Master of Science in Special Education with a Specialization in Curriculum & Instruction Online

Strengthen your ability to support students in special education in the classroom and beyond with a multifaceted master's degree that refines your curriculum and instruction expertise.

Apply by: 6/23/25
Start class: 7/7/25 Apply Now

Program Overview

Here's what you need to know about our M.S. in Special Education with a Specialization in Curriculum & Instruction online

Pursue rewarding roles as a champion for students in special education with diverse academic and behavioral needs when you complete the Master of Science in Special Education with a Specialization in Curriculum & Instruction online program from TAMIU. Acquire the next-level instructional strategies, curricular tools and classroom management methods necessary to create an engaging learning experience for students in special education.

This M.S. in Special Education online program will increase your understanding of both special education and curriculum design with evidence-based practices and cutting-edge educational theories. You will critically examine special education laws, assessment of learning disabilities, foundations of educational research and behavior management for exceptional children. In specialized coursework, you will strengthen your pedagogical decision-making by evaluating instructional trends from historical, social and cultural perspectives. Become a dynamic leader when you explore coaching models designed to help you promote the professional growth of your colleagues in special education.

Attentive faculty with real-world experience in K-12 special education will teach accelerated, 7-week courses in a convenient, 100% online format. Prepare for higher-level positions in curriculum design, special education and institutions outside education.

**This program is eligible for the TEACH Grant.

Graduates of this M.S. in Special Education online program will be able to:

  • Use assessment to make educational decisions for individuals with exceptionalities
  • Integrate scholarly inquiry to select evidence-based strategies to meet the needs of individuals with exceptionalities
  • Demonstrate leadership skills by advocating individuals with exceptionalities
Graduates of this M.S. in Special Education online program will be able to:+
  • Use assessment to make educational decisions for individuals with exceptionalities
  • Integrate scholarly inquiry to select evidence-based strategies to meet the needs of individuals with exceptionalities
  • Demonstrate leadership skills by advocating individuals with exceptionalities
+
+

Also available:

Texas A&M International University offers a variety of in-demand online education programs. Explore all of our online education programs.

Total Tuition $12,111*
Duration 12 months
Credit Hours 33

Accreditation

The State of Texas Education Agency

The Texas A&M International University College of Education is accredited by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification.

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Need More Information?

Call 844-872-8712

Call 844-872-8712

Tuition

Our affordable tuition is easy on your budget

Tuition for the M.S. in Special Education with a Specialization in Curriculum & Instruction online program is affordable and can be paid by the course. All fees are included.

View additional tuition information+

In-State Tuition:

The following tuition applies only to Texas residents.

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course Per Program*
M.S. in Special Education – C&I $367 $ $12,111

Out-of-State Tuition:

Program Per Credit Hour Per Program*
M.S. in Special Education – C&I $1,030 $33,990

*Tuition subject to change.

Tuition breakdown:

Total Tuition $12,111*
Per Credit Hour $367

Calendar

Our online master's in special education programs feature multiple start dates

The M.S. in Special Education with a Specialization in Curriculum & Instruction online program is delivered online, featuring 7-week courses and six start dates each year. Choose the start date that is best for you.

Graduate Programs Degree Plan

View full calendar  + 

SessionProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlinePayment DueLast Class Day
Spring II3/24/253/10/253/17/253/21/255/9/25
Summer I5/19/255/5/255/12/255/16/257/5/25
Summer II7/7/256/23/256/30/257/7/258/22/25
Fall I8/25/258/11/258/18/258/22/2510/10/25
Fall II10/20/2510/3/2510/15/2510/17/2512/9/25
Spring I1/20/261/2/261/15/261/16/263/7/26

Now enrolling:

Apply Date 6/23/25
Class Starts 7/7/25

Ready to take the next steps toward earning your next degree?

Apply Now

Admissions

A step-by-step guide to our admission process

Applying for the M.S. in Special Education with a Specialization in Curriculum & Instruction online program is a simple process. Learn more about the admission requirements below.

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree
  • Minimum 2.75 GPA on the last 60 hours
View all admission requirements +

International Transcript Evaluation:

TAMIU does their own foreign credential evaluations. Graduate School does not require third party evaluations nor are obligated to accept the results, or GPA calculations, if an evaluation is submitted. If an applicant submits an official evaluation, the evaluation does not replace official transcripts or certificates of graduation.

Official transcripts from all institutions attended can be sent to:

Texas A&M International University
Graduate School
Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, Suite 223
5201 University Boulevard
Laredo, TX 78041
OR
Electronically to GraduateSchool@tamiu.edu

**Former TAMIU students DO NOT have to request TAMIU transcripts.

For documents other than transcripts, please upload to your application portal located here. If transcripts are uploaded to the portal, you will be asked to resend all official transcripts by mail or email and will delay the application process.

Have a question? Call us at 844-872-8712.

