MAT – Special Education – Early Childhood Education Help Young Minds Grow
36
Credit Hours
100% online,* 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Prepare for a Rewarding Career Providing Individualized Education for Young Minds
Teaching young children is a rewarding career that can return much more than a paycheck. Take your passion for teaching and help fill the critical shortage of special education teachers in the United States. Our Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education – Early Childhood Education degree can help set you on a path to obtain your initial teaching licensure and get an additional specialization in early childhood education. However, if you are already a teacher and looking to make a career change, then this degree has the training you need as well.
With core courses in learning theory and behavior management, you will study education assessment and intervention. Our online master’s degree in special education will give you the tools you need to support and provide for families of young children with unique learning needs.
Additionally, Liberty University’s online teaching degree in early childhood special education will develop your skills in teaching preschool subjects to students with physical or learning disabilities. You can learn to teach basic academic and life process skills to young children who can greatly benefit from a devoted teacher.
At Liberty University, we created our online MAT in special education degree program with your success in mind. Our goal is to support you as both a student and a teaching professional.
Liberty maintains strict compliance with all licensure requirements for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Not a Virginia resident? We want to help find the best program for you! To view educational requirements and whether a specific program aligns with the licensure requirements for your state, please review our licensure/certification requirements webpage.
*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.
Why Choose Liberty’s MAT in Special Education – Early Childhood Education Program?
Do you love being around children? If you find it easy to communicate your thoughts, and you want to help children with special needs, then our early childhood education specialization will be the perfect addition to your special education degree. If you’re interested in becoming a special ed. teacher and making a difference in your community, we can help you!
- Liberty’s MAT degree in special education can give you the training you need. Our program focuses on more than preparing you for teacher licensure — we train educators who want to help students learn and grow. It’s who you are and who you aspire to become.
- At Liberty University, we strive to use the power of faith and education to transform people and the world. When reviewing special education master’s programs online, we know that you want to find a program that fits your values. Our online special education program is designed to help integrate biblical principles into your professional life.
- You will complete courses taught from a Christian worldview with cutting-edge techniques and information for teacher education. Plus, you’ll complete student teaching to gain hands-on experience prior to graduation.
- Liberty University’s School of Education meets rigorous national standards for educator preparation set by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
- Our early childhood specialization will enhance your special education degree and prepare you to teach developing young minds at an individualized level.
We want to help you reach your goals, so we’re making a master’s degree more flexible and affordable. Most of our courses are offered in an 8-week online format to allow you to work while earning the majority of your degree at the same time. You can add to your skill set, broaden your professional capacity, and make a bigger impact on your students with an online graduate degree in education from Liberty University.
What Will You Study with Our MAT in Special Education Online Degree?
Becoming a special education teacher requires more than what you can find in textbooks. Through your special education classes, you can learn to teach lessons and provide intellectual stimulation for special needs students. This program trains you on the best approaches to education topics for younger children with disabilities. You can learn how to diagnose various disabilities and work with the families of children with disabilities. This includes autism and developmental challenges.
Our early childhood specialization focuses on the effects of environment on learning and childhood development and how to support the growth of young children in and out of learning environments. Diagnosing and developing interventions and focused programs for children of varying disabilities and learning challenges will be a core focus.
You will also learn how to care for and nurture your students emotionally, socially, and spiritually. You will study educational behavior and development, theories and methodologies of education, current trends in the education field, and methods of teaching with classroom management.
Each child is a unique individual created by God. Becoming a special education teacher can help you teach them in a way that meets their needs. Therefore, our courses are taught from a Christian perspective by educators equipped with years of experience teaching in the field of special education. You can learn how to apply a biblical worldview to your classroom in Christian, private, public, or homeschool settings.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Consultant
- Early childhood special educator
- Family support specialist
- General curriculum special education teacher
- Home-based service provider
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the School of Education.
- View the Graduate Education Course Guides (login required).
- This program requires a background check.
- Students will complete a semester of student teaching.
- This program will help you achieve your initial teaching licensure.
- Review state-specific state requirements.
- Review the State-Specific Approval Disclosures.
- Additional program details are available in the Online Graduate Advising Guide.
Degree Completion Plan
State Licensure Requirements
Individual state licensure requirements may vary and are subject to change without notice. View your state’s requirements here: licensure/certification requirements.
Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
Pursuing our online Master of Arts in Teaching licensure track may make you eligible for the Federal TEACH Grant.
Graduate Education Full Time | $415/Credit |
---|---|
Graduate Education Part Time | $615/Credit |
Military Graduate | $275/Credit |
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for the Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.5 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Please note: Guidelines are subject to change in federal or state regulations for the licensure of school personnel.
Preliminary Acceptance
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
- Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
- Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
- Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
- If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
- Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.
Dual Enrollment
Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
Transcript Policies
Unofficial College Transcript Policy
Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:
- Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
- Cumulative GPA
- A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
- Degree and date conferred (if applicable)
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.
If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Admissions Office Contact Information
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
Ready to Apply?
Submit your application online or over the phone.
Military
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
- Active Duty
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/Retirees
- Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
- Current Department of Defense Employees
Available Benefits:
- Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
- Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)*
- 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)
*Not applicable to certificates.
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Liberty’s School of Education Accredited?
Yes. Liberty University’s School of Education meets rigorous national standards for educator preparation set by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Does this program provide hands-on learning opportunities?
Students in this program gain hands-on experience with in-person practicums and student teaching.
Does this degree provide any networking opportunities?
Yes, because this is an online degree, you will have the opportunity to network with educators from across the country.
Inner Navigation
- Overview
- What Sets Us Apart?
- Why Choose Liberty?
- What Will You Study?
- State Requirements
- Tuition & Aid
- Admission Information
- Military
- FAQs
Have questions?