Overview

The M.A.T. in Special Education at Western Carolina University will develop your skills as a teacher and increase your understanding of working with special education populations. Students in the Adapted Curriculum concentration will take 42-semester hours of courses like Topics In Communication Disorders; Physical Care and Management of Students with Profound Disabilities; and Evidence-Based Methods for Teaching Students with Autism.

Students in the General Curriculum concentration will take 42-semester hours of courses like Best Practices for Teaching Math to Exceptional Learners; Collaboration with Families and Professionals; and Culturally Responsive Classroom Management for Exceptional Learners. Both programs lead to recommendation of licensure from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.

Where You'll Go

WCU’s M.A.T. graduates will be eligible to teach special education populations in grades K-12. The National Education Association states the average salary for North Carolina public school teachers is $47,783 for the 2014-15 school year.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is projecting a 6% increase in high school teacher hirings by 2022. There are also a number of opportunities across the nation and internationally for primary and secondary teachers.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Teacher Leadership in a Diverse Society

Assessment of Instruction

Child and Adolescent Development

Teaching Exceptional Learners in Inclusive Classrooms

Advanced Studies in Teacher Leadership

Methods of Research

Key information

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-05-11 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-05-01 00:00:00
Starting 2026-08-18 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-08-01 00:00:00
Starting 2027-01-12 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00

Language

English

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105

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PTE Academic

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

42 SCH

Delivered

Online

Campus Location

Cullowhee, United States

Disciplines

Special Education View 508 other Masters in Special Education in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

105

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

PTE Academic

Schedule a PTE test!

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

MAT applicants must have a grade point average of B or higher on all upper-level undergraduate coursework and, depending on concentration, a satisfactory score on the GRE.
Three letters of recommendation from persons who are in a position to judge the applicant’s aptitude for graduate study and potential as a graduate-level classroom teacher are required.

A writing sample is required.

In addition, candidates must have an undergraduate degree in the major of the concentration and must meet the prerequisite requirements of the department housing the concentration.

Candidates with an undergraduate degree in a major other than the MAT concentration may not qualify for the MAT and are subject to prerequisite course requirements as determined by the faculty in the department of the concentration.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

21444 USD / year

≈ 21444 USD / year
Out-of-State

21444 USD / year

≈ 21444 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

10724 USD / year

≈ 10724 USD / year

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Special Education.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Where You'll Go

Programme Structure

Key information

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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