Special Education (M.Ed.)

The special education program prepares highly qualified educators who possess the knowledge, disposition, and skills necessary to take the lead in establishing effective teaching and learning environments for a diverse population of learners, who are capable of collaborating with classroom teachers as team leaders or consultants, and who utilize these skills within their school communities, and within the profession itself. The program meets current certification requirements in the state of New Hampshire in General Special Education.

Admission Criteria

In determining admission of students to teacher education graduate programs, several criteria are used:

1. The undergraduate record. The undergraduate overall minimum grade point average for admission is 3.0.  The undergraduate grade point average of students admitted to the graduate programs in teacher education is approximately 3.55 (based on 2020 admissions).
2. Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) exam scores are required. Applicants must obtain, at a minimum, a qualifying score (as set by the state of New Hampshire at the time of testing) on all three (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) Core exams in order to be considered for admission. Current NH qualifying scores may be found at the ETS Praxis Website under the “Tests required for all licensure areas” page.
3. Additional required application materials can be found at the Graduate School website under programs.

Degree Requirements

Prerequisites for General Special Education Certification

1. All candidates are required to complete a course in mathematics teaching methods and a course in reading teaching methods.  At UNH, the course that meets the reading teaching methods requirement is EDUC 806. Courses that meet the mathematics teaching requirement are MATH 601 and/or  MATH 703.  Equivalent courses taken at another college or university may be substituted.
2. All students are required to complete EDUC 650 or EDUC 850 and EDUC 656 or EDUC 856. Equivalent courses taken at another college or university may be substituted.
3. Successful completion of EDUC 500 , EDUC 935A, EDUC 694, or related, recent prior classroom experience.
4. Credits for prerequisite courses will not count toward those needed for the M.Ed. degree.

Special Education (M.Ed.) Requirements

The M.Ed. degree requires a minimum of 36 hours of graduate-­level credits. The exact number of credit hours will depend on the student's background, competencies, and professional goals, and will be determined by the advisor.

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If a student is not interning, 12 credits of elective courses may be substituted. 

Grading Policy

Graduate credit is granted only for coursework completed with a grade of B- or higher. Any grade below B- will not count for graduate credit and will count toward the accumulation of nine (9) failing credits which may require the student to withdraw from the program.

This graduate program is approved to be taken on an accelerated basis in articulation with certain undergraduate degree programs.

General Accelerated Master's policy, note that some programs have additional requirements (e.g. higher grade expectations) compared to the policy.

Please see the Graduate School website and contact the department directly for more information.

The Special Education program at the University of New Hampshire seeks to prepare highly qualified educators who possess the knowledge, dispositions, and skills necessary to establish effective and inclusive teaching and learning environments. We prepare educators who provide exceptional services and support to people identified with disabilities and their families. In this program, students gain the skills necessary to assess, plan, and monitor the educational progress of k-12 learners identified with disabilities.

• Graduates will be knowledgeable in the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to all students.
• Graduates will be committed to students and their learning.
• Graduates will be responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
• Graduates will be effective organizers of the learning environment.
• Our graduates will be thoughtful and reflective practitioners who learn from experience.
• Our graduates will be committed to collaboration which facilitates student growth and learning.
• Our graduates will be informed decision-makers and agents of change.
• Our graduates will be active members of learning and professional communities.

Professional Licensure/Certification Disclosures

The University of New Hampshire offers a number of academic programs designed to lead to professional licensure or certification in New Hampshire. However,  completing a UNH degree/program does not guarantee professional licensure or certification. Eligibility may also depend on factors like years of work experience, professional examinations, passing a background check, and other criteria.

UNH does not guarantee that its professional licensure programs will satisfy the criteria of professional licensure boards in other states. Some states maintain different requirements for professional licensure or certification and requirements can change frequently. Federal regulations require the University to make public disclosure of certain information regarding professional licensure or certification programs, regardless of the modality the program is offered (i.e., in-person or online). The University provides guidance below but recommends students contact their state/territory licensing or certification board to ensure a program meets specific state/territory requirements.

Visit the Office of the Registrar's website for information about whether this program meets professional licensure requirements in your state.