Special education
Help all students get the support they need to succeed
Improve outcomes for individuals who require specialized support to achieve success throughout their lifespan. At the University of Minnesota, we are committed to engaging in meaningful research—and to bridging research and practice—to improve the lives of children and families in diverse contexts, and to have a lasting impact on teacher education, leadership, and policy.
Note: The GRE is no longer required for admission into the the special education MA and PhD programs.
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Dates and deadlines
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Programs and degrees
Graduate degrees
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Prepare to be an innovative researcher and engage in leadership that shapes the field of special education.
Master's of Arts (MA)
Conduct research and gain experience that is valuable to careers in research and practice as well as a future PhD.
Master's of Arts (MA) with an emphasis in applied behavioral analysis (ABA)
Prepare to become a board certified behavior analyst.
Master's of Education (MEd) with or without licensure
Advance your expertise for work within school systems while also having the option to become eligible to obtain a teaching license from one of our teacher licensure programs.
Undergraduate degrees
Choose from two tracks.
Bachelor's of Science (BS) with Academic Behavioral Strategist (ABS) licensure
Earn your bachelor's of science in special education and academic behavior strategist (ABS) teaching license in four years. Upon graduation, you'll be eligible to be certified to teach students with mild-moderate disabilities in K-12 school systems.
Bachelor’s of Science (BS): foundations of special education for schools and society
Gain expertise in the field of special education to expand its reach in schools and society. This degree does not lead to a teaching license.
Teaching licensures
Academic Behavior Strategist (ABS) license
Become eligible to obtain an ABS teaching license to work with students in K-12 schools with a broad array of mild to moderate disabilities. This licensure program may be combined with the BS or MEd degrees.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) License
Become eligible to obtain a DHH teaching license to teach students from infancy through age 21 who are Deaf or hard of hearing. This licensure program may be combined with the MEd degree.
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) License
Become eligible to obtain an ECSE teaching license to teach young children and their families from infancy through age six who experience a broad array of disabilities. This licensure program may be combined with the MEd degree.
Emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) (residency-based)
This program is currently closed for admissions while it is reenvisioned for the future.
Professional certificate
Fully online autism spectrum disorder (ASD) certificate
Obtain a certificate that demonstrates advanced expertise in working with individuals with ASD in school settings. This certificate does not lead to a teaching license, but may be combined with one of our other teaching licensure programs. The certificate program is available to any undergraduate or graduate student.
Graduate minor
Special education minor for master's students
Complement your master’s degree with the knowledge and skills to improve the way your field supports people with disabilities by earning a graduate minor in special education.
Students wishing to pursue this graduate minor must be currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at the University of Minnesota. Students with an educational psychology major may elect a minor in special education, but no courses may count for both the major and the minor.
Study abroad
Global Seminar: In the field - Teaching and learning in Danish schools & communities
Gain firsthand experience in Danish schools and communities. During your seminar, you'll:
- Observe classrooms, participate in field studies, and hear from local educators.
- Visit lively cultural centers such as Kronborg Castle and Tivoli Gardens.
- Explore connections between Viking history and Minnesota.
Tuition
Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Finance and Funding page for information on tuition.
Funding
Scholarships, fellowships and awards
Special education scholarships, fellowships, and awards
PhD only: Submit your application materials by December 1, and you’ll automatically be considered for Graduate School fellowships and departmental awards based on scholastic achievement. Notification of awards will be sent in March.
College of Education and Human Development awards
Financial aid
Visit OneStop Student Services for more information on available financial aid.
Scholarships
Diversity
The Department of Educational Psychology is deeply committed to increasing the diversity of our undergraduate and graduate programs, of our teaching and learning, of our research and clinical practice, and of our outreach and service across fields of educational psychology. Visit our diversity page to learn more about our commitment to diversity and resources for supporting diversity and inclusion.
This program is what the education field needs to continue to open doors for educators that know and understand the job. Our program is putting teachers into the community that have a love, desire, and passion to be advocates for our sometimes marginalized students.
