WGU TEACHERS COLLEGE

Become a special education teacher

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You Can Change Lives, Including Your Own

“You’d make a great teacher!” Sound familiar? Do you care about others and love helping in whatever way you can? We’re looking for natural-born, caring educators like you to make a difference for students who have special needs, and we’re making it easier than ever:

Tuition you can afford. Tuition charged every six-months at a flat rate ensures you won't find a better mix of quality and value.
Certification in any state. Our CAEP- and AAQEP-accredited programs are approved to prepare you for licensure wherever you live.
A faster path. The average time to earn a bachelor's degree in special education at WGU is under 3½ years!
Personalized support. You will be successful at WGU. Your faculty members have your back.
$8K scholarship opportunity. You may be eligible for the Shaping the Future Scholarship, making an affordable degree even more accessible.

Education

COMPARE

Special Ed and Elementary Ed (Dual Licensure) – B.A.

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An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring...

An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring K–12 special education teachers. Leads to dual licensure—elementary education teaching license and special education teaching license.

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Time: 60% of students finish this degree within 38 months.
Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
Courses: 45 total courses in this program (46 for Washington residents).

(Specific grade levels will vary depending on licensure in your state.) If your state offers a single K–12 special education teaching license and you are interested in focusing on teaching students with mild to moderate exceptionalities, consider the B.A. Special Education (Mild to Moderate) online teaching degree.

Concepts included in this program:

Elementary Reading Methods
Elementary Mathematics Methods
Elementary Social Studies Methods
Elementary Science Methods
Language Arts Instruction and Intervention

This special education teaching online degree program requires in-classroom observation and a term of full-time student teaching.

Education

COMPARE

Special Education (Mild to Moderate) – B.A.

VIEW DEGREE

An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring...

An online teaching degree and teacher certification program for aspiring special education teachers. Leads to your teaching license in states that offer a single teaching license in K–12 special education.

APPLY NOW

Time: 61% of students finish this program within 34 months.
Tuition: $3,825 per 6-month term.
Courses: 38 total courses in this program.

If your state requires—or if you're interested in—dual licensure in both elementary education and K–12 special education, consider the B.A. Special Education (K–12) program.

Concepts included in this program:

Lesson Planning
Ethics
Behavioral Support Strategies
Educational Psychology & Development
Classroom Management

This online degree program includes a preclinical experience with face-to-face observation hours and a Student Teaching component hosted by an experienced teacher and directed by a clinical supervisor.

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Accredited, Respected,
Recognized™

One important measure of a degree’s value is the reputation of the university where it was earned. When employers, industry leaders, and academic experts hold your alma mater in high esteem, you reap the benefits of that respect. WGU is a pioneer in reinventing higher education for the 21st century, and our quality is institutionally recognized.

Undergraduate degrees at about half the cost*

You pay tuition per six-month term, not per course or credit. So when you move faster through your courses, you also lower your total bill!

WGU students pay about half the tuition* and end up with about half the debt of the national average.**

Low, flat-rate tuition.
Graduate faster and with less debt.
Financial aid and scholarships available.
Online education with supportive faculty.
VA and military benefits accepted.
Great return on investment.
All course materials for a low, flat fee.

*WGU average annual bachelor’s tuition rates are 53% lower than the national average, compared to national rates reported by the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System in 2023.
**WGU undergraduate students have approximately half the debt at graduation compared to the national average, according to the Institute for College Access and Success (2022).

Spend Less with Flat-Rate Tuition

Undergraduate
School of Education undergraduate program tuition

$3,825

Tuition rates effective January 1, 2026. Costs are per six-month term. Tuition covers unlimited courses per term.
All programs: $200 per-term Resource Fee covers e-textbooks and learning resources.

Undergraduate
School of Education undergraduate program tuition

$3,825

Program Mentors

Personally assigned to you from the day you enroll to the day you graduate, your Program Mentor is your faculty member. They will meet with you on a regular basis to provide program instruction, advice, coaching, support, goal-setting—and a healthy dose of cheerleading to make sure you’re celebrating the little and big wins along the way.

Course Instructors

Learning independently doesn’t mean learning on your own. Instructors are subject-matter experts who work with you regularly to help you with mastering course material. They tailor learning to your needs, and the type and intensity of instructional support you receive varies based on your performance in any particular course.