Special Education

Know someone with special needs—and you’re ready to learn how to help? Are you interested in a challenging and rewarding career?

Fast-track your career with maximum preparation in minimum time. Apply to Florida State University’s combined BS/MS pathway in Special Education and join our community of dedicated students and internationally renowned faculty who are focused on making a difference in the lives of our society’s most vulnerable people.

In this program, you’ll be prepared to transform the lives of people with:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Learning disabilities
• Emotional/behavioral disorders
• Intellectual disabilities

Our program features:

• Cutting-edge instruction and research
• Small classes with collegial, committed, and collaborative peers
• Enthusiastic faculty fully invested in your academic and professional success
• Empathetic, nurturing approaches to the challenges of becoming a teacher
• Dynamic field experiences to help you learn to work productively with a wide variety of students—and give you a leg up on the competition
• Mentors who help ensure you have the training and tools necessary to successfully support your students’ learning, inspiration, and creativity 

REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCE FROM THE START

As early as your first semester, you’ll experience what it’s like to be a teacher in actual classrooms, applying cutting-edge research, training, and resources to:

• Work with a diverse range of students from all backgrounds
• Practice proven methods used by top teachers to create powerful learning opportunities
• Prepare for a classroom of your own
• Make a real difference in real lives 

CAREER READY AND PREPARED TO EXCEL

 Hit the ground running with both your bachelor’s and master’s degrees and eligibility for:

• Masters-level compensation
• Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate covering Exceptional Student Education (K-12) and the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Reading, and Autism Spectrum Disorders Endorsements.

Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers, and a typical path usually offers ample opportunities for professional development and growth.

There will always be a need for special education teachers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for special education teachers is expected to grow by 6 percent through 2024. That translates into 28,100 new jobs.
 The median national annual salary for special education teachers is $57,910 per year. Your income as a special ed teacher may be slightly higher than that of a general classroom teacher, depending on the school district in which you teach.

With a master’s degree, you’ll also have more job opportunities than you would with just a bachelor’s. You could pursue a career in a school district, state education agency, a corporate or non-profit organization, or higher education institutions.

Interested in working with individuals with autism? Check out our online master's in Autism Spectrum Disorder and online graduate certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder! More information about our graduate programs in Special Education is available here.