A Master's Degree or Endorsement Focused on Generalist Preparation in Special Education

The Special Education Generalist program prepares teachers to work with students who are identified with a variety of disabilities from moderate to severe intensity.

Choose from a...

Special Education Master of Arts – Generalist Concentration – this degree includes the endorsement preparation.
Special Education Generalist Endorsement (Ages 5-21 yrs) – this is the endorsement-only option.

The program content will focus on literacy and mathematics instruction, understanding standards and assessment, behavior management, differentiated instruction, and technology. After completing this program, you will obtain the skills needed to provide appropriate behavior supports and accommodations for learning of students with disabilities.

Also Available for Those Who Aren't Already Licensed to Teach

If you are not currently a teacher but are looking for a career change, you may need to take an additional course (3 credits) to work toward obtaining your teaching licensure. This can be completed alongside your master's program coursework and can be finished at the same time. In some cases, it can also be waived; contact the Program Coordinator for details.

A History of Excellence

The School of Special Education at the University of Northern Colorado has a long history of excellence in the preparation of special education teachers. The school is fully accredited by the Colorado Department of Education and the Colorado Higher Learning Commission.

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Credits Required:

Endorsement-only: 27
Master's with endorsement: 33 (may vary if you need teacher licensure)

Time to Completion:

Endorsement-only: 1.5 years
Master's with endorsement: 2 years

Tuition:
$583/credit hour

Delivery Option & Start Term:
Online program: start any term

Designed for the Schedule of a Working Professional

This program leads to preparation for the Special Education Generalist endorsement (you will be prepared to take the appropriate Praxis assessment). You can choose the endorsement-only option (27 credit hours) or the master's degree with endorsement (33 credit hours). Master's degree students have eligibility for federal financial aid and the benefits of master's degree completion for their career.

Endorsement-only students can finish in one-and-a-half years, and master's degree students can finish in two years.
If you are not a licensed teacher, you may need to take an additional course (3 credits) to work toward obtaining your teaching licensure. Contact a Program Coordinator for details.

Required Courses (27-33 Credit Hours)

To see the upcoming courses, visit this program's Current Students page.

Master's degree students will take all courses below. Endorsement-only students will take all courses except for the two courses marked with "** MA-only."

For full details, see the official program listings in the UNC Graduate Catalog:

Admission Requirements

Possess (or be in the process of finishing) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or a comparable degree from a foreign institution.
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 bachelor'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.
If you have completed a master's degree, or at least 18 credit hours towards a master's degree, the GPA of your master's work will be used.
Note: the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is NOT required for this program.

Eligibility by State

At this time, UNC can serve online education to students from every state, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. However, we are not currently accepting students to our online programs who reside in the CNMIs. Due to how fluid these agreements can be at the state or federal level, we recommend checking our Eligibility by State page for details.

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

Master's Transfer Credit Policy

Applicable graduate credit with a grade of A or B from a regionally accredited university may be able to be applied towards this academic program. Master's degree students must complete a minimum of 24 credits at the University of Northern Colorado. All work counted in a master's degree program must be completed within five years. The time limit is calculated from the beginning of the first class transferred in and counted in the degree program. See the full Graduate Transfer Credit Policy.

Students must submit an original transcript to their advisor for review. Student and advisor then complete a Transfer of Credit form to submit along with the original transcript to the Grad School for review and final approval.

Endorsement Transfer Credit Policy

Graduate endorsement programs feature highly specialized learning outcomes determined by our expert faculty (and, in many cases, driven by state endorsement preparation requirements). Therefore, to ensure that endorsement program completers attain this specialized knowledge, students will need to complete all coursework directly from this UNC program.

Tuition

This is an Extended Campus program, which means:

A flat per-credit tuition rate for all students (in-state or out-of-state)
There are no student fees – they are incorporated into our flat tuition rate
Certain courses may carry specific course fees for additional services and materials

Program tuition for the 2022-23 academic year (which runs Fall, Spring, and Summer terms) is $583 per credit hour. Tuition for the 2023-24 academic year will be determined mid-June 2023.

Financial Aid

Master's Degree Students

Students who cannot pay for tuition alone are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid. Students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA priority filing date for each academic year (a Fall-Spring-Summer cycle which begins each August) is June 1, although the form is now available by October 1 of the previous year and requests tax information from the year prior. For example, the FAFSA form for aid for the 2022-23 school year is released on Oct. 1, 2021, and is based off of 2020 tax return information.

Late submissions of the FAFSA are still accepted throughout the school year but you may not be considered for the maximum amount of aid. If the priority deadline has passed for the upcoming/current school year, we encourage you to apply for FAFSA consideration as soon as you enroll for your first courses. Depending on the time of year, you may be able to submit an application for the current academic year and an early/priority application for the following academic year.

Master's degree students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 credits per academic term for financial aid eligibility. Full time enrollment is based on 9 credits per term.

To apply for federal financial aid assistance

Fill out the FAFSA form at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa

Endorsement-Only Students

Endorsement-only (non-degree seeking) students aren't eligible for aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Details about the federal aid program are available at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. Your program coordinator may be aware of your eligibility for any discipline or campus-based aid if available.

All Students

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.

Student Health Insurance for Master of Arts Students

The University of Northern Colorado offers a Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) to all degree-seeking students who enroll in courses on our main UNC Campus, an Extended Campus Center, or Online.

Degree-seeking graduate students enrolled in 6 or more credit hours will automatically receive this benefit each term. SHIP premiums will appear on your semester bill. If you have comparable insurance coverage, and do not want to be charged for SHIP coverage, you must opt out of this plan each Fall via an online waiver process.

Please visit the UNC Student Health Insurance pages for more information about the insurance plan.

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Additional Resources

We also encourage you to visit the School of Special Education's Generalist Concentration page.
You may also be interested in dual endorsement in Special Education and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education via our Teaching Diverse Learners (Master's) program.
Learn more about the Special Education Faculty.

A Master's Degree or Endorsement Focused on Generalist Preparation in Special Education

Also Available for Those Who Aren't Already Licensed to Teach

A History of Excellence

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Program Coordinator

Course of Study

Eligibility & Transfer Credit

Costs & Aid

Designed for the Schedule of a Working Professional

Required Courses (27-33 Credit Hours)

Admission Requirements

Eligibility by State

International Student Eligibility

Transferring Credit

Master's Transfer Credit Policy

Endorsement Transfer Credit Policy

Tuition

Financial Aid

Master's Degree Students

Endorsement-Only Students

All Students

Student Health Insurance for Master of Arts Students

Get Started/Apply

Request Information

Additional Resources

Related Licensure Programs

Related Special Education Programs

Contact UNC Extended Campus

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For You

A Master's Degree or Endorsement Focused on Generalist Preparation in Special Education

Also Available for Those Who Aren't Already Licensed to Teach

A History of Excellence

SNAPSHOT

Get Started/Apply

Request Information

Program Coordinator

Course of Study

Eligibility & Transfer Credit

Costs & Aid

Designed for the Schedule of a Working Professional

Required Courses (27-33 Credit Hours)

Get Started/Apply

Request Information

Additional Resources

Related Licensure Programs

Related Special Education Programs

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