The special education program at Teachers College is part of the Columbia University system. The program focuses on policy, practices and research for individuals with disabilities. Students who earn a graduate degree from the program go on to work at various institutions, including public and private schools, community and national service agencies, hospital and rehabilitation programs, colleges and universities, research centers and local, state, and federal education agencies. The coursework includes independent studies, research projects and dissertations. The dissertations can be drawn from special education foundations, service delivery systems, exceptionally areas, assessment and intervention strategies and research and evaluation.
The College of Education at Pennsylvania State University is consistently ranked among the top education programs in the nation, according to College Crunch.org. The school also has a high success rate on the teacher's certification exam students take after graduation. The special education degree is offered at the undergraduate and graduate level, and coursework can be completed at the University Park and Great Valley campuses. The college has the PPREP program, which is a federally funded program that provides financial and academic support to full-time doctoral students who study special education at Penn State.
The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education and Human Services at Ohio University places much of its emphasis on research, specifically research involving social issues affecting education. Students can also opt to steer their coursework into either one of the following directions: counseling and higher education, educational studies and teacher education. As part of their classwork, students must complete a student teaching position at a school district before they can graduate from the university. The student teacher position helps prepare the student by giving her real world experience inside an existing classroom.
Southern Illinois University's Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education provides both undergraduate and graduate programs in special education. Many graduates of the program have gone on to become classroom teachers, administrators, professors, consultants and researchers. The Southern Illinois University program also meets the professional standards of the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Students who attend Southern Illinois may be rewarded if they choose to pursue college degrees in special education and then work at low-income school districts in the state. Students who earn their degree and teach for at least four calendar years may be eligible for a tuition waiver.