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University of Nebraska-Lincoln · Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders

Early Childhood Special Education (M.Ed.)

Master'sMEdMaster of Education in Special Education (Early Childhood Special Education)

Overview

An online M.Ed. in special education with an early childhood special education specialization (birth to age 5), requiring a minimum of 30 credits (36 with the initial teaching certification option) and a range of practicum experiences in preschool, home-based and community settings. Application deadlines are January 15, May 1 and October 15.

Official program name
Early Childhood Special Education (M.Ed.)
Awarded degree
Master of Education in Special Education (Early Childhood Special Education)
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Degree level
Master's
University
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Administering location
Lincoln, NEWhere the university or its administering campus is located. Study is online; this is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.
Subject
Required credits
minimum 30 credits (36 with initial teaching certification)
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Duration
1 1/2 to 2 years full-time (Full-time)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Teaching language
English (not separately stated)
Why this program is listed

Master's program offered entirely online, with required practicum experiences in community settings.

Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

We list online bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from institutionally accredited US universities. Eligibility rules

Online format and attendance

“Online” is not one format. Delivery, campus visits, practical placements and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the university states it.
Academic delivery
Online coursework + local placementCoursework is online; a clinical placement, practicum, internship, fieldwork or student teaching is completed in person, usually near the student.Coursework is online; a clinical placement, practicum, internship, fieldwork or student teaching is completed in person, usually near the student.
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Campus visits
Campus visits: not verified
Practical placement
Practical placement required
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Class schedule
Not verified
Study intensity
Full-time, Part-time
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

In-person and practical requirements as published

  • Practicum Required

    Practicum experiences in preschool, home-based and community settings; some hours may be completed at the student's current workplace at the adviser's discretion

    Preschool, home-based and community settings

    Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

  • Student teaching Optional

    Initial teaching certification option: student teaching in the last semester (eight weeks early intervention, eight weeks preschool classroom)

    Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Curriculum

Curriculum details: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the university states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Statement / essay
RequiredPersonal statement addressing specified questions; writing quality is evaluated
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Résumé / CV
RequiredResume/vita
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Transcripts
RequiredPast transcripts
Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the university printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

  • Application deadline

    January 15, May 1, October 15

    The university does not print a year with this date.

    Source: cehs.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
    Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
In-state — Resident graduate base rate, online (2026-2027)From the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level$399per credit · 2026-2027Estimated tuition$11,970 = 30 credits × $399 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: studentaccounts.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
Out-of-state — Non-resident graduate base tuition, online (2026-2027)From the university-wide rate table covering online students at this level$792per credit · 2026-2027Estimated tuition$23,760 = 30 credits × $792 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: studentaccounts.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Other published fees

Online course fee
$35 per creditMandatory
Source: studentaccounts.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Scholarships and financial aid

Awards published by the university for this program or for online students at this level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; financial aid availability does not make a program “fully funded”. Scholarships & funding guide

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation, authorization and licensure

Three separate questions: is the university accredited, can it enroll students from your state online, and does the program meet licensure requirements where you live?

Institutional accreditation

  • Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026
  • Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No programmatic accreditation verified for this program. Institutional accreditation does not imply it.

State authorization

  • UNL is an approved NC-SARA institutional participant, allowing it to offer distance education programs in 49 states, DC, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands; California independently authorizes UNL. Official pageSource: online.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Professional licensure

  • UNL's licensure table lists Early Childhood Special Education B-K (Special Education MA, MEd) as meeting educational requirements in NE and PR and not meeting them in the other listed states. State-by-state disclosureSource: executivevc.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026
  • programs leading to licensure and and/or certification required for entry into the profession are listed online at https://executivevc.unl.edu/licensure . State-by-state disclosureSource: online.unl.edu · verified October 10, 2026

Accreditation and state authorization do not establish that a program meets licensure requirements in your state.

International applicants

Not verified for this online program.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 10, 2026.
  1. cehs.unl.edu/secd/early-childhood-special-education/ — Official program page, verified October 10, 2026
  2. executivevc.unl.edu/licensure — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026
  3. online.unl.edu/state-authorization/ — Official disclosure page, verified October 10, 2026
  4. DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  5. DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  6. studentaccounts.unl.edu/tuition-and-fees/graduate-tuition-and-fees-2026-2027/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 10, 2026

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