Master of Education in Moderate Disabilities Online
Become a better teacher advocate for students with special needs.
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Program Overview
Insight into our online master's in moderate disabilities program
$15,133
Tuition
As few as 14 months
Program Duration
37
Credit Hours
The Master of Education in Moderate Disabilities online program at Worcester State enhances your ability to work with a diverse group of students with moderate disabilities in all grade levels and beyond. Taught by distinguished, engaged faculty who set high standards of academic rigor and care about your goals and achievements, this TEACH Grant-eligible* program is designed for working professionals who are interested in special education.
You will learn to cultivate the literacy development and communication skills of those with exceptionalities, helping them to live enriched, successful lives. Your value as an educator will increase with your ability to integrate theoretical frameworks and develop special education services and outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities and their families.
With an initial teaching license in Massachusetts, you may use this online education degree in the field of special education to self-petition for professional licensure in Massachusetts. Neither a teaching degree nor teaching experience is required if you are not planning to petition for licensure. Students entering this program, however, should have some work experience in formal or informal learning environments. This master's degree is also helpful for parents and community health workers engaged with special education.
Have questions or need more information about online programs?
Worcester State University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.
In this M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilities online program, you will learn how to:
- Articulate special education terminology and develop the progression of children with special needs
- Apply special education law and regulation
- Evaluate, design, and implement current assistive technologies and communication systems in the classroom, school, community, and system levels
- Create, modify, and integrate instructional strategies to enhance the learning experience of individuals with exceptionalities
- Build and distinguish strategies to enhance literacy development and communication skills of a diverse group of students
- Create an educational research design to evaluate professional practice and enhance continuous instructional improvement
- Evaluate the ethical practices and legal implications of the profession as related to current and emerging issues in the special education field
- Integrate theoretical frameworks regarding collaboration and conflict resolution models to enhance special education services and outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities and their families
- Articulate special education terminology and develop the progression of children with special needs
- Apply special education law and regulation
- Evaluate, design, and implement current assistive technologies and communication systems in the classroom, school, community, and system levels
- Create, modify, and integrate instructional strategies to enhance the learning experience of individuals with exceptionalities
- Build and distinguish strategies to enhance literacy development and communication skills of a diverse group of students
- Create an educational research design to evaluate professional practice and enhance continuous instructional improvement
- Evaluate the ethical practices and legal implications of the profession as related to current and emerging issues in the special education field
- Integrate theoretical frameworks regarding collaboration and conflict resolution models to enhance special education services and outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities and their families
Moderate disabilities career outcomes:
- Special Education Teacher in a private setting
- Intervention specialist
- Inclusion teacher
- Career and transition teacher
- Special Education Teacher in a private setting
- Intervention specialist
- Inclusion teacher
- Career and transition teacher
Have questions or need more information about online programs?
Online M.Ed. degrees also available:
Worcester State University offers a variety of quality education degree programs online. Explore all our online education programs.
Tuition
Discover the value of our low-cost tuition
Worcester State tuition is extremely affordable. Plus, you can pay by the course—making it easy to budget. Worcester State is committed to offering a high-quality education that is accessible to students at all levels of financial need. The M.Ed. in Moderate Disabilities online program is TEACH Grant eligible.*
*The maximum grant amount can vary by year. TEACH Grants are available to qualified applicants who enroll in a TEACH-Grant eligible program and require approved recipients to sign a service agreement for certain teaching service obligations. If you do not meet the requirements of your service obligation, the grant will turn into a loan that must be repaid, with interest. For more information, please visit: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/grants/teach or contact the Worcester State University Financial Aid Office.
$409
Per Credit Hour
$15,133**
Tuition
Calendar
Explore important dates for our online students
It’s always a good time to earn your degree from Worcester State University online. We offer six start dates during the year so you can begin your program when it’s most convenient. Check out the chart below for important dates.
Now enrolling:
8/22/25
Next Application Due Date
9/8/25
Next Class Start Date
| Session | Start Date | Application Deadline | Registration Deadline | Document Deadline | Tuition Deadline | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2 | 7/14/25 | 6/27/25 | 7/9/25 | 7/4/25 | 7/9/25 | 8/31/25 |
| Fall 1 | 9/8/25 | 8/22/25 | 9/3/25 | 8/29/25 | 9/3/25 | 10/26/25 |
| Fall 2 | 11/3/25 | 10/17/25 | 10/29/25 | 10/24/25 | 10/29/25 | 12/21/25 |
| Spring I | 1/26/26 | 1/9/26 | 1/21/26 | 1/16/26 | 1/21/26 | 3/15/26 |
| Spring 2 | 3/23/26 | 3/6/26 | 3/18/26 | 3/13/26 | 3/18/26 | 5/10/26 |
| Summer 1 | 5/18/26 | 5/1/26 | 5/13/26 | 5/8/26 | 5/13/26 | 7/5/26 |
| Summer 2 | 7/13/26 | 6/26/26 | 7/8/26 | 7/3/26 | 7/8/26 | 8/30/26 |
Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Worcester State University?
