This program combines graduate level course work in special education, special education
administration, and educational leadership/policy studies. An individually designed
externship in special education administration, with a licensed special education
director, is required to demonstrate program competencies.
Personalized Plan of Study
- Though this program includes 28-39 credit hours of coursework, most students will
take 9-21 credit hours due to their academic background in special education, and
possible Principal Licensure coursework.
- All students will have an individual program plan developed to guide your enrollment
and completion.
- One or two courses in the program will include synchronous learning sessions where
the professor and students meet online at the same time. Students will have input
on session scheduling.
For an example of upcoming courses, visit the Current Students page for this program.
For full program requirement details, see the official program listing in the UNC Graduate Catalog.
State Licensure
This program leads to recommendation for Colorado administrator license endorsed as a Director of Special Education K-12. Colorado offers licensure reciprocity
with 48 states (all but FL & TX). However, if you wish to work outside of Colorado,
you should check with your state office to ensure that this program fulfills all specific
Special Education Administration/Director licensure requirements for your state.
Admission Requirements
-
Possess at least a Master’s degree in Special Education from a regionally accredited
college or university.
-
Note: if you don't have a master's degree, this licensure is also part of our Educational Leadership & Special Education Administration (Master's with Dual Licensure).
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better (on a 4.00 point scale) for the most recent
degree earned or current degree in progress. If you are still completing your master's
degree at the time you apply, admission will be based on your current cumulative GPA,
and you will need to re-submit your official transcript (showing your conferred degree
and final GPA) during your first semester. If your final GPA fell below 3.00, you
will be given additional requirements as defined by the academic program that must
be met within one calendar year to remain enrolled at UNC.
-
Have a valid Special Education license or a school psychologist license; or be a qualified
special school service provider (school counselor or school psychologist license).
-
Have completed three years of successful experience as a licensed Special Education
teacher or school psychologist/special service provider.
Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.
Eligibility by State
At this time, the University of Northern Colorado can provide postsecondary distance
education in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and all major U.S. territories.
We are continuing to monitor requirements in all U.S. jurisdictions and seek clarification
from government agencies when needed. If you have questions about whether UNC can
offer distance education where you are located, please contact us and we will gladly
assist you.
Certain distance education activities that occur outside of Colorado may have additional
state approval processes or requirements. This most commonly occurs for experiential
learning placement activities such as practica, internships, student teaching, and
healthcare clinicals. Please review the State Authorization (SARA) page for additional information on UNC’s ability to offer distance education across state
lines and a list of activities and states where approval may be required. For additional
information or questions, please contact jake.henderson@unco.edu.
Licensure Eligibility by State
All UNC professional licensure programs are designed to lead to Colorado licensure.
However, since each state has their own educational preparation requirements, UNC's
programs may or may not meet these requirements in each state. For a complete list
of states where UNC has determined that this program will or will not fulfill educational
requirements for licensure, please visit the UNC Licensure page.
UNC encourages all students entering a professional licensure program to understand
licensure requirements in the state where they intend to seek employment. Please review
the State Licensure Boards page to find contact information for licensing agencies in each state.
International Student Eligibility
International students residing outside of the United States are eligible to apply
to our online programs. Applicants for online programs must demonstrate English proficiency,
or enroll in the UNC Intensive English Program, in order to be considered.
Students in completely online UNC programs are not required to come to the United
States. You will not need a student visa or receive any immigration documentation,
and do not need to provide financial documentation.
Please visit the International Students Admission Requirements page for details about English proficiency requirements and applying as an international
student.
Transferring Credit
UNC graduate school accepts applicable graduate credit with a grade of C or higher
from accredited institutions. Please note that if your chosen program has a higher
grade minimum for any program coursework, that minimum would apply to transfer requests
for those courses. Graduate program faculty are responsible for reviewing any proposed
transfer credit to ensure that course content and objectives match program content.
- Students must complete at least 50% of their graduate program credits at UNC, not
including research, capstone, seminar, internship/externship/practicum, thesis, dissertation
proposal, dissertation and any credits graded with S/U (P/F).
- Courses requested for transfer cannot have been used to fulfill requirements for a
previously awarded degree. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.
If you are combining this program with a degree program, please see the transfer information
for that program for any time frame limitations for courses applied to the degree.
Tuition
This is an Extended Campus program, which means:
- We charge a flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state).
- There are no added student fees or technology fees. However, certain courses may carry
specific course fees to support additional services and materials.
Program tuition for the 2025-26 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer
terms) is $722 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2026-27 academic year will be determined
mid-June 2026.
Estimates of additional costs: For the purposes of determining financial aid, UNC
follows Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) and federal guidelines to develop
an estimated, average Cost of Attendance (budget) for different student classifications.
For your personal tuition estimates, we recommend using the program-specific tuition
information above. But UNC's official Cost of Attendance/Student Budgets page can help you identify other estimated expenses for which you may be responsible while
completing your program.
Financial Aid
Licensure-only (non-degree seeking) students aren't eligible for aid through the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Your program coordinator may be aware
of your eligibility for any discipline or campus-based aid if available.
For more specific help, contact the Office of Financial Aid: ofa@unco.edu, 970-351-4862 or via the UNC Financial Aid website.
Students can also find helpful information such as the Guide to Federal Student Aid
at https://studentaid.gov/resources. Most of the resources are available in English, Spanish and Braille.
