Special Education - Graduate Programs

In order to meet minimum University admission requirements, applicants must have:

• A bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA – An earned bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor’s degree.
• GRE test scores*. Official test results are required from the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). These scores are considered official only when they are sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the testing agency. Examinee copies are not considered official. Graduate Record Exam (GRE): http://www.ets.org/ – FSU Institution Code: 5219. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) do not retain scores longer than five years. If your test scores are older than five years, you may have to retake the test to have official scores sent directly to FSU from the testing agency. If you have the report that was mailed to your home address for older scores, then FSU will accept that report.
  • M.S. and Ed.S. applicant target scores: Verbal – 146+, Quantitative – 140+
  • Ph.D. applicant target scores: Verbal – 151+, Quantitative – 145+, Writing – 3+
  • *NOTE: The GRE requirements for master’s and specialist programs have been waived through Fall 2026.
• Language proficiency test (international students only) – FSU accepts scores from TOEFL (minimum 80), IELTS (minimum 6.5), MELAB (minimum 77), Cambridge C1 Advanced Level (minimum 180), Michigan Language Assessment (minimum 55), and Duolingo (minimum 120)
• Transcripts – Applicants must submit an official transcript from each college and/or university attended. Transcripts should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions electronically at graduateadmissions@fsu.edu or via mail in a sealed envelope:

  Florida State University
  Office of Graduate Admissions
  314 Westcott Building
  P.O. Box 3061410
  Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410

  • Admission to graduate study is a two-fold evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University, and the academic department, program, or college determines admissibility to the degree program. University graduate admissions requirements are found at https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions. Academic programs have additional requirements.

  • Florida State University requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants that have degrees from a non-U.S. institution. International and domestic applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through a NACES approved evaluator for transcripts from a non-U.S. institution. SpanTran has created a custom application for Florida State University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. See the “Transcript Requirement” section on The Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on University transcript requirements for graduate admission.

Applicants must upload the following REQUIRED supporting documents to the Admissions Application Portal:

• Statement of purpose – should describe your purpose for pursuing a degree, qualifications and long-term career goals.
  • At least one (1) page for M.S. and Ed.S. applicants
  • At least two (2) pages for Ph.D. applicants
• Letters of recommendation
  • Two (2) for M.S. and Ed.S. applicants
  • Three (3) for Ph.D. applicants
• One page resume/curriculum vitae
• Writing Sample – it is acceptable to submit a paper used in another class, or one that was published.

Master’s and Specialist programs:

• Fall: July 1
• Spring: November 1
• Summer: March 1

Doctoral program:

• Fall: December 1 (priority deadline); June 1 (final deadline)

If you are interested in applying, please contact STE-GradCoord@fsu.edu.

• Apply Now
• Apply Now- International Students

• Master’s (on-campus)
• Specialist
• Doctoral (coming soon)
• Scholarly Engagement Requirement
• Doctoral Student Handbook

Information about tuition and fees at Florida State is available here. You can learn more about the scholarship and aid opportunities for College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences students here.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job outlook for special education teachers is expected to grow by 7.4% through 2026. That translates into 15,100 new jobs.
 The median national annual salary for special education teachers is $60,600 per year.

Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers, and a typical path usually offers ample opportunities for professional development and growth. Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. With students who have mild or moderate disabilities, they ensure that lessons and teaching strategies are modified to meet the students’ needs. With students who have severe disabilities, they teach the students independent living skills and basic literacy, communication, and math. They generally work school hours when students are present, and use nights and weekends to prepare lessons and grade papers. Some teachers work during the summer months.

Click here to learn more about our Special Education faculty!

Veronica Houck