure option for applicants without a teaching licensure and Endorsement/Add-on options for applicants with any type of current teacher license

Download Prospective TVI Resource

Application Dates

Application Deadline 1

December 1
Application Deadline 2

January 3
Rolling Admissions

After January 3

*Applications after January 3 will be accepted on a rolling basis as space allows.

Low Residency Track

Low Residency Program Details
There are two pathways in this track:
- Initial licensure
- Added endorsement
The initial licensure pathway (33 credits) is for candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree in an area other than teaching. The added endorsement pathway (30-32 credits) is for candidates who are licensed in an area other than Visual Impairments Special Education (e.g., special education (any domain), elementary education, secondary education). The initial and endorsement tracks are aligned to the InTASC, and CEC SPA standards. All candidates will be required to complete a capstone project which meets Department guidelines and standards.
Candidates in both pathways will complete approximately 120 hours of practicum across their first four semesters. Candidates in the initial licensure pathway will complete job-embedded practicum (in place of traditional student teaching) across their second year of the program, working full-time as a teacher of students with visual impairments (TVI) of record in a Tennessee school. Candidates in the added endorsement pathway will have the option to complete 100 hours of traditional practicum. Endorsement candidates also have the option to request to be recommended for provisional endorsement and work a part- or full-time TVI caseload, completing practicum requirements as the teacher of record.

Initial Licensure Pathway Coursework and Timeline

Semester	Initial Licensure / Embedded Program Course Sequence
Summer 1	SPEDV 7200 Issues & Trends for Educating Students with Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDV 7300 Reading & Writing Braille (1 credit)
Fall 1	SPEDV 7100 Medical & Educational Implications of Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDS 7700 or SPEDV 7800 (Characteristics of Students with Low Incidence Disabilities) (3 credits) SPEDV 7951 Fieldwork in Visual Disabilities (1 credit/start course)
Spring 1	SPEDV 7400 Communications & Literacy Access for Students with Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDV 7900 Teaching Braille (3 credits) SPEDV 7951 Fieldwork in Visual Disabilities (finish course)
Summer 2	SPEDV 7700 Orientation & Mobility for the Teacher of the Visually Impaired (3 credits) SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior (3 credits) SPEDV 7951 Fieldwork in Visual Disabilities (1 credit)
Fall 2	SPEDV 7600 Access and Collaboration for Students with Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDV 8899 Embedded Practicum I (3 credits)
Spring 2	SPEDV 8900 Embedded Practicum II (3 credits)

Added Endorsement Pathway Coursework and Timeline

Semester	Endorsement Program Course Sequence
Summer 1	SPEDV 7200 Issues & Trends for Educating Students with Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDV 7300 Reading & Writing Braille (1 credit)
Fall 1	SPEDV 7100 Medical & Educational Implications of Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDS 7700 or SPEDV 7800 (Characteristics of Students with Low Incidence Disabilities) (3 credits) SPEDV 7951 Fieldwork in Visual Disabilities (1 credit/start course)
Spring 1	SPEDV 7400 Communications & Literacy Access for Students with Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDV 7900 Teaching Braille (3 credits) SPEDV 7951 Fieldwork in Visual Disabilities (finish course)
Summer 2	SPEDV 7700 Orientation & Mobility for the Teacher of the Visually Impaired (3 credits) SPED 7400 Management Procedures for Academic and Social Behavior (3 credits) SPEDV 7951 Fieldwork in Visual Disabilities (1 credit)
Fall 2	SPEDV 7600 Access and Collaboration for Students with Visual Impairments (3 credits) SPEDV 7952 Foundations of Advanced Practicum (1-3 credits*)
Spring 2	SPEDV 7953 Advanced Practicum (2 credits)

On-Campus Track

On-Campus Program Details

The on-campus option has 4 established pathways: two for initial licensure (US citizen and international student pathways) and two for added endorsement in visual impairments (US citizen and international student pathways).
The initial licensure pathway (42 credits) is for candidates who hold a bachelor’s degree in an area other than teaching. The added endorsement pathway (30 credits) is for candidates who are licensed in an area other than Visual Impairments Special Education (e.g., special education (any domain), elementary education, secondary education).
The initial and endorsement pathways are aligned to the InTASC, and CEC SPA standards. All candidates will be required to complete a capstone project which meets Department guidelines and standards.
Candidates in all pathways will complete approximately 240 hours of practicum across three semesters. Candidates in the initial licensure pathway will also complete a 15-week student teaching practicum to meet TDOE requirements for initial licensure.
On-Campus Coursework and Timeline

These courses are currently being assigned to their relevant semester of study. The courses and timeline will be updated in early August 2027.

US Office of Special Education Program Training Grant

Funding opportunities are available through the U.S. Department of Education-funded personnel preparation training grant, Project RISE-TVIs. Robust scholarship and financial supports for both full time and part-time/working professional scholars, seeking either initial licensure or an add-on endorsement in Visual Disabilities.

Funding is also available through Project VIBE, which provides a robust scholarship for endorsement candidates in our hybrid program. Enrichment activities through Project VIBE center on Applied Behavior Analysis and how to best collaborate with other professionals to support students with sensory disabilities.

Special Education: Visual Impairments (M.Ed.)