Admissions
Find your fit for our online education program
The admission process is the first step toward earning your degree at Worcester State! Please read the admission guidelines to ensure you qualify.
Work Experience
in Formal or Informal Learning Environments
Bachelor's Degree
from a regionally accredited (or equivalent) institution
Minimum 2.75 GPA
Courses
See the topics you'll study in our online moderate disabilities classes
For this moderate disabilities online program, you are required to take 12 three-credit courses and a one-credit portfolio course for a total of 37 credit hours.
ED 905: Introduction to Special Education
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to address the physical, cognitive, behavioral and psychological aspects of atypical development of children and adolescents with varying disabilities. The course will examine the role of a teacher as an active member of a multidisciplinary learning team. Emphasis is also given to the conceptual frameworks for understanding cultural, racial, ethnic, gender and linguistics differences and how they influence learning of individuals with exceptionalities. Participation of parents and the community in the educational process is addressed.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Learn about services provided by other agencies for individuals with disabilities
- Comprehend about rights and responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, and other professionals, and schools related to exceptional learning needs.
- Identify issues in definition and identification of individuals with exceptional learning needs, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
- Family systems and the role of families in the educational process.
- Learn about cultural perspectives influencing the relationships among families, schools and communities as related to instruction.
- Analyze differing ways of learning of individuals with exceptional learning needs including those from culturally diverse backgrounds and strategies for addressing these differences.
- Describe concerns of families of individuals with exceptional learning needs and strategies to help address these concerns.
ED 906: Analysis and Implementation of Interventions to Support Learning of Students with Moderate Disabilities
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the knowledge and skills of behavior analysis to enable special educators to design curriculum that support the social and cognitive demands of the environment for students with moderate special needs in a general education setting. It emphasizes on “positive behavior intervention support” (PBIS), modification and accommodations to promote students' positive and appropriate behaviors and classroom management. Special emphasis is placed on developing a functional behavioral plan to efficiently and effectively identify the interventions to address students' needs.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Articulate and apply principles of behavior analysis, classroom management and PBIS for students with moderate special needs in a classroom setting.
- Describe the implications of federal laws regarding behavior management and discipline for teachers of students with moderate special needs.
- Design curriculums to support the cognitive and social demands in the classroom for students with moderate special needs.
- Analyze learning behaviors in the classroom and intervention strategies with classroom modifications and accommodations for students with moderate special needs.
- Analyze and critique social learning modules that reflect the principles of behavior modification and PBIS.
ED 907: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Inclusion
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course focuses on the principles of Universal Design for Learning and the practice of Inclusion for Special Education students. Topics related to the implementation of UDL principles and instructional design and inclusion in K-12 setting are discussed. The course will also focus on teaching content to students with disabilities through the UDL framework.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Articulate the principles of UDL in K-12 settings and the implications for K-12 educators
- Explore and study cases that utilizes the UDL framework in the practice of Inclusion in K-12 settings.
- Synthesize and critic UDL and co-teaching models.
- Analyze the practice of inclusion for special education students,
- Develop and implement a learning unit with a focus on teaching content to students with disabilities through the UDL framework.
ED 908: Special Education and Related Services: Consultation, Collaboration and Interprofessional Skills
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course focuses on the frameworks and principles involved in collaboration, consultation and interprofessional collaborative practice. The Individualized Education Program (IEP), interprofessional collaborative practice processes and competencies will be explored. Discussions will include dynamics of team process, roadblocks to communication and analysis of a school system, and special education services.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Explore and articulate the various frameworks of collaboration and consultation, and interprofessional collaborative practice with IEP teams.
- Study the interprofessional collaborative competencies required to participate successfully in collaboration and consultation processes.
- Study group dynamics, interpersonal and communication skills in school systems and special education services.
- Study dimension of diversity in family structure, incorporates real-world interactions and challenges when working with parents and families.
- Explore and articulate the cultural structures in various collaboration frameworks, problem solving models and community collaboration.
ED 981: Advanced Foundations of Education
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course explores historical, philosophical, psychological, legal, and cultural foundations for education and school practices.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Compare and contrast the central philosophies and major psychological theories which have guided American education and their influence on educational practice.
- Articulate a personal philosophy of education and align that philosophy with classic philosophical and psychological theories and with classroom practice.
- Demonstrate critical insight into the role of research in current educational practice and apply conventions to document research using APA style.
- Use library and internet resources for research purposes and evaluate research studies in light of philosophical and psychological assumptions and application to practice.
- Demonstrate knowledge of key educational reform movements in the United States, the major figures related to these movements, their philosophical tenets, and impact on teaching and learning
- Improve use of technology in research, analysis, and presentation of information.
