Special Education Sessions

Taking a person-centered approach to education and including all people with disabilities in school and society.

Whether you have a Master’s degree or not, we have options for you to be a top professional in the area of Special Education. We prepare the best-qualified and most technically proficient teachers in Special Education and all of our students receive jobs in education once they graduate.

The National Education Association reports that the number of U.S. PreK-12 students enrolled in special education programs has risen 30 percent in the past 10 years. Three out of every four students with disabilities spend part or all of their school day in a general education classroom. In turn, nearly every general education classroom across the country includes students with disabilities. The need for dual certified instructors has never been greater.

Further, there continues to be a significant national need for special educators and special education related field supervisors. The most recent report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the need for Special Education teachers will increase by nearly 17% between 2008 and 2018. The shortage of Special Education teachers has been identified regionally (i.e., Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York) and is particularly prevalent in our regional urban centers.

Many of our students work at our highly acclaimed and nationally recognized lab school: Centennial School. A primary goal of Centennial is to prepare special education teachers to work with youth with emotional and behavioral needs and autism. Students teach full-time, under supervision, while completing Special Education certification and/or a Master’s degree. Future teachers become highly skilled in positive behavior support strategies through hands-on learning.

Our Ph.D. program is designed for individuals looking to pursue careers in leadership and higher education and enjoy careers as teacher trainers, consultants, and researchers. Grant funding is available to support doctoral students.

Our courses are held in the late afternoon and early evening to accommodate working professionals.