Master of Arts in Teaching/Master of Education in Special Education

National Louis University's Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education program is for students who have already earned their bachelor's degree in another discipline and are interested in a career in this specialized area of education. If you’d like to obtain a special educator role in a K-12 setting, this degree program will lead you to your Illinois Type 10 Learning Behavioral Specialist (LBS1) certification through a focused 47 semester hour course sequence.

Consider getting your Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education degree at National Louis University (NLU) if you:

  • Have a bachelor's degree in another discipline
  • Would like to build a career in special education
  • Would like to get your degree in as few as 15 months
  • Want to study at a well-established teaching institution

Why NLU for Teaching Special Education

NLU has a long-standing reputation for its education and teacher training programs, and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Since 1886, we've trained thousands of Chicago-area teachers, and continue to graduate the majority of Illinois' Golden Apple Award winners—one of the most prestigious teacher honors in the state.

NLU's updated curriculum aims to prepare teachers for the changing and increasingly complex professional roles of special educator in today’s schools. The combination and scheduling of coursework and intensive clinical experience enable students to practice what they are learning in the field.

What You Will Learn

Based on the IBSE Special Education Certification Structure and Content Area Standards, our curriculum will prepare you to work in a variety of education settings and in different roles in a/an:

  • Inclusive classroom as a co-teacher
  • Mainstreamed classroom as a collaborative consultant
  • Resource room or self-contained classroom as diagnostic teacher
  • Alternative setting, such as a special public or private school

Career Outlook

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, employment for teachers is projected to grow about 13 percent between 2008 and 2018. Many job openings will continue to result from the need to replace the large number of teachers expected to retire during this same period. Currently, our country's education schools don't graduate an adequate number of qualified teachers to meet the demand, and job prospects are best in areas including urban and rural school districts.[1]

NLU has excellent placement rates for our graduate education students, helping them find opportunities through the university's Career Development Center. NLU students are recognized by school principals as teachers who are comfortable in the classroom, and understand how schools are run.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must meet NLU's general admission requirements. Refer to the appropriate application checklist available online at www.nl.edu/applyonline.

Locations

  • CHICAGO DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

    NLU’s Chicago campus on South Michigan Avenue occupies five floors of the historic Peoples Gas Building. This landmark building, across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park, is easily accessible by train, bus and car and is surrounded by restaurants, parking lots/garages and shops.

    122 S. Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60603
    800.443.5522

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  • ELGIN

    Conveniently located in a fast-growing business district off I-90 and Route 31, NLU Elgin features 10 classrooms with high-tech media equipment; a computer lab with high-speed Internet access; two conference rooms; and comfortable student lounges. Parking is free at this recently remodeled and upgraded teaching site, which now includes wireless Internet access.

    620 Tollgate Road
    Elgin, IL 60123
    800.443.5522

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  • NORTH SHORE

    Opened in the summer of 2006, NLU North Shore at Skokie is a state-of-the-art modern campus located just off the Edens Expressway near the Old Orchard Shopping Center. The campus includes 44 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a walk-in lab in the library; six conference rooms; a public café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; and multiple, comfortable student lounge areas.

    5202 Old Orchard Road
    Skokie, IL 60077
    800.443.5522

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  • LISLE

    Located just minutes from the East-West Tollway (I-88), NLU Lisle features 42 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a separate walk-in lab in the library; a café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; conference rooms; and six comfortable student lounge areas with wireless access.

    850 Warrenville Road
    Lisle, IL 60532
    800.443.5522

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  • WHEELING

    Located in one of Chicago's major northwest suburbs, the newly renovated NLU Wheeling includes 20 classrooms with high-tech media equipment, four conference rooms, four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, large student lounge areas with wireless capabilities and interactive video capabilities, and an extensive research library. The site also houses the university library research collection.

    1000 Capitol Drive
    Wheeling, IL 60090
    800.443.5522

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  • FLORIDA (TAMPA)

    Established in 1988 and located in one of the city's major business districts, NLU's Tampa campus serves students in 13 counties in central Florida. In addition to six classrooms, the campus features a conference room, a computer lab with high-speed Internet access, an extensive research library and comfortable student lounges.

    4950 West Kennedy Blvd. #300
    Tampa, FL 33609
    800.366.6581 | www.nl.edu/florida

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  • WISCONSIN

    NLU's Milwaukee campus has a proud history of serving graduate students in education in southeastern Wisconsin. Nearly one in five certified Wisconsin teachers looks to NLU for graduate education programs – more than any other university in the state. In addition to classrooms with high-tech media equipment, the campus offers a state-of-the-art computer lab with wireless Internet access and an extensive IDS research library.

    12000 West Park Place, Suite 100
    Milwaukee, WI 53224-3007
    414.577.2658

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