Students in special education degree programs aspire to provide educational opportunities to students with learning disabilities or special needs. Students taught by special education teachers may have autism-spectrum disorders, attention-deficit disorders, or other behavioral, learning, or emotional disabilities. The curriculum in a special education degree program is designed to teach students how to recognize learning disorders and develop teaching plans that cater to and advance the knowledge of students.

Bachelor’s degree graduates may choose one of two career paths: they can work in daycares or hospitals—caring for special needs children—or they can earn teaching credentials to teach special needs classes in elementary, middle, and high schools. Others who want to continue their educations can earn master’s and Ph.D. degrees to gain the qualifications needed to teach college special education courses—educating the special needs educators of the future in college special education courses.

What Jobs Can You Get with a Degree in Special Education?

Demand for special education teachers is expected to be consistent with the standard job growth for all jobs in the coming decade. Working as a special education teacher can be taxing, so jobs open frequently for new teachers as the current teachers fatigue and move on to new positions. Additionally, by law each state must provide educational opportunities to disabled students, so there are always jobs available for experiences, patient, and talented teachers and caregivers for disabled children and teens.

How Long does it take?

A bachelors in Special Education will have a typical length of 4 years in a full time schedule. That said, there are many ways to speed up the timeframe by either taking more units via online coursework, community college, or taking free classes at OnlineDegree.com that could transfer to universities in the US.