Special Education (M.Ed.)

Getting Started

Applicants must submit an application online per the individual program’s instructions below. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 239-745-GRAD or graduate@fgcu.edu for additional information about the application process. Satisfaction of minimum University and program requirements does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants should check with the program for the most up to date admission requirements prior to commencing the application process.

See program website at URL listed above.

Program Specific Requirements

The department bases decisions for regular admissions on a holistic review of credentials in which the criteria listed below are used to assess the potential success of each applicant.

• Transcripts that verify a four-year undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution or US equivalent;
• One of the following:
• A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 semester hours attempted that were accrued to the undergraduate degree;
• A graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution

Submission of

• • Two favorable recommendations from working professionals in the field
  • A letter from a current or previous supervisor or academic advisor indicating they have performed at least at a satisfactory level in that position.

• A letter of intent from the applicants that spells out their reasons for wanting to enter the program and a list of a perceived set of skills and dispositions.
• Performance in courses taken in other graduate degrees and/or non-degree seeking post-baccalaureates will also be taken into consideration for admission.
• An in-person, phone, or virtual interview 

Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search

Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:

1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.

*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Our program is to prepare teachers for leadership roles through their development of advanced knowledge and skills in the application of theory, research, and practices in special education.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills

Graduates will be able to design and conduct research to understand and address issues in the field. 

Communication Skills

Graduates will be able to collaborate with colleagues to design and implement professional development experiences.

Critical Thinking Skills

Graduates will be able to develop and implement appropriate instructional and behavioral plans based on student assessment results.