Master of Education - Special Education

Plan Description

The Master of Education in Special Education program is designed to meet the needs of persons who hold a baccalaureate degree and wish to earn a master’s degree in special education or early childhood education special education, with or without licensure. A number of specific focus areas are available and can lead to the following Nevada Department of Education endorsements: Applied Behavior Analysis, Autism, Early Childhood Special Education, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Generalist-Mild Disabilities, Gifted and Talented, Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, or other professional areas. The Master of Education – Special Education program requires 36 credits of graduate-level coursework.

Several subplans in the Master of Education in Special Education program are approved for licensure or certification through outside professional organizations (e.g., Nevada Department of Education, BCBA). Coursework described in each subplan has been approved for these certifications, however there may be additional requirements for students to apply for and earn licensure or certification (e.g., additional testing, student teaching, fieldwork). Students are required to meet with their advisor and review licensure and certification organization websites to ensure that their plan of study and additional activities align to these requirements.

For more information about your program, including your graduate program handbook and learning outcomes please visit the Degree Directory.

Plan Admission Requirements

Application deadlines

Applications available on the UNLV Graduate College website.

In addition to meeting the admission requirements of the Graduate College, applicants must also meet the requirements established by the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education. They are:

1. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 for all undergraduate work or a 3.00 grade point average for the last two years of undergraduate work. Admission to a master’s degree program in special education requires that students with a GPA of less than 2.75 be admitted to the graduate program with provisional status; and
2. A 350-400 word letter of application/intent that discusses (a) the special education area(s) of concentration you are interested in, (b) your professional and academic goals, and (c) a discussion of your experience relevant to your area of interest.

Applications are processed when all credentials required by both the Graduate College and the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education have been received by the Graduate Coordinator. The Graduate Coordinator evaluates the applicant’s credentials and recommends either 1) admission to full, contingency, or provisional graduate standing (depending on the strength of the applicant’s academic credentials); or 2) denial. Those who wish to begin studies but who miss the application deadline may enroll as a non-degree graduate student. However, since there is no guarantee that courses taken as a non-degree student will count toward a degree, and since a maximum of 15 credits taken prior to admission to the program may be used to meet degree requirements, candidates are urged to seek advisement prior to registering for any course(s).

Applicants should log back into their online applications to monitor the status of the application. Official decision letters will be posted in the online application once a decision has been made. Hard-copy letters are not issued. The online decision letter will include the name of the student’s advisor. Students are responsible for contacting their advisors.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements. 

Students are accepted into a degree program as described in the Graduate Catalog. The faculty and corresponding sub-disciplines and sub-plans within the described programs are subject to change at any time.

Plan Requirements

See Subplan Requirements below:
Subplan 1: Applied Behavioral Analysis
Subplan 2: Autism
Subplan 3: Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Subplan 4: Generalist – Mild Disabilities
Subplan 5: Gifted and Talented
Subplan 6: Intellectual Disabilities
Subplan 7: Learning Disabilities
Subplan 8: Other Professional Areas
Subplan 9: Early Childhood Special Education Infant
Subplan 10: Early Childhood Special Education Preschool

Subplan 1 Requirements: Applied Behavioral Analysis

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 2 Requirements: Autism

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 3 Requirements: Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 4 Requirements: Generalist - Mild Disabilities

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 5 Requirements: Gifted and Talented

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 6 Requirements: Intellectual Disabilities

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 7 Requirements: Learning Disabilities

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 8 Requirements: Other Professional Areas

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 9 Requirements: Early Childhood Special Education Infant

Total Credits Required: 36

Subplan 10 Requirements: Early Childhood Special Education Preschool

Total Credits Required: 36

Plan Degree Requirements

Previous course work included in submitted graduate plans of study must have a grade of B or better. Only two subsequent grades of less than B- (one with an ESP or ECE prefix and one with any other prefix) will be permitted in a submitted plan of study. Under no circumstances will a Grade Point Average (GPA) of less than 3.00 be allowed on a finished plan of study. Failure to meet these standards will result in suspension from the degree program.

For licensure in the state of Nevada:

1. Students must complete a total of 8-10 credits of student teaching or fieldwork, depending on their licensure area, plus a 2 credit fieldwork seminar; any additional credits will not count towards the degree program. Students should speak with their advisor to determine fieldwork courses that may be required for licensure.
2. In order to be endorsed in English Language Acquisition and Development the following five courses must be completed in addition to the courses required as part of the degree program:
   • TESL 751 – Theory and Practice for Academic English Language Development
   • TESL 752 – TESL Methods and Curriculum for Teaching ELs
   • TESL 754 – TESL Assessment and Evaluation of ELs
   • TESL 759 - Critical Issues and Best Practices for Pre-K/Elementary or Secondary Practicum.

To complete their Master’s degree, students must successfully complete and pass a comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is taken during the student’s last semester of coursework or in the semester immediately following completion of coursework listed on the student’s Plan of Study. If students opt to take the comprehensive exam the semester after completion of the coursework listed on their Program of Studies, they must enroll in ESP 766 or another graduate course. Per Graduate College Guidelines, students must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 credits of coursework the semester they graduate.

Students must apply to take comprehensive examinations. Specific application deadlines are available in the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education. If a student does not pass their comprehensive examination on the first attempt, students enrolled in the ABA, Autism, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, Generalist, Gifted, Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, and Other Professional Areas subplans can retake their exam one time during the same semester of the initial test. If they fail a second time, they will be recommended for probation with the Graduate College and must apply to retake the exam in the subsequent semester. A third score of fail on the exam will result in separation from the program.

For students in the Early Childhood Special Education subplan, students who earn a mark of fail on their comprehensive exams will be recommended for probation with the Graduate College and must apply to take the exam in the subsequent semester. A second score of fail on the exam will result in separation from the program.

Master’s degrees must be completed within a six-year period and continuous enrollment must be maintained throughout the six years, unless a formal request for a leave of absence is approved by the department and Graduate College.

Plan Graduation Requirements

Students may apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing their degree requirements. All required forms must be submitted to the graduate college via the Grad Rebel Gateway.