Some states require that their teachers work toward a master's degree after they begin teaching, usually to be completed within a set amount of time. This is an opportunity to add on a credential in special education. New York state for example, requires teachers to earn a graduate degree within 5 years of initial certification. Standard classroom teachers in New York can opt to get their Master's of Science in Education with professional certification in students with disabilities.
Several states offer separate specialty programs for teachers to obtain special education certification. In these programs, the teacher is not earning an entirely separate degree, but fulfilling classes and training for certification. In Florida, for example, a teacher must start with a basic or standard teaching credential and then add on specialized certificates for special education. A Florida teacher adds on 30 semester hours in Exceptional Student Education in order to earn the special education endorsement on his standard teaching certificate.
A few states have the option of adding a license to a regular teaching credential by testing. Hawaii for example, allows teachers to take a licensure test in special education at the same time as state mandated tests for regular certification in their specific subject. For example, a future English teacher could complete a dual preparation program and test for English and special education certification at the same time.
An additional measure that sets a standard teaching certificate apart from a special education certificate, is the severity and type of disability. Some states have a generalist certificate, which allows special education teachers to teach in most disability categories, regardless of the severity of the disability. Others have separate certification for the more severely disabled students. Still other states break up certification into the type of disability, such as autism, hearing impaired, or blind classifications.