Fall Semester
Submit by July 26
Classes start mid-late August
Master of Education in Special Education with Certification (100% Accelerated Online Classes)
Our accelerated online M.Ed. in Special Education equips future teachers with the experience they need to become certified to teach in Texas and meet the academic needs of students with disabilities.
Future Students Start Here
Take classroom learning beyond the books in our unique, 100% online Master of Education in Special Education. Through this degree, teachers and educators will equip themselves with the know-how to meet the learning and educational goals of students with special needs. Options are available for individuals who are already certified teachers and those who need to obtain initial certification.
Interested in a Grant-Funded Degree?
Consider Project Match Made in Schools and join a cohort of future educators and social workers committed to teaching and holistically supporting some of the nation's most vulnerable students. The program pays for 100% of tuition and partial fees for one year towards a master's degree.
About the Program
Cost of Attendance
Please note that the cost can vary by student in relation to that student's individual circumstances. Additional fees may apply.
For the best approximation of your school costs for tuition and fees, visit the UTA Tuition Estimator.
Paying for School
We offer competitive funding options, including TEACH grants, which provide up to $3,772/year to help you pay for school. View more funding options, including scholarships, on our website.
| Semester Start |
Courses Start |
Application Deadline** |
All Supporting Documents Due*** |
Registration Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring II |
03/18/24 |
03/01/2024 |
03/11/23 |
03/17/24 |
| Summer I |
05/13/24 |
04/19/2024 |
04/22/24 |
05/12/24 |
| Summer II | 06/27/24 | 06/01/2024 | 06/10/24 | 06/23/24 |
| Fall I | 08/19/2024 | 07/26/2024 | Contact Us | Contact Us |
Additional Information:
*The M.Ed. in Special Education program (with or without certification) only admits students into the first Fall Cohort.
** To meet this deadline, applicants should have applied to UTA's Graduate School. This includes completion of their ApplyUTA application, paying the application fee, and submitting their official transcripts.
***Applicants may still need to complete a program-specific application process after being admitted to the Graduate School.
View the official catalog for additional admissions criteria and important information for the:
Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Education must submit two* recommendation forms. The required Recommendation Form is available for download here. Please wait until you receive your 10-digit, UTA student ID number and until a member of our academic team contacts you to submit your recommendation forms.
*Note: The Principal Certification Only Program requires three recommendation forms.
Program Eligibility, International Admissions and English Language Test Score Requirements
Information for Permanent Residents and International Applicants
Our fully online programs are open to United States Citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, and International Students who do not hold F1, J1, B1, and B2 status. In addition to the required application and admission documents, the following materials must also be submitted:
- Lawful Permanent Residents: Submit a copy of your Permanent Resident Card.
- The TOEFL* or IELTS is required if an applicant’s native language is not English or if the applicant does not hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. It typically takes 10-15 business days for scores to arrive from ETS and be processed by Admissions. The test must be taken in time for results to arrive and be processed in Admissions before completion of the second course. Those wishing to request a waiver of this requirement should contact the graduate advisor. You are required to submit an official test score report sent directly from the testing agency. UTA's ETS institutional code is 6013.
*Certification programs only accept TOEFL due to Texas Education Agency requirements.
View test score requirements online.
Additional Resources
- International Student Checklist.
- UTA International Admissions.
- Office of International Education.
- International Student Forms.
- UTA Official Catalog.
Have additional questions?
Email UTA's international office at international@uta.edu.
*The resources provided here are for informational purposes. Please review the UTA's website and Official Catalog for official information.
Course of Study
The following are requirements for the M.Ed. in Special Education within initial certification.
Total 30 hours, including:
- 100% accelerated online classes
- In-person field experiences
- Non-Thesis (no thesis is required for this degree program)
Special Education Degree Plan
Review the M.Ed. in Special Education degree plan based on the semester you start the program.
Graduate Recruiter
Program Director & Faculty Members
Dr. Bree A. Jimenez
Associate Professor, Special Education
Research Interests: General curriculum access, severe disabilities, STEM, systematic instruction
Bio: Dr. Bree Jimenez is an Associate Professor of Special Education. She has worked in the field of special education for over 20 years, as a classroom teacher supporting students in both elementary and high school, grant-funded research liaison between a local school system and university, then Lead Research Associate for an U.S. federally funded grant with the department of Special Education and Child Development at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. From 2017-2019, Dr. Jimenez served as a Research Consultant with Mater Dei School in Camden, New South Wales and an Honorary Research Associate in Special Education with the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on general curriculum access and assessment for students with intellectual disabilities and autism. Specifically, Dr. Jimenez’ research focuses on math, science, and STEM instruction for students with extensive support needs. She is the author/co-author of over 20 peer-reviewed journals articles, multiple book chapters, and several books on strategies to support academics for students with disabilities. Dr. Jimenez is an executive board member of the Division for Research (DR) and the Division for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Dr. Jimenez is an author of the internationally implemented academic classroom curriculums: Teaching to Standards: Math; Teaching to Standards: Science; Early Numeracy; Early Science; Access Algebra and Access Geometry.
Dr. Ambra Green
Interim Department Chair
Associate Professor, Special Education
Research Interests: Multi-tiered systems of support and equity, disproportionality, equity, behavioral disorders : Ambra L. Green, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Special Education within the College of Education at The University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Green is a national scholar with publications and research focused on students of color with and at-risk for disabilities, issues related to inequitable school practices experienced by students of color (i.e., disproportionality in special education and discipline practices), behavior disorders, positive behavioral interventions and supports, and teacher use of evidence-based practices. She is the Primary Investigator on a $1.1 million U.S. Department of Education Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP) personnel preparation grant which provides rigorous training for master’s special education and social work students to support K-12 students with disabilities and high intensity needs. Dr. Green also has experience working within the U.S. Department of Education Office for Special Education Programs (OSEP) and serves on the OSEP National Technical Assistance Center on PBIS Equity workgroup Dr. Green was a special educator at the middle school level and a PBIS Coach. She holds current teacher certifications in EC-6 Generalist, 4-8 Generalist, and EC-12 Special Education in the state of Texas.
Dr. John Romig
Assistant Professor, Special Education
Research Interests: Writing assessment and writing instruction, SCRD, meta-analyses, RCT
Bio: Dr. John Elwood Romig is an assistant professor of special education. He is a former high school special education teacher with experience teaching students with mild-moderate disabilities, including learning disabilities, dyslexia, intellectual disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and other disabilities. His experience as a classroom teacher influences his research and preparation of future teachers. His research examines methods of writing instruction and writing assessments that can be used to guide instruction and improve outcomes for students with disabilities. He was recognized as a Lasting Legacy Honoree at the University of Virginia for his teaching, and his dissertation received the Student Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Research. He serves on the editorial review board for several journals, including Teacher Education and Special Education, Intervention in School and Clinic, and Journal of Special Education Technology.