Courses

Examine the M.S. in SPED courses online

The M.S. in Special Education (SPED) curriculum is comprised of 11 courses (33 credit hours). Students are required to take seven core courses and four specialization courses.

Expand All
You must take the following courses.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an introductory level course for candidates seeking a MS in Special Education. Course content includes an overview of special education eligibility categories and evidence-based practices for students with disabilities. This content addresses the Texas Special Education Teaching Standards and the Council for Exceptional Children Common Core Standards. Course activities include lectures, case studies, and the evaluation of evidence-based practices. Prerequisites: Graduate standing. Fixed 1st Course.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an intermediate level course for candidates seeking a MS in Special Education. Course content includes the history of special education law, provisions of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Americans with Disabilities Act, Every Student Succeeds Act, legal trends and issues in special education, and special education professional ethical principles and practice standards guided by the Council for Exceptional Children Common Core Standards. Course activities include lectures, case analysis, and special education legal case briefs. Prerequisites: Graduate standing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an introductory level course for candidates seeking a MS in Special Education. Course content includes the unique culture of disability across the lifespan and the impact of disabilities on an individual across the lifespan. In addition, this course examines characteristics of children and youth with major biological risk conditions and disabilities with a focus on the impact of these conditions on development over time. Course activities include lectures, group discussions and assignments, demonstrating the complexity of development with a disability.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an intermediate level course for candidates seeking a MS in Special Education. Course content includes descriptive statistics, psychometric properties of a test reliability and validity, interpretation of test scores, norms, scales, and grades, and some of the current controversies in testing. Additional topics such as data management, progress monitoring, test accommodations and modifications, and cultural and linguistic considerations are covered. Focus of attention is on the use of assessment information for making educational decisions. Course activities include lectures, interpretation of scores, and case analysis.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an intermediate level course for candidates seeking a MS in Special Education. Course content includes the major concepts and techniques of effective classroom and Applied Behavior Analysis for children and youth with disabilities experiencing academic and/or behavioral difficulties. Course activities include lectures, group discussions and assignments concerning effective classroom management, as well as behavior plan development for students with disabilities.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills needed to effectively collaborate and consult with families, school personnel and community members in educational settings. Other topics include team membership, co-teaching, supervision of paraprofessionals, partnerships with families and development of interagency agreements to address the needs of individuals with disabilities.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an advanced level course for candidates seeking a MS in Special Education. This course examines the historical, relevant, and timely topics of concern to educators involved in making decisions regarding special education. This content addresses the Texas Special Education Teaching Standards and the Council for Exceptional Children Common Core Standards. Course activities include lectures, debates, and the evaluation of issues and trends in the field of special education. This course may be repeated once when topic changes.
You must take the following courses.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to provide a historical and conceptual foundation in the discipline of curriculum and instruction for those beginning their graduate work. It will cover the historical and philosophical beginnings of the traditional content taught in the public school systems in the U.S., from pre-kindergarten through completion of the academic core of post-secondary schooling. Examination of key components of the purpose and methods of instruction will punctuate the historical context to identify specific C&I elements in some of the following eras: ancient and pre-modern contributions, Pre-Colonial and Colonial American schooling, early foundations of instruction in the U.S., implications of modern C&I, and trends in post-modern C&I. A major element of the course will be the development of a research topic and subsequent student project focusing on the topic. Prerequisite: Graduate standing Fixed 1st Course
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Engage in critical analysis of education’s place in today’s rapidly changing local and global society with a focus on comprehending education from historic, philosophic, social and cultural perspectives and the impact of those perspectives on current practice. Evaluate curricular and instructional perspectives and ways of viewing educational history from a theoretically informed lens. Critically examine the practices and policies used in schooling to enact decisions on curricular reforms in schooling with a critical understanding of diversity, social inequity, and equal educational opportunities. Pre-requisites: Graduate Standing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
A general survey of theories of learning as they apply to the modern classroom. The course is designed to acquaint the teacher with major historical and modern theories and their proponents of how children learn together, with implications for the schools in modern society. Prerequisite: Graduate standing
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course addresses teacher leadership in the context of advancing the expertise and leadership of peers, thereby expanding the teacher-leader’s sphere of influence beyond the walls of the classroom. Teachers explore mentoring and coaching models designed to promote the professional growth of their colleagues. They learn and apply skills for mentoring novice teachers and for engaging in coaching relationships with peers at all stages of the teacher-development cycle. Various forms of collaboration with colleagues are addressed and diversity, as well as interpersonal and communication skills, are emphasized. Prerequisite: Graduate standing

**The maximum grant amount can vary by year. TEACH Grants are available to qualified applicants who enroll in a TEACH Grant eligible program and require approved recipients to sign a service agreement for certain teaching service obligations. If you do not meet the requirements of your service obligation, the grant will turn into a loan that must be repaid, with interest. For more information, please visit: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/teach#eligibility or contact the Texas A&M International University Financial Aid Office.

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