Online Master of Education in Early Childhood Special Education – Teacher Certification

This early childhood special education teacher certification program teaches you how to support young children with exceptionalities and advance your understanding of early childhood education. You'll gain knowledge of child development theories, best practices and assessment methods. You'll also learn how to plan and implement effective interventions, monitor children’s progress and engage families collaboratively. Emphasizing the roles of family, community, collaboration and advocacy in early childhood special education, this program provides you with the knowledge, experience and certification needed to excel in this rewarding field.

Skills you’ll develop in this master’s program

Throughout this program, you'll develop a wide range of skills and competencies essential for working in early childhood education and special education settings, including:

• Collaboration with educators and parents.
• Design of inclusive instructional methodologies for various subjects.
• Development of research-based practices for typical and atypical behaviors in young children.
• Positive relationship building with children, families and communities.
• Remediation of learning difficulties.
• Support for child growth and development, including special health care needs.
• Support for language and literacy development.
• Use of a variety of assessment practices to evaluate young children's progress.

This teacher certification program also includes three professional placements: one in a birth-preschool setting and two in pre-kindergarten to grade 3 settings. You can choose between traditional or alternative certification routes. Traditional certification involves two internships and one student teaching experience, while the alternative route requires being hired as an early childhood teacher and completing two apprentice teaching courses, with an additional course or internship to meet requirements. These experiential learning opportunities will prepare you for a career in early childhood special education.

What candidates are a good fit for this early childhood special education teacher certification?

This early childhood special education master’s is ideal for candidates with a bachelor's degree in a field other than early childhood, special education or early childhood special education, who aspire to teach early childhood special education and obtain certification. If you're currently working in public or private preschools, elementary schools or early childhood education centers and you’re seeking certification or an alternative certificate, this program is well-suited for you.