Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education
George Mason, USA
BSc
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 4,897 / per semester **
STUDY FORMAT
* International student deadline is 1st of June of every year | Domestic student deadline is 1st of February
** in-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 16,980 - out-of-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 1,803 - mandatory student fee
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
About: The Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education at a university in the National Capital Region prepares educators and professionals to support individuals with disabilities across the lifespan. The programme offers licensure and non‑licensure options and builds specialized knowledge, skills, and dispositions for classroom and non‑classroom roles. Students gain experience through projects with Mason LIFE and the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities, which support learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities and provide community-based learning opportunities.
Career Outcomes: Graduates pursue roles as classroom special educators, paraeducators, behavior specialists, transition coordinators, advocates, curriculum specialists, and disability services coordinators.
A variety of options are available at Mason for students to learn more about working with individuals with disabilities. Undergraduate and graduate programs with teacher licensure and non-licensure options prepare professionals working with populations across the lifespan with the specialized knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to support individuals with special needs.
Mason’s bachelor's degree in special education is designed to prepare both educators for the classroom and individuals working in special education contexts outside of the classroom with the specialized skills and content knowledge to support the needs of individuals with disabilities.
How Is Special Education Approached Uniquely at Mason?
Mason houses both Mason LIFE, a program providing a supportive academic environment for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities. Our undergraduates can often be found working on projects done by these leading organizations, giving them valuable real-world experience.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 120
Mason Core
Foundation Requirements:
- Written Communication 3
- ENGH 101 Composition (Mason Core) (recommended course)
- Oral Communication 3
- Quantitative Reasoning 3
- Information Technology and Computing 3
Exploration Requirements:
- Arts 3
- Global Understanding 3
- Literature 3
- Natural Science 7
- Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
- Western Civilization/World History 3
Integration Requirement:
- Written Communication 3
- ENGH 302 Advanced Composition (Mason Core)
- Writing Intensive (fulfilled by major requirements)
- Synthesis/Capstone (fulfilled by major requirements)
Total Credits 37
Program Core Requirements
- EDUC 200 Introduction to Education: Teaching, Learning, and Schools (Mason Core) 3
- EDUC 302 Human Growth and Development 3 or PSYC 211 Developmental Psychology (Mason Core)
- EDSE 201 Introduction to Special Education 3
- EDSE 251 Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Supports 3
- EDSE 351 Technology Integration for Specialized Instruction 3
- EDSE 352 Assessment 3
- EDSE 353 Individualized Behavior Supports 3
- EDSE 354 Consultation and Collaboration 3
- EDSE 381 Exploratory Field Experience in Special Education 3
- EDSE 451 Transition and Self-Determination 3
- EDSE 452 Intersectionality and Disability 3
- EDSE 481 Internship: Professional Services (Mason Core) 12 or EDSE 482 Internship: General Curriculum (Mason Core) or EDSE 483 Internship: Adapted (Severe Disabilities) or EDSE 484 Internship: Blindness and Visual Impairments
Total Credits 45
BSEd in Special Education without Concentration
Students who do not select an optional concentration must complete the special education core and select at least 15 credits from the special education offerings below (NOTE: A minimum of 45 upper-level credits in the major is required):
Select 15 credits from the following: 15
- EDSE 203 Disability in American Culture (Mason Core)
- EDSE 204 Disability in a Global Society (Mason Core)
- EDSE 241 Characteristics of Students with Disabilities who Access the General Curriculum
- EDSE 311 Characteristics of Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments
- EDSE 341 Language Acquisition and Reading and Writing Development
- EDSE 361 Characteristics of Students with Severe Disabilities
- EDSE 362 Communication with Severe Disabilities
- EDSE 410 Deaf History
- EDSE 412 Braille Code
- EDSE 413 Medical and Educational Implications of Blindness and Visual Impairments
- EDSE 414 Orientation and Mobility for Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments
- EDSE 417 Teaching Methods for Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments
- EDSE 418 Curriculum and Assessment of Students with Blindness and Visual Impairments
- EDSE 419 Braille Reading and Writing
- EDSE 420 Deaf Culture
- EDSE 441 Instructional Strategies for Reading and Writing
- EDSE 443 Instructional Strategies for Math
- EDSE 463 Curriculum and Methods in Severe Disabilities
- EDSE 467 Foundations of Language and Literacy for Individuals with Severe Disabilities
- EDSE 469 Individualized Supports and Specialized Care of Students with Severe Disabilities
- EDAT 422 Assistive Technology for Individuals with Sensory Impairments
- EDSE 481 Internship: Professional Services (Mason Core) (credits included in Major Requirements)
Total Credits 15
Electives
Select an additional 23 credits from any courses
Total Credits 23
Many of our graduates will excel working as educators, but an understanding of special education can be important in settings beyond the classroom. For instance, studying special education benefits aspiring consultants, advocates, tutors, parents, curriculum specialists, coordinators, and other practitioners.
George Mason is All Together Different
We became Virginia’s most diverse and highest-ranked university for innovation by welcoming all who are prepared for the academic rigor of a Research 1 (R1) university. Here, Patriots live and learn together in a research-intensive environment, gaining the skills necessary to build a better world for themselves and their communities.
When our students graduate, they continue that work, with nearly nine in ten graduates achieving positive career outcomes within just six months of graduation as they strive for the future they want and deserve. George Mason didn’t achieve this incredible success by being like other institutions. We did it by being All Together Different.
George Mason is ranked a top public university
Undergraduate Programs
Tied for #51 in U.S. News & World Report Five “top 100” undergraduate programs in the nation according to U.S. News & World Report:
- Business (#84)
- Computer science (#100)
- Economics (#99)
- Psychology (#67)
- Teaching (#48 – top 50)
George Mason is a local powerhouse with a global reach
Located just outside Washington, D.C., George Mason’s beautiful 677-acre residential campus in Fairfax, Virginia, is home to the most diverse student body in Virginia. Our physical presence extends across the state and beyond, with Mason Square, our campus in Arlington; the Science and Technology Campus in Manassas; the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in Front Royal; and our overseas campus in Songdo, South Korea.
As a Patriot, you will be part of a powerful regional presence with a global reach.
George Mason is focused on outcomes
89% of our graduates achieve positive career outcomes within six months of graduation.
George Mason is strengthened by our alumni
245,000+ Alumni. With nearly 70 percent of our alumni remaining in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area after graduation, you’ll be connected to an influential and effective network of Patriots ready to help you land the interview, internship, or job that advances your career.
George Mason is fueled by Patriot Pride
We wear green and gold. Patriot Pride flows all throughout campus and is demonstrated by the George Mason gear that we wear, the fight song that we sing, and the work that we do to create a better George Mason community and a better world.