The Peabody College of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, is the top-ranked special education graduate school in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report in 2010. The university---which offers the Master of Special Education program---is known for its prestigious research efforts, teaching and outside-the-box methodology. The program produces professionals who go on to be teachers, research specialists and government officials with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. The master's program is for students who have finished undergraduate programs in a relevant field, most commonly Bachelor of Science in Special Education.
Vanderbilt University
Peabody College
Peabody #329
230 Appleton Place
Nashville, TN 37203
615-322-7444
peabody.vanderbilt.edu
The Master of Science in Special Education offered by the School of Education at University of Kansas was the top special education program in 2009 and ranked second in 2010 by U.S. News and World Report. The master's program is offered in three fields: adaptive, which trains students to work with individuals with mild learning disabilities; functional, preparation to work with individuals who have advanced or multiple disabilities; and early childhood. According to the university website, the program has been one of the top programs in special education since the 1970s and attracts students who want to work in the education, counseling and political sides of the field. The Special Education Department, as of 2010, has an endowment of more than $70 million used for research, development and preparing educators.
University of Kansas
School of Education
208 Joseph R. Pearson Hall
1122 West Campus Road
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-3726
soe.ku.edu
The third-ranked special education graduate program in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report in 2010, the College of Education at University of Oregon in Eugene offers three master's degrees in the field. The degrees include the Master of Arts, which trains bilingual special education professionals; Master of Education, which trains and certifies special education teachers on all levels; and Master of Science, which trains the diverse and well-rounded special education professional for a career in the field. All students must complete either a nine-credit master's thesis or a three-credit special education project---both supervised by a faculty member---to graduate from the program. Coursework topics include foundations and principles of special education, legal topics, writing curriculum and behavioral studies.
University of Oregon
College of Education
5277 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
541-346-2518
education.uoregon.edu