Special Education

Improve the lives, productivity, and education of persons with disabilities through George Mason's Special Education Program.

Our Special Education Program prepares professionals to work with populations across the lifespan. In this program, you will gain the specialized knowledge and skills needed to support individuals with special needs. A variety of options are available at George Mason for students to learn more about working with individuals with disabilities, including undergraduate and graduate programs, teacher licensure and non-licensure options, and online and on-campus options.

In this program, you can choose to attain a degree tailored to your professional interests. Our students can become experts in helping students with blindness and visual impairments, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, and more.

Who is this degree for? 

The Special Education program is designed to prepare both classroom educators as well as individuals who work in a special education context outside of the classroom with the specialized skills and content knowledge needed to support the needs of individuals with disabilities.

This degree is suited for students seeking to begin a new career or to further their existing career as consultants, advocates, tutors, curriculum specialists, school leaders, coordinators, and other practitioners.

Why should you study Special Education at George Mason?

• 15% discount for Virginia educators
• World-class faculty at an accessible cost
• Virginia’s largest and most diverse university
• Ranked fifth nationally in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report for best online master’s in special education programs
• Ranked fifteenth nationally (and fourteenth among public institutions) in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report  for best graduate school in education
• Third consecutive year in the U.S. News & World Report top 20 highlighting our program’s flexibility
• Valuable real-world experience working with leading organizations, such as Mason LIFE and the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities