Bachelor of Science
Mizzou's online Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education with an emphasis in Cross Categorical Special Education gives you the tools you need to make a difference in the lives of students and their families. You’ll learn from faculty respected throughout the state for their expertise in teacher preparation, student literacy in special education settings, curriculum creation and more. The program also prepares you to take the Praxis exam necessary to gain your teacher certification.
Missouri schools know the difference a Mizzou education makes. Earning your degree from Mizzou demonstrates your commitment to learning from the best and shows your future school leaders, principals and peers that your command of special education pedagogy is second to none. Whether you’re already involved in the classroom or looking to start, your path to certification begins here with Mizzou.
About the BSED in Special Education
This program from Mizzou’s Department of Special Education provides you a pathway to special education certification so you can teach without needing to move to attend a traditional undergraduate program.
The program consists of 120 credit hours. Please note: to be certified to teach in Missouri, you must take the Praxis and meet a passing score for each relevant content area and grade level. This test is administered by ETS in partnership with DESE and is not affiliated with the University of Missouri. Once you’ve passed the certification exam, you will be granted your cross categorical certification to allow you to teach multiple students across disciplines and with varying needs.
Quick facts
Official name
Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education with an emphasis in Cross Categorical Special EducationCampus
Program type
Bachelor's degreeAcademic home
College of Education & Human Development | Department of Special EducationDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning Commission; Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationFreshman credit hours
120Freshman estimated cost
$68,292.00Transfer credit hours
60Transfer estimated cost
$34,146.00*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.
Career prospects
Earning this degree can lead to special education careers in
- Kindergarten
- Elementary school
- Middle school
- Secondary school
Program structure
This undergraduate program takes 120 credit hours to complete. Courses will run asynchronously online.
Coursework Includes
- Language development
- Assessment creation
- Classroom and behavior management
- Teaching methods for special education
In addition to the coursework above, students pursuing this degree will need to complete fieldwork in the form of a practicum and student teaching assignment.
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
SemesterTypical program length
VariesTypical course load
VariesAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States. It is also accredited by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Faculty spotlight
Jamie Day is an assistant professor of special education in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Missouri. Broadly, her research revolves around strategies to attract, prepare and retain effective personnel for all multilingual students with disabilities. This includes researching special education teacher preparation and evidence-based literacy interventions for multilingual students participating in the special education process.
Jena Randolph is an assistant research professor and the training and education division director with the University of Missouri’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment. Her experience has a focus on collaborative and coordinated care for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities. She is one of the primary developers of the Training Experts in Autism for Missouri (TEAM) program, which provides autism training and support to professionals across disciplines throughout the state and of the Self-Determined Transition Readiness through Individual Vocational Experiences (STRIVE) program, which provides direct instruction, work experiences and peer mentorship to enhance employment readiness for young adults with autism.
Lisa Goran earned her doctoral degree in special education from the University of Missouri. Dr. Goran's professional work focuses on teacher preparation and her research lines focus on teacher preparation and the language-literacy connections for students with disabilities.