MAT Elementary Education (45 Hours)
0
Credit Hours
Degree CAEP
Class Type
100% online,* 8-week courses
Transfer Credits
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Next Start Date
May 13, 2024
Accreditation
CAEP

Grow Your Career and Help Kids with Special Needs Through the MAT in Elementary Education – Special Education 45-Hour

To be a good teacher for elementary students, you need a thorough understanding of child development and age-appropriate teaching methods. But if you also want to help address the challenges children with special needs face in entering the education system, you need advanced training outside of the normal scope of an elementary education degree. Liberty has a program designed specifically for your needs. You can have a rewarding career helping students with special needs at the elementary level with Liberty’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Elementary Education – Special Education General Curriculum 45-Hour program.

Our MAT in Elementary Education – Special Education track can give you flexibility by building in requirements for additional endorsements and allowing for electives to help fill in missing content competencies.

Advanced Standards of Special Education

Our special education program is also designed to meet the following rigorous standards to ensure you are best equipped for the classroom:

  • Council of Exceptional Children (CEC)
  • Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching
  • Virginia Department of Education for Special Education General Curriculum (K-6)

These additional standards can help you stand out as an expert in special education teaching, and the cutting-edge skills you learn can help you prepare to meet the challenges of the field. With in-class experience in your area, you can have the hands-on training and critical teaching knowledge you’ll need to be successful in your future classroom.

Upon successful completion of Liberty University’s Virginia state-approved Master of Arts in Teaching program, you may apply for your teaching license in another state through reciprocity, which may or may not result in additional requirements based on your state’s Department of Education regulations.

*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.


Why Choose Liberty’s 45-Hour MAT in Elementary Education – Special Education Program?

The MAT in Elementary Education’s 45-credit-hour option can provide you with the content competencies you’ll need to become a teacher. These core competencies include history, lab sciences, social science, arts, and English. You will also meet requirements for the Special Education General Curriculum Add-On Endorsement, providing advanced training and career flexibility.

At Liberty University, we don’t just train educators — we train educators who want to make a positive impact on the next generation. The well-being of your students and their families matters, so you can learn to evaluate education theory from a biblical worldview.

BestColleges Best Online Masters Elementary Education

Empowering teachers to succeed is essential. So at Liberty, you can earn your MAT degree for less — at only $415 per credit hour. With our online format, this special rate makes the MAT one of our most flexible and affordable master’s programs. By integrating special education skills with Christian ethics, you’ll learn to confidently address the educational, emotional, and spiritual needs of your students.

Liberty University’s School of Education meets rigorous national standards for educator preparation set by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). With excellent and affordable online education, Liberty’s online MAT in Elementary Education will help you meet licensure requirements and prepare you for success in your teaching career.


What Will You Learn in Our MAT in Elementary Education – Special Education 45-Hour Program?

The MAT in Elementary Education provides an in-depth foundation of teaching practice and learning theory that can help you succeed in the classroom. You will study essential topics such as educational behavior and development, theories and methodologies of education, current trends in the education field, teaching methods, and classroom management.

Through your special education courses, you can learn how to provide individualized education support and care for students with significant disabilities. You can learn to create lesson plans and provide intellectual stimulation for students with special needs while encouraging growth. You will also learn how to make decisions about student progress, instruction, program, placement, and transitional services.

As an online MAT student, you will complete a semester of student teaching at the end of the program. By working hands-on in the classroom under an experienced, licensed elementary school teacher, you will not only be meeting licensure requirements, but you will also be developing your own unique teaching style.

Here are some of the specific subjects you will study throughout your program:

  • Current trends in the education field
  • Educational behavior and development
  • Methods of teaching and classroom management
  • Theories and methodologies of education

Highlights
Degree Information
Military Benefits
Careers
Admission Requirements

Highlights of Our 45-Hour Master’s in Elementary Education Degree

  • We are recognized by multiple institutions for our academic quality, affordability, and accessibility. Our commitment to excellence also helped us rank in the top 10% of Niche.com’s best online schools in America. Earning your online degree from a nonprofit university with this kind of recognition can help set you apart from others in your field.
  • While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have lowered tuition for our Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Education programs. At $415 per credit hour for full-time students (at least 9 hours per semester), Liberty University’s MAT online is available at one of the lowest tuition rates for this degree in the country.
  • This program includes both the requirements for teaching licensure endorsements in elementary education and special education.*
  • Pursuing our online Master of Arts in Teaching licensure track may make you eligible for the Federal TEACH Grant.
  • Liberty University’s School of Education meets rigorous national standards for educator preparation set by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
  • Because this is an online degree, you will have the opportunity to network with educators from across the country.
  • Our program may help you become eligible for certification through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI).
  • Gain field experience with your required practicums and student teaching.

*Endorsement in special education is designed so that graduates can teach K-6 students.

MAT in Elementary and Special Education Degree Information

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Military Benefits for Our Online M.A.T. Degree Program

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe. Whether you are a current service member, discharged or retired from service, or the spouse of a service member or veteran, we are here to support you every step of the journey.

As a thank-you for your dedication and service to our country, Liberty is honored to serve and support you in your pursuit of online education by offering the following benefits:

  • Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
  • Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course)
  • 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

Career Opportunities for MAT in Elementary Education – Special Education Graduates

  • K-12 curriculum developer
  • K-12 curriculum manager
  • Elementary education licensed teacher
  • Special education teacher for K-6
  • Teaching product developer

Admission Requirements for Graduate Online Degrees

A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 or above GPA is required for admission in good standing. Please visit our admission requirements page for more detailed admissions-related information.

All applicants must submit the following:

  • Admission application
  • Application fee*
  • Official college transcripts
  • Unofficial college transcripts may be accepted with a completed official transcript request form**
  • Proof of English proficiency (for applicants whose native language is other than English)

*There is no upfront application fee; however, a deferred $50 application fee will be assessed during Financial Check-In. This fee is waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required.

**An official transcript is needed within 60 days of acceptance or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first.


*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, at Kindergarten and elementary school teachers, 2019 (viewed online August 20, 2019). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.