Earn Your M.Ed. in
Special Education
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M.Ed. – Special Education
A license that fits your life.
Rio's fully online, licensure-bearing M.Ed. in Special Education helps already-licensed Ohio teachers add the Mild/Moderate K-12 Intervention Specialist credential in under a year, all while keeping their contract. Learn the science of reading, write defensible IEPs, and lead intervention with confidence, alongside faculty who understand rural Ohio schools because they're from here, too.
Comparison
Discover the Difference
University of
Rio Grande
per credit hour
10 months
Northern Kentucky University
per credit hour
Youngstown State University
per credit hour
Ohio University
per credit hour
Built around your schedule.
Rio's M.Ed. in Special Education runs fully online in seven-week terms, with six start dates per year. Two courses run at a time, building toward the Ohio Intervention Specialist credential without stepping away from the classroom.
The full program is 40 credits, though candidates who can verify 12 required reading hours may qualify for a reduced path (approx. 31 credits), completable in as little as ten months.
M.Ed. – Special Education
Online Curriculum
The curriculum is built around high-incidence disabilities including specific learning disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, ADHD, and autism in inclusive settings.
Coursework covers co-teaching and inclusion, intensive intervention, and secondary transition. Every course is fully online and designed for already-licensed Ohio teachers working toward the Intervention Specialist credential.
Portfolio
2 credits
Mentoring Models
2 credits
Learning Theory
2 credits
Leaders & Change
2 credits
Curriculum
2 credits
Research & Evaluation Methods
2 credits
Literacy in Technology
2 credits
Grant Writing
2 credits
Foundations of Mild/Moderate Intervention: Law, Ethics, and High-Incidence Learners
3 credits
Special Education Assessment and Individualized Planning: Eligibility, IEPs, and FBA/BIP
3 credits
Specially Designed Instruction: Methods, Co-Teaching, and Transition for Mild/Moderate Learners
3 credits
Science of Reading: Foundations for Intervention Specialists
3 credits
Phonics in the Context of Reading, Writing, and Spelling
3 credits
Reading Assessment and Development
3 credits
Structured Literacy and Intensive Reading Intervention
3 credits
Intervention Specialist Practicum (Mild/Moderate K–12)
3 credits