What degrees must I earn to become a special education teacher?

Rebbecca Sorkin: You will need to obtain your Bachelor's Degree in Special Education. Upon graduation, you will be certified in specific areas of special education, for example, Cognitively Impaired, Learning Disabled etc., depending upon your course of studies at the college and the requirements of the state in which that college is located. You might be certified to teach K-12 or K-3, etc. Your program might have enabled you to be certified soley in the field of cognitive impairments, or, you could have been in a program which certifies you in several areas. It truly depends upon which state and college you attend when it comes to certification.You also need to keep in mind that just because you are certified in one state in specific areas, you are not automatically certified in those areas in another state; again, certification is often a truly individual case. There are states, however which will accept each other's certifications as is. These are situations which! are handled at the central office level in whichever school system you seek employment.Your initial teaching certificate in all liklihood is not permanent, but rather a provisional one. Some states will require you to obtain 20+ credits within 5 years for full permanent certification, while other states require a teacher to re-certify with a specific amount of credits every 5-7 years. Truthfully, you do not need a Master's degree to teach, however it is highly advisable that you do begin work on it as soon as possible. Finally, most states require that you pass the Praxis test to be certified/employed. I think it's wonderful that you are considering the profession. Although the road to "getting there" sounds like a lot of work, believe me, if you are committed and passionate about teaching students with special needs - it is all worth it. Best of luck to you....Show more

Kip Ockenfels: You should major in special education -- they have a degree solely for special ! education. If you want to work with individuals with severe/p! rofound disabilities, there are a few schools that offer a special education degree for severe/profound. In addition, some schools offer specialities in hearing impairment as well. I know Ball State University has a severe/profound special education major. You'll get your bachelor's degree in Special Education, and then (if you choose to), you can continue on to get your Master's degree....Show more

Riley Migl: Hi Meghan,For becoming a special education teacher you should graduate in special education and then you must specialize in a specific field of special education like K-12 or character education.