ED 982: Research in Education
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course examines different research methods and designs, including writing hypothesis, reviewing literature, gathering data and preparing research proposals.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Write a well-organized literature review that incorporates high-quality sources relevant to a specific problem of practice.
- Identify common ethical issues that can arise during the research process and apply strategies to address these issues in scholarly writing.
- Gain proficiency in writing quantitative research questions and hypotheses as well as qualitative central questions.
- Describe procedures for and types of quantitative and qualitative data collection.
- Evaluate the validity and trustworthiness of data collection instruments.
ED 993: Seminar: Research in Content Concentration
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course focuses on educational issues. Students will conduct a formal study that seeks to investigate teaching and learning in the student's content strand of concentration.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Recognize the various forms and types of data and assessment that support action research.
- Scrutinize and properly analyze qualitative and quantitative data.
- Effectively organize and present (in writing) qualitative and quantitative findings.
- Compose an action research report using academic writing standards and APA format that demonstrates engagement with the action research cycle and includes the following chapters: introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, and discussion.
- Demonstrate the ability to prepare and submit an IRB application outlining appropriate research design and adherence to ethical standards.
- Reflect on the action research process and how it may impact educational practices.
CD 910: Speech/Language Development, Differences and Diversity
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Students gain an in-depth understanding of speech/language development, knowledge of cultural differences and the disorders of speech/language.
ED 914: Teaching and Learning Literacy Across Multiple Disciplines
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course presents meaningful theory and related teaching strategies to aid pupils in reading and learning from their content area textbooks.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Understand the critical role that teachers play in helping students think and learn with text
- Understand that assessment is a continuous process that makes use of multiple methods of gathering relevant data for instructional purposes.
- Develop techniques and strategies for using text structure in order to think deeply about ideas encountered during reading.
- Plan differentiated lessons which will enable all learners to be successful in reading and processing content text.
- Create a content unit of study demonstrating strategies and concepts studied in class
- Develop “text talk” and “writing to learn” activities to help students respond to difficult text.
ED 929: Mathematics Assessment and Instruction for Diverse Learners
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course presents mathematical concepts, methods and materials to facilitate learning. Emphasis is also placed on supporting students with mild to moderate disabilities learn and understand mathematic contents.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Gain perspective on the development of mathematics and mathematical thinking as the product of cultural realities and community participation.
- Provide effective instruction to learners from other cultures whose language and past experiences may get in the way of understanding how mathematics is taught and learned in the United States.
- Develop the ability to assess for understanding based on a variety of assessment measures.
- Engage in mathematics discourse as they grapple with pure mathematical content through problem solving activities situated in real-life, and how different cultures around the world. used algorithms to provide mathematical answers.
ED 913: Differentiated Reading Instruction
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides an understanding of the psychological bases of the reading process and applies the theories of the psychologist to classroom situations.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Review the evidence-based research and key issues in contemporary America on differentiation of instructions.
- Identify major characteristics of differentiated instruction.
- Examine models of differentiated instruction.
- Recognize the needs of targeted student populations, e.g., gifted, inclusion, and special education students.
- Use arts and technology tools to skillfully and creatively differentiate instruction.
- Reflect on how differentiating instruction can enhance teacher practice and student achievement.
- Utilize strategies including assignment tiering, graphic organizers, critical thinking skills, reflection and assessment strategies customized for a mixed- ability classroom.
- Plan and develop a differentiated education plan/unit.
ED 996: Research and Evaluation
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course focuses on research and evaluation methods and designs; includes gathering and analyzing data, writing research, and making evaluation reports.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Identify and research a problem of practice in one's field by reflecting on one's teaching practice.
- Determine the significance of a problem of practice in the field of education and within a specific site.
- Develop a clear statement of purpose outlining the goals of a study aimed at addressing a specific problem of practice.
- Critically analyze and evaluate quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research articles for their significance, quality, and validity to conduct a comprehensive literature review.
- Formulate a research question(s) (quantitative) or a central question (qualitative) related to the problem of practice and consider its relationship to the research paradigm and design.
- Determine the meaning and principles of action research.
- Demonstrate effective academic writing, adhere to APA format, and uphold ethical standards, including academic honesty, in all scholarly work.
ED 992: Portfolio Evaluation
Duration: 7 weeks
Credit Hours: 1
(Note: This course is to be taken last in the M.Ed. in Elementary Education and M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education programs) The course documents the student's learning and provides a basis for evaluation of student's performance and mastery of the certification standards. (All required certification courses/mastery of program standards must be completed.) Prerequisites: ED 981 and ED 982.
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
- Describe personal and professional context for the graduate program
- Present a summary of learning which demonstrates mastery of MA DESE common standards for teachers.
- Present artifacts to demonstrate mastery of all (6) program outcomes
Course rotation:
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