Special Education (M.Ed.)

Program Overview

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. The Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt conducts groundbreaking research, establishes innovative practices, and develops widely used methods.

In the master's in Special Education, you’ll conduct fieldwork and research projects, collaborate with faculty and other students on important initiatives, participate in colloquia with experts from various disciplines, and supervise undergraduates’ field experiences. Because there is a shortage of qualified special education professionals, it is possible that your education could be fully funded through U.S. Department of Education grants.

The Special Education graduate program is closely associated with the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, one of 14 national centers for research on intellectual and developmental disabilities. This relationship allows you to benefit from the center's many available resources and programs.

Teacher Licensure

Completing of the master’s degree in Special Education can lead to a recommendation to the state for a teaching license in your selected area of concentration.

The Office of Teacher Licensure coordinates teacher licensure policies and procedures for the special education program so you’ll be prepared to meet Tennessee and other accreditation standards for teacher licensing.

Peabody College graduates licensed in Tennessee also can be licensed in other states. Completing licensure requirements may require work beyond the normal degree requirements.

Related Programs

You may also be interested in the Master of Education of the Deaf (M.D.E.) degree at Vanderbilt University, offered through the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences. The 1-to 2-year program emphasizes the training needed to develop spoken language and auditory skills in deaf and hard-of-hearing children.

Program at a Glance

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Special Education

Department of Special Education

Program Director: Alexandra Da Fonte, Ph.D.
Admissions Coordinator: Kelly Limina
Admission Term: Fall
Credit Hours: 30–60
Priority Application Deadline: December 31* for fall entrance

* We will continue to accept applications after this date, but applications will be evaluated for admission and scholarships as space and funds are available.

Note: For the 2023 application cycle, GRE scores are recommended but not required.

Application Checklist Scholarships and Financial Aid Request More Information Apply Now

Program Areas and Specializations

You’ll develop competencies in all categories of exceptionality, but your studies will focus in one of four program areas:

Applied Behavior Analysis —for students who are already licensed as special education teachers and want to practice ABA in educational settings after completing the degree program or are specifically interested in training focused on school-based applications that integrate best ABA and SPED practices.
Early Childhood —for students who want to serve infants, toddlers, young children, and their families who deal with a wide range of developmental delays including cognitive, communication, social, adaptive behavior, and motor skills.
High Incidence —for those intending to become intervention specialists for children and young adults with reading and math disabilities and persistent behavior problems.
Low Incidence—Within the Low Incidence Program there are two tracks: Severe Disabilities and Visual Disabilities
- Track in Severe Disabilities —for those who wish to focus on working with students with intellectual disability, autism, multiple disabilities and other significant needs.
- Track in Visual Disabilities —for future teachers who want to provide access to the general curriculum and to teach the expanded core curriculum for students with visual impairments, including those with multiple disabilities.

Add-On Specialization

The Applied Behavior Analysis Specialization Program is offered in conjunction with a primary specialization in early childhood special education, high incidence disabilities (intervention specialist), or severe disabilities. The add-on specialization teaches you to conduct functional behavioral assessments, write behavior intervention programs, and carry out those intervention programs for a range of individuals with behavior problems. For more information please contact Dr. Johanna Staubitz.

Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Throughout our courses, we highlight the importance of advocating and promoting equity among students with special needs. We focus on including all students no matter their background, needs, or skills level. We do this by teaching our scholars to be strong team members and collaborators, by having high expectations while developing their professional dispositions, and by providing field experiences in high-need schools with diverse learners.

Selected Courses Related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

SPED 7100: Cultural Diversity in American Education - This course focuses on cultural diversity and the ways in which it has been defined and treated in the American educational system. An interdisciplinary perspective informs the course, with particular attention to history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and educational literatures.

SPED 7000: Education and Psychology of Exceptional Learners - This course presents an overview of people who are labeled "exceptional" and the implications for education related to them. It examines the disabilities that people have and the services, systems, and concepts associated with them. Content includes legal, sociological, educational, political, general system theory, and psychological perspectives.

Selected Faculty Research Related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

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
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.

Success Stories

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

Sissy Peters

High Incidence Special Education
M.Ed. '13
Program Manager
Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Reading Clinic and Learning Assessment Clinic

Field Experience

Field experiences are a key component of your individual program of studies in Special Education. You will be able to work with children and adults with intellectual disability, autism, language impairments, behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, visual impairments, orthopedic disabilities, or multiple disabilities.

Program 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.

The following are required courses for each specific program area:

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

Faculty

At Peabody, exciting next-generation research is always underway. Department faculty often collaborate with students on important initiatives and publish their findings. Peabody faculty, alumni, and students are responsible for one in five publications comprising the entire literature in the fields of intellectual disability and psychology.

Erin Barton