You don’t work in special education because it’s easy — you do it because it matters. You want to be an educator who makes a difference in your students’ lives. That’s what we want, too.
At PLNU, we are here for the same reasons you are: We truly believe in the power of education, and we care deeply about individuals — including you. Like you, we believe that all students, no matter their challenges or special needs, have value and promise. We believe that the right teacher can make every student’s life better.
When you join PLNU’s Master of Arts in Special Education program, you will challenge yourself to be more effective in serving students with special needs. Everyone you encounter here will share that goal with you, from your admissions counselor to your professors. Rest assured, PLNU’s School of Education will take a personal interest in you and care about your concerns, experience, beliefs, and goals.
District partnerships ensure our curriculum addresses current needs and topics facing educators, and our added authorizations increase depth in areas important to you. As a Christian institution, PLNU equips you for the spiritual, emotional, and personal benefits and challenges of special education practice.
Choose from multiple locations, full- or part-time schedules, and face-to-face, online, and hybrid course options. Benefit from specializations offered through added authorizations with even more options pending.
PLNU’s education alumni network, Education Associates, keeps you connected long after graduation. Faculty members have a reputation for staying in touch and continuing to mentor students. Career counseling and additional professional development opportunities are always available to you.
Dr. Deborah Erickson, dean of the School of Education, has been on faculty at PLNU since 2013, after serving 11 years in faculty and leadership positions at the Graduate School of Education at California Lutheran University.
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PLNU's Master of Arts in Special Education builds on the foundation of the Preliminary Education Specialist Credential and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Professional Standards. In this program, you will develop advanced-level knowledge, skills, and dispositions aligned with professional standards, and you will directly apply research-based theory and “best practices” as you teach students with special needs in your own classroom.
The Clear Education Specialist Credential requirements can be incorporated into this advanced degree and are strategically aligned and blended with induction requirements to equip special education teachers in induction programs to address the clear (level II) credential proficiency requirements.
The following added authorizations can be taken on their own or as part of the Master of Arts in Special Education:
Accreditation - WSCUC, NCATE, CTC
Candidates who complete the Master of Arts in Special Education program will be prepared to:
Our School of Education is one of the top producers of education candidates not only within San Diego, but the state of California. Read more about the work being done at PLNU.
Detailed course information is available on the course catalog:
Are you ready to take the next step and apply?
We're here to make the entire process a simple one. We'll walk you through the application process, answer your questions, and get you one step closer to earning your degree.
Note: Not all programs offer entry for new students each quad. Check with your enrollment counselor for programs and start dates.
The educational context at PLNU will challenge you to live a full life that integrates the pursuit of knowledge with beliefs, values, and actions. While honoring diverse perspectives and beliefs, Christian values and principles are woven into the educational experience. We understand your application is not only a reflection of you as a student; it reflects you as a person. At PLNU, we holistically evaluate your academic history, work and life experience, background, and circumstances to determine admission into a graduate program. Your undergraduate GPA is an important piece of your application, but if you do not meet the minimum GPA requirement of a 3.0, you may still be eligible for admission based on your application package as well as the exceptions policy per your particular program.* Therefore, we strongly encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor, who will advise you regarding your qualifications and provide specific information about the admission under exceptions process.
To be admitted into PLNU's Master of Arts in Special Education program, you must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, as evidenced by an official transcript.
If you have any questions about your qualifications or the program in general, we encourage you to contact your enrollment counselor.
Note: The application is completed entirely online with the exception of transcripts, which can be submitted electronically or directly to PLNU, and test scores, which should be submitted electronically.
*Exceptions Policy: If you have below a 3.0 GPA in your baccalaureate degree, you will need to speak with your enrollment counselor for more information on the exceptions materials needed for your particular program.
We take seriously the role of providing you with financial, academic, and career support so you have the tools you need to be successful at PLNU and beyond. That’s why we offer a holistic support system that focuses on your unique experiences, particular needs, and personal and professional goals — resulting from our deep concern for you, our student.
With a focus on authentic relationships and personalized attention, our goal is to help transform you so you can follow your calling in your own career and life.
The Master of Arts in Special Education will allow you to advance your practice or further specialize. The program is designed for current education specialists.
