Master of Education (M.Ed.)
REPAYMENT AFTER GRADUATION AS LOW AS
$216/mo*if using financial aid (Spring 2026 semester)
How to PaySpecial Education w/ Licensure
Licensure only option available
Program Highlights & Benefits
Easy to use, intuitive online course platform
Complete your degree at your own pace
Up to 9 Graduate Transfer Credits
Highly qualified professors committed to helping foster personal and professional success
Designed For
Designed for working teachers who wish to earn their SPED license, the Special Education Licensure program prepares you to teach students with mild disabilities. The demand for special education teachers is expected to rise steadily through 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With the online Special Education Licensure program at Bethel University, you’ll be able to do more for your students, increase your earning potential, and meet the needs of a growing workplace.
What You Learn
A state-of-the-art curriculum trains you in areas crucial to the field, such as ethics and professional values, social and environmental interaction, instructional planning, evidence-based practice, intervention, and more. In addition, you’ll also be required to complete a two-semester internship. Working in two out of three academic levels (elementary, middle, or high school), you’ll gain a broad, hands-on learning experience that prepares you to directly begin applying what you’ve learned.
How You Learn
The online Special Education Licensure program also offers the ultimate in flexibility. Because our classes are online, you’ll have the capacity to balance both your education and your life. We offer six start dates per year and seven-week classes, allowing you to begin, pause, or accelerate your degree program at a pace that works for you. The licensure program can be completed in as little as one year.
Career Outcomes
Upon completion of our online special education certification, you’ll be prepared to take the following Indiana Content Area Assessment Tests:
- Exceptional Needs—Mild Intervention (025)
- Exceptional Needs—Mild Intervention: Reading Instruction (064)
The passing of these tests will allow you to obtain your licensure.
Degree Requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
| EDUC 500 | Professional Development & Leadership- Intro | 1 |
| EDUC 521 | Curriculum Development & School Improvement | 3 |
| EDUC 531 | Effective Instruction & Assessment | 3 |
| EDUC 535 | Mentoring & Supervision of Instruction | 3 |
| EDUC 541 | Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners | 3 |
| EDUC 555 | Educational Research | 3 |
| EDUC 690 | Professional Development & Leadership-Capstone | 2 |
| SPED 695 A/B | Supervised Residency/Internship & Seminar | 3 |
| SPED 505* | Foundations, Theories, Laws, Professional Values & Ethics | 3 |
| SPED 515* | Social, Behavioral and Environmental Interaction | 3 |
| SPED 520* | Instructional Planning & Delivery: Evidence-based Practices | 3 |
| SPED 530* | Reading & Writing Difficulties: Assessment & Intervention | 3 |
| SPED 535* | Communication, Technology, and Mentorship | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 36 |
Candidates have the choice to substitute EDUC 690 for an education-related elective. This could change the total credit hours for the program to 37 credits.
*Candidates who currently hold a master’s degree, a valid teaching license, and three years of successful teaching experience may complete the Special Education Licensure coursework only for a total of (15 hours)