GinaMarie Theesfeld, MEd '16
Special education teacher, Minneapolis Public Schools
Read more about GinaMarie's experience.
Faculty and staff
M.Y. Savana Bak mbak@umn.edu
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Language and social communications
- Behavior measurement
- Intersectional and culturally responsive interventions
Janet Caven jcaven@umn.edu
- Language and literacy development in learners who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
- Effective teaching preparation to meet the needs of diverse learners using differentiated instruction and assessment
Debbie Golos
Deaf/Hard of Hearing licensure and MEd coordinator
dgolos@umn.edu
- Developing and evaluating the effects of educational media in ASL on young deaf and hearing children's language and literacy skills
- Examining the portrayal of deafness in media and literature from a cultural perspective and it's effects on children's identity development
- Exploring alternative routes to literacy development, that meet the needs of visual learners, particularly deaf children
Robert HeneryLecturer
hener005@umn.edu
- Preparing teachers to:
- Meet behavioral challenges in schools
- Take on leadership roles in schools and districts
- Prejudice and stereotyping in school settings
- Stimulus equivalence
- Teacher preparation
LeAnne JohnsonProgram coordinator
leannej@umn.edu | Lab
- Motivating and engaging adults in the adoption and implementation of interventions that improve the quality and quantity of learning opportunities available to young children with challenging behavior
- Closing the research to practice gap and speeding the adoption of new innovations into practice by improving professional development systems
- Enhancing data driven, precision oriented, problem solving through new tools for monitoring children’s development and response to intervention
- Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions addressing the social and communication needs of young children with Autism and emotional/behavioral disorders
Amy KunkelAssistant teaching professor, special education licensure coordinator, ABS program lead
hear0045@umn.edu
- Effective preparation of future teachers of special and general education
- Use of technology to augment learning and academic intervention
- Dissemination of effective practices through teaching and meta-analysis of educational research
- Functional assessment of behavior to fully support student engagement and communication
- Multi-tiered systems of support and data-based decision making in K-12 education
Jennifer McComasHead special education MA with emphasis in ABA and emotional behavioral disorders licensure and MEd programs
jmccomas@umn.edu | Lab
- Functional analysis of problem behavior in educational and residential settings
- Basic behavioral processes maintaining desirable and undesirable behavior, such as schedules of reinforcement, stimulus control, and establishing operations
- Behavioral treatment of problem behavior based on concurrent schedules of reinforcement as well as antecedent stimuli
- Analysis of academic performance of students with behavior problems
Kristen McMasterDepartment chair
mcmas004@umn.edu | Lab
Create conditions for successful response to intervention of academically diverse learners by:
- Promoting teachers’ use of data-based decision-making and evidence-based instruction
- Developing individualized interventions for students for whom generally effective instruction is not sufficient
Charissa O'NeillField placement coordinator
coneill@umn.edu | Make an appointment
- Diversity in teacher preparation programs
- Early intervention
- Inclusive classrooms
Laura PaczkowskiAcademic advisor
laurap@umn.edu
- Academic advising
Brenna RudolphLecturer
nolan225@umn.edu
Kathy SeifertDirector of undergraduate studies
seif0074@umn.edu
- Adolescent literacy
- Effective teacher preparation
Frank SymonsCEHD Associate Dean for Research and Policy
symon007@umn.edu | Lab
- Development, assessment, and treatment of severe problem behavior among children and adults with neurodevelopmental and emotional/behavioral disorders
- Bio-behavior analysis of self-injurious behavior
- Problem of pain among children and adults with significant cognitive impairments and associated developmental disabilities
- Rett syndrome - refining measurement approaches to improve understanding of the behavioral phenotype
Jason WolffMcKnight Presidential Fellow, Autism Spectrum Disorder certificate coordinator
jjwolff@umn.edu | Lab
- Early brain and behavioral development in children with autism spectrum disorder
- Restricted and repetitive behaviors associated with autism and other developmental disabilities
- Identifying neurodevelopmental moderators of response to early intervention
- Integrating neuroscience with special education research