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To be admitted into PLNU's Master of Arts in Special Education program, you must have a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution, as evidenced by an official transcript. You must also have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. If you don’t meet the minimum GPA requirement, please contact your enrollment counselor regarding the exceptions process.
Yes!
You will have the option to apply for a number of scholarships through Student Financial Services. This program qualifies for state and federal financial aid options. Contact your enrollment counselor for more information.
The expected completion time is 18 to 24 months.
Face-to-face classes meet once a week from 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Fifty percent of this program can be completed online. Online classes require a minimum of three logins per week.
Class sizes have a 30-student maximum for face-to-face classes and a 25-student maximum for online classes.
Yes! As an international student, you can apply as a senior in university or any time after you obtain your bachelor’s degree. If you earned your baccalaureate degree outside of the United States, all documents must be translated into English and evaluated by members of National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). You must also submit official proof of English proficiency (TOEFL). Please contact Graduate Financial Aid and Student Support Services for more information.
We welcome and encourage people of all backgrounds as students in our programs. Issues that relate to faith may be discussed in some classes, and engaging in discussion with individuals with alternative points of view will be encouraged as learning opportunities. Students will work within a learning community that is supportive academically, spiritually, and emotionally.
This degree does not have a preliminary credential embedded. Aspiring teachers should first enter our special education credential program to earn their credential and then enroll in the MASPED afterwards.
The MASPED is an advanced degree that will identify you as having increased expertise and knowledge in special education. The MAT, although a master's degree, is a general degree. For some students, the MAT is fine! For others, they want to have a degree that demonstrates a concentration area and an area of expertise. If you think the classroom will be the one and only place that you will be, then the MAT is a great choice for you. If you think that at some point you might like to explore other roles and positions, then the MASPED would make you much more marketable and qualified for anything related to special education, differentiating instruction, and student diversity. Also, with a MASPED, you would be able to move into higher education, such as adjunct professor or professor at a community college for the disability student services departments, etc. Another factor that might help you decide one versus the other is the pay scale at your district. The MASPED requires more units. Typically, more graduate units equates to higher salary on the district pay scale.
Yes. Students can earn one or more added authorizations of their choice within the program.
Yes.
MASPED requires 36 graduate units. Twenty-one of those units are core classes and include a master's research design project. The remaining units can be applied to a variety of elective courses within the School of Education and must be applied in such a way as to earn at least one or more added authorizations. If students want to also clear their credential the MASPED + Clear requires a total of 39 units.
Courses for the MASPED degree program are offered in eight-week quads throughout the calendar year. While many of the courses are offered in a traditional classroom, face-to-face environment, others are offered online. Some classes are offered in both formats and provide students with a choice of instructional delivery.
Yes. Within the Master's of Arts in Special Education (and like every other master's program within PLNU School of Education), students are required to complete a three-unit semester long course called culminating research and design. This course is designed to prepare students for the research and the writing of a master research paper focused on a single research question. After successful completion of this course, students will receive an university mentor to guide them in completing their research project.
No. Students can clear their special ed credential without the MASPED. Students can also earn the MASPED without the clear.
There are seven added authorizations for special education: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Other Health Impaired (OHI), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), Adaptive Physical Education (APE), Orthopedic Impairment (OI), and Emotional Disturbance (ED).
Candidates who complete their preliminary education specialist credential with PLNU can apply 12 units of coursework toward the MASPED. University catalog specifies that six units of graduate credit from a regionally accredited institution may be used in the MASPED, providing the coursework is less than seven years old at the time the MA degree is conferred, and was not counted toward another degree or credential program. The minimum grade for transfer courses is B-. Transfer credits are approved by the dean of the School of Education and the vice-provost for academic administration.
No. All courses must be graduate level.
Yes, students can select to clear their credential (induction) while in this program. Please note the induction takes two years and entrance is only offered in the fall. Candidates may start the induction program leading to a clear credential only after they hold a valid preliminary education specialist credential AND only while employed as an education specialist in a public, private, or non-public California school.
Candidates will be required to complete course work and induction. The course work includes 15 units that lead to an added authorization.GED 622 or GED 650, GED 656 and an added authorization course. Induction includes two years of coursework GED 613 A, B, C and GED 614 A, B, C.
