Special Education

The Curriculum & Instruction: Special Education graduate program at Florida State prepares educators and related service professionals to identify and apply evidence-based practices. As a student here, you’ll be immersed in special education and related areas while enjoying close mentorship from our faculty. Designed for working professionals, graduates are prepared to put theory into practice.
Currently ranked #16 in the nation among public universities by U.S. News and World Report, our Special Education program aims to train high-quality professionals who need skills and expertise to enhance the quality of life of children, youth, and adults with disabilities. Our faculty regularly produce nationally recognized research to improve outcomes for and understanding of individuals with disabilities.
Within the Special Education program, we offer on-campus specialist and doctoral degrees.
In the specialist and doctoral programs, you work with faculty advisors to identify an area of focus and tailor your program of study to support growth in that area.
We regularly have funding available for master's, specialist, and doctoral students.
Please note: these are advanced programs that do not lead to teacher certification. If you wish to become certified to teach special education, please see our Special Education combined BS/MS pathway.
Interested in working with individuals with autism? Check out our online master's in Autism Spectrum Disorder and online graduate certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder!
We also offer an online master's in Early Childhood Special Education and an online graduate certificate in Early Childhood Special Education
In order to meet minimum University admission requirements, applicants must have:
Florida State University
Office of Graduate Admissions
314 Westcott Building
P.O. Box 3061410
Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410
Admission to graduate study is a two-fold evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University, and the academic department, program, or college determines admissibility to the degree program. University graduate admissions requirements are found at https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions. Academic programs have additional requirements.
Florida State University requires a course-by-course credential evaluation for all applicants that have degrees from a non-U.S. institution. International and domestic applicants with degrees earned from international institutions must submit their official transcripts through a NACES approved evaluator for transcripts from a non-U.S. institution. SpanTran has created a custom application for Florida State University that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. See the “Transcript Requirement” section on The Graduate School website, https://gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/graduate-admissions, for detailed information on University transcript requirements for graduate admission.
Applicants must upload the following REQUIRED supporting documents to the Admissions Application Portal:
Master’s and Specialist programs:
Doctoral program:
If you are interested in applying, please contact STE-GradCoord@fsu.edu.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, job outlook for special education teachers is expected to grow by 7.4% through 2026. That translates into 15,100 new jobs. The median national annual salary for special education teachers is $60,600 per year.
Teaching is one of the most rewarding careers, and a typical path usually offers ample opportunities for professional development and growth. Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. With students who have mild or moderate disabilities, they ensure that lessons and teaching strategies are modified to meet the students’ needs. With students who have severe disabilities, they teach the students independent living skills and basic literacy, communication, and math. They generally work school hours when students are present, and use nights and weekends to prepare lessons and grade papers. Some teachers work during the summer months.
Click here to learn more about our Special Education faculty!