Special Education

The mission of the Special Education program is to prepare educators and specialists to apply empirical, evidence-based practices across a variety of settings—schools, clinics, communities, and homes—addressing the lifelong continuum of support needs for individuals with a range of disabilities. We are committed to preparing professionals to deliver high-quality, explicit instruction while we remain responsive and flexible to the needs of communities, empowering individuals to achieve meaningful inclusion and personal fulfillment.

The program offers a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree with a major in Special Education. Students choose one of three concentrations: 1) Applied Behavior Analysis; 2) Learning Disabilities/Inclusion; or 3) Learning and Behavioral Disabilities accelerated online program. The Master of Education in Special Education is not a teacher certification program. 

If you are interested in obtaining Special Education Certification and you currently have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university, please visit TXST ACE (Alternative Certification for Educators) website: https://www.education.txst.edu/ci/programs/alt-teacher-cert.html

TXST ACE is an accelerated certification program for bachelor’s degree holders ready to become Texas PK–12 teachers—combining expert instruction, real-world experience, and individualized guidance.

The Learning Disabilities/Inclusion and Applied Behavior Analysis concentrations are 36 hour degrees with classes running the traditional Fall and Spring semesters as well as in the Summer. The Learning and Behavioral Disabilities accelerated online program (AOP) is a 30 hour degree through TXST global with 8-week asynchronous classes across five academic terms. Teacher certification is not offered within the Special Education graduate concentrations.

Graduates from the Learning Disabilities/Inclusion and Learning and Behavioral Disabilities AOP concentrations are prepared for positions such as special education coordinator/director, professional development specialist, behavior specialist, and academic intervention specialist. Graduates from the Applied Behavior Analysis concentration complete behavior-analytic coursework requirements for pathway 2 eligibility as one component of eligibility to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination, which equips them for positions as BCBAs in clinical and educational settings.