Education, M.S.; Special Education

Depending on where you are in your career, we offer several tracks that lead to Special Education in Virginia.

This program was designed to meet licensure requirements only in Virginia. View information on Longwood’s programs and professional licensure/certification determinations in other states and US territories.

5th Year Track

Are you an undergraduate interested in becoming a special education teacher? Start your Fifth Year track while you are an undergraduate student at Longwood!

Enter as a freshman, and in five years, you will earn your liberal studies degree, teacher licensure, and a graduate degree in special education.

See the Fifth Year Track course flow (pdf).

Licensed Teacher Track

Do you have an undergraduate degree in Elementary, Middle School, or Secondary education and a valid Virginia State Teaching License (or another state equivalency)?

In the Licensed Teacher track as a full-time student, you’ll take 39 graduate credits, spread out over two sessions in the summer, one session in the fall, and one session in the spring.

At the end of the program, you’ll have your Master of Science in Education degree, with a concentration in Special Education, and will be eligible for the Virginia Department of Education Postgraduate Professional Teaching License with an endorsement to teach Special Education.

See the Licensed Teacher Track course flow (pdf).

Initial licensure Track

Enter with your bachelor's in any field and earn your master’s and teacher licensure in as little as 39 credits. Two prerequisites may be required.

See the Initial Licensure Track course flow  (pdf).

• Official bachelor’s degree transcripts from an accredited college or university and all transcripts for subsequent coursework
• Minimum 2.75 overall undergraduate GPA on a 4.0 scale (options available if you do not meet this minimum)
• Essay, 500 words or more, addressing reasons for seeking graduate education in Special Education
• Resume
• Two letters of recommendation (Initial Licensure and Licensed Teacher Tracks only)
• Passing Praxis Teaching Reading - 5205 scores (Initial Licensure Track only)
• Valid VA teaching license or equivalent from another state (Licensed Teacher Track only)
• $40 application fee

The VCLA requirement was recently removed by the Virginia Department of Education, they may substitute an alternate assessment in the future.

The K-12 Initial Licensure and Licensed Teacher tracks are both 39 credits, making the cost breakdown:

$16,809 - Estimated in-state cost
$431 per credit hour

$42,042 - Estimated out-of-state cost
$1078 per credit hour

The Liberal Studies Fifth Year pathway is 36 credits, making the cost breakdown:

$15,516 - Estimated in-state cost
$431 per credit hour

$38,808 - Estimated out-of-state cost
$1,078 per credit hour

These are based on current tuition rates and do not include textbooks.

Visit Longwood's Graduate student tuition estimates and hours webpage.

A Graduate Monthly Payment Plan is available.

Visit Longwood's Financial Aid webpage.

For questions about cost or any part of the application process, contact Longwood Graduate Studies at [email protected].

Cost of Attendance

Fall: Deadline July 1
Spring: Deadline November 1
Summer: Deadline April 1

View, download, and print the Master of Science in Education with a Concentration in Special Education (pdf) flyer.

Are you a provisionally licensed teacher? Complete all of your requirements for your postgraduate professional license in Special Education and earn your master's. 

View, download, and print the Initial Licensure track for teachers with a Provisional License (pdf) flyer.