Special Education

NNU's Education Specialist degree in Special Education advances the academic preparation and teaching skills of experienced general education classroom teachers and teachers already teaching students with exceptionalities. This online degree is designed for educational professionals who have a master’s degree and are seeking either to gain certification to teach children in special education or who already hold special education certification and want to further hone their practice.

Program Design

Designed to fit the schedule of a working professional, NNU’s Ed.S. in Educational Leadership allows you to complete the degree while teaching full time. The online program utilizes a sequence of set courses which allows you to plan your schedule ahead of time.

Courses in this program are fully online but may have synchronous video class sessions. You are encouraged to attend these sessions as they are available. Usually, archived sessions will be available for review.

Accessible professors, who are educational leaders themselves, will support you throughout the program and provide you with the preparation you need to succeed. 

Education Specialist (Ed.S.) with Idaho Special Education Credential

The Special Education with Certification program takes approximately 22 months to complete, including one semester of internship. The internship has two options: one option is for educators currently teaching in special education classroom for special education, and one option is for others who are not currently teaching Special Education.

To be recommended to the State of Idaho for a K-12 Special Education Generalist certification on an Idaho Teaching Certificate, you must:

• Successfully complete the Ed.S. Special Education program
• Have earned a passing score on the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Assessment
• Earn a passing score on the required PRAXIS II tests for special education

It is your responsibility to submit the appropriate paperwork and fees to the Idaho State Department of Education for obtaining certifications and endorsements in Idaho. Current forms and information are available from the ISDE website. Please check for specific requirements for certification in other states.

Required Courses

EDUC 8000 Orientation - Graduate Education (0)
EDUC 7549 IEP and Transition (3)
EDUC 7538 Behavior Intervention and Treatment (3)
EDUC 5786 Assessment and Collaboration (3)
EDUC 7536 Trauma Informed Care (3)
EDUC 7540 Reading, Theory, Intervention (3)
EDUC 7568 Math Pedagogy (3
EDUC 7555 Mixed Methods (3)
EDUC 7548 Methods and Adaptation (3)
EDUC 7573 Technology: Exceptional Child (3)
EDUC 7576 Special Education Law (3)
EDUC 7556 Conceptual Statistics & Application (3)
Elective (3)
EDUC 7596IV Internship/Exceptional Child (4)
EDUC 7596IVB Internship in Teaching Exceptional Child Portfolio Binder

Total Credits: A minimum of 40 semester credits are required. 

Education Specialist (Ed.S.) without Idaho Special Education Credential

This major is designed for special education classroom teachers, who already hold special education certification and wish to gain further expertise. Additional training in aspects of regular education that are important to teaching students with exceptionalities is part of the program.

In the final semester, you will be required to enroll in EDUC7596IVB Teaching Exceptional Child Portfolio Binder where you will upload your portfolio as your final capstone.

The Special Education program takes approximately 22 months. It does not have an internship and does not lead to a K-12 Special Education Generalist Certification.

Required Courses

EDUC 8000 Orientation - Graduate Education (0)
EDUC 7549 IEP and Transition (3)
EDUC 7538 Behavior Intervention and Treatment (3)
EDUC 5786 Assessment and Collaboration (3)
EDUC 7536 Trauma Informed Care (3)
EDUC 7540 Reading, Theory, Intervention (3)
EDUC 7568 Math Pedagogy (3)
EDUC 7555 Mixed Methods (3)
EDUC 7548 Methods and Adaptation (3)
EDUC 7573 Technology: Exceptional Child (3)
EDUC 7576 Special Education Law (3)
EDUC 7556 Conceptual Statistics & Application (3)
Elective (3)
EDUC 7596IVB Teaching Exceptional Child Portfolio Binder (0)

Total Credits: A minimum of 36 semester credits are required.