Special education teaching offers a number of rewarding daily responsibilities, from helping a student communicate a need for the first time to watching them master a skill that once felt out of reach.
Every student learns differently and for students with disabilities, that difference is often the whole starting point of the job. As a special education teacher, you get to build a learning environment shaped around each individual student rather than expecting each student to fit one shared approach.
At the core, becoming a special education teacher requires two things: a bachelor's degree, typically in special education or a closely related field, and state teacher certification.
Certification requirements vary by state, but most involve completing an approved preparation program, a supervised student-teaching placement and passing required educator exams.
Explore the online special education bachelor’s degrees at ASU — offered online and in-person — to find the one that lines up with where you're starting from and the career path you want.
- Bachelor of Arts in Education in special education
- This four-year, 120-credit path includes full student teaching experience and dedicated placement support. It prepares you for the Special Education Mild/Moderate Disabilities certification in Arizona, which qualifies you to teach in kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms.
- Bachelor of Education in Education — special education (90 credits)
- This 90-credit path is built for students interested in getting in the classroom as quickly as possible. You’ll earn the Special Education Mild/Moderate Disabilities certification in Arizona, which qualifies you to teach in kindergarten through 12th grade classrooms. It's a good fit if you're changing careers, watching your budget or already working as a paraprofessional or in another education support role and want to move more quickly into a lead teaching position.
If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree, you can pursue graduate study at ASU to jumpstart your career in special education:
- Master of Education in early childhood special education — teacher certification
- This degree aligns with Arizona's Early Childhood Special Education certification, which prepares you to work with children from birth through age 5.
- Master of Education in special education — teacher certification
- This degree prepares you for teacher certification, and its coursework is designed to align with certification standards beyond Arizona as well. Certification requirements still vary by state, so confirm the specifics with your state department of education. Arizona State University's Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation has also earned national recognition for its online special education programs, ranking No. 4 among Best Online Master's in Special Education Programs, according to U.S. News & World Report.
- Master of Education in special education
- This degree does not lead to teacher certification. It's built for special education teachers who are already certified and want to grow their expertise, or for professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of the field without pursuing certification.
- Master of Education in early childhood special education
- This degree does not prepare you for certification. It's designed for professionals working in settings such as nonprofits or schools where certification isn't required for the role, so it's not intended for early childhood special education teachers who are already certified, since much of the coursework would repeat what you already know.
- Master of Arts in special education — autism spectrum disorders
- This degree aligns with standards set by the Council for Exceptional Children and does not lead to teacher certification or Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification. It's built for those who want a deeper understanding of working with children who have autism and may go on to work in non-profits, school settings or community organizations.
- Master of Arts in special education — applied behavior analysis
- This degree aligns with the requirements for Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification. It's a more specific path than a traditional teaching degree, but it's still a strong option if you're drawn to special education. Demand for board-certified behavior analysts has grown steadily since 2010, climbing nearly 30% from 2024 to 2025 alone, according to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board's analysis of national job posting data.
The skills special education teachers need
Supporting academic growth is a special education teacher's central goal, but getting there depends on skills that go well beyond lesson planning. Through our degree programs, you’ll gain the needed expertise to excel in a special education classroom, including:
- Developing an Individualized Education Program, or IEP, a legal document that outlines specific goals, accommodations and support needs of your students. Learning to write, follow and adjust an IEP is one of the most foundational skills in the role, since it shapes nearly everything else a special education teacher does day to day.
- Learning about differentiated instruction. Special education teachers need to be able to take the same core lesson and present it in several different ways: through visual support, hands-on materials, simplified language or assistive technology, depending on what a given student needs to access the content. This often means working closely alongside general education teachers, paraprofessionals and specialists like speech or occupational therapists, so strong collaboration and communication skills matter as much as classroom technique.
- Communicating with parents and guardians is another major part of the job that you’ll learn in our programs. Special education teachers are responsible for tracking student progress toward IEP goals and clearly explaining that progress, along with any concerns, to families. Regular check-ins and structured conferences give parents a full picture of how their child is developing, which is especially important given how closely a student's progress at school and at home tend to be connected.
Special education teachers are in demand
Becoming a special education teacher gives you the option to stay in the classroom throughout your career, or to eventually use that classroom experience to move into instructional coaching, curriculum development or school administration.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, special education teachers earn a median annual wage of $64,270, and the field is expected to see about 37,800 openings each year through 2034, largely as current special education teachers retire or move into other roles.
Demand is especially pronounced right now: the Learning Policy Institute reports that 45 states identified special education as a shortage area during the 2024-25 school year, more than any other teaching subject nationwide.
Special education teachers work in a range of settings, including public and private schools, charter schools and other licensed educational facilities. Pay and requirements vary by state and by employer, so it's worth contacting your state department of education directly to understand the specific certification requirements where you plan to teach.
Prepare for a career as a special education teacher with ASU Online
Becoming a special education teacher takes a bachelor's degree, state certification and skills like writing and following an Individualized Education Program, differentiating instruction and communicating clearly with families.
Several online degree paths at ASU can help you build these skills and move toward certification, whether you're just starting out or already have credit to apply toward a degree.
Every one of these programs lets you complete your coursework on a timeline that fits around your job, your family or whatever else is on your plate. You'll learn from the same faculty and earn the same degree as students who attend classes on the ASU campus, without needing to put your life on hold to get there.