Early childhood special education

University of Missouri-Columbia
Master of education in special education
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Master of education

Prepare to empower all learners with an online master of education (M Ed) in special education with an emphasis in early childhood special education from the University of Missouri (Mizzou).

This program illustrates the importance of evidence-based assessments, interventions and instruction to serve children of all abilities from infancy into elementary school. Whether to advance or recharge your career, explore techniques for improving learning outcomes, managing behavior and developing instructional plans based on a student’s diagnosis.

Top-ranked programs

Mizzou's online master's in education programs ranked among the nation's finest in U.S. News & World Report 2024.

About the online M Ed in early childhood special education

As an educator, you strive to connect with all students. Yet, you acknowledge that your classroom — and the student body overall — isn’t uniform. In response, you’re expected to identify a student’s strengths, understand where they may be struggling and provide the necessary supports to help them thrive academically and socially. Added to this, interventions and special education instruction increasingly take cultural factors and family involvement into account.

This online master’s in early childhood special education equips you to foster success and a love of learning among a school’s or program’s youngest pupils. In growing your knowledge of evidence-based instruction and intervention methods, this program:

  • Helps you better support all early learners, including those with developmental disabilities, assigned to gifted programming and at risk for school failure
  • Prepares you to effectively collaborate with students’ families and conduct interventions in a culturally consistent manner
  • Expands your perspective of special education’s historical, cultural and legal factors
  • Stresses the importance of translating research into practice for designing, implementing and evaluating instructional and intervention programs
  • Introduces you to the services and supports available to students and families
  • Highlights best practices for assisting individuals and groups in school, family and community contexts

Quick facts

Official name

Master of education in special education with an emphasis in early childhood special education

Campus

University of Missouri-Columbia

Program type

Master's degree

Academic home

College of Education & Human Development | Department of Special Education

Delivery mode

100% online

Accreditation

Higher Learning Commission, Teacher Education Accreditation Council

Credit hours

30

Estimated cost

$16,050.00

*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.

A child drawing on a wall.

Career prospects

Continue to connect with and encourage your students — from those with mild or moderate disabilities to those requiring behavioral interventions to gifted pupils interested in enrichment opportunities. This online master’s in early childhood special education upgrades your foundational knowledge to keep you competitive as a preschoolkindergarten and elementary or special education instructor — all expected to keep steady demand over the next decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Consider this credential to enhance or move up in your career as an:

  • Child-care center worker
  • Early childhood practitioner
  • Early interventionist
  • Head Start teacher
  • School counselor
  • Special education teacher
Burning Glass Technologies. 2021. Salary numbers and employment growth numbers are based on models that consider advertised job posting salary, Bureau of Labor Statistics data and other proprietary and public sources of information for multiple occupations.
6.05%
Employment growth
Burning Glass Technologies. 2021. Salary numbers and employment growth numbers are based on models that consider advertised job posting salary, Bureau of Labor Statistics data and other proprietary and public sources of information for multiple occupations.
$50,000
median salary

Program structure

The online M Ed in early childhood special education requires 30 credit hours, including a 24-credit-hour core sequence and six credit hours of electives.

Earn your degree entirely online, taking courses on a semester schedule. No campus visits are required. Students typically take one or two classes each semester and finish in two years.

Core courses

Build your knowledge base in early childhood and special education through courses covering:

  • Special education research methods and their applications
  • ABA and theories of behavior management
  • Developing evidence-based interventions
  • Assessing, diagnosing and developing instructional plans for special needs students
  • Early childhood instructional methods
  • Parental involvement techniques, including for homeschooling
  • Language and literacy development for children up to age 8 

Review all requirements for the online M Ed in early childhood special education.

Delivery

100% online

Calendar system

Semester-based

Typical program length

2 years

Typical course load

1 or 2 classes each semester

Accreditation

The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. The College of Education and Human Development is a member of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council.

Learn more about this program

This program is administered by the Department of Special Education