Online Graduate Special Education Endorsement

Why pursue your special ed endorsement at Linfield?

Convenient 100% online program format

Designed with working teachers in mind, our special education endorsement program offers flexible enrollment formats. All of your classes—except for your practicum course—are 100% online with evening and summer options available. Plus, there’s no weekend coursework. You can begin your program at numerous points throughout the year. With an average completion time of just one year, you can expedite your education and tackle new career opportunities in no time at all.

Increased employment opportunities

Following a nationwide trend, there is a high demand for special educators in Oregon. Adding a K-12 special education endorsement sharpens your competitive edge and builds a diverse skill set so you can meet students’ needs and fill a gap in the education system. With the training you receive, you can serve in the following roles:

• General education teacher with specialized knowledge of inclusion, differentiation and co-teaching models.
• Special education teacher for students with mild to moderate disabilities.
• Special education teacher for students with moderate to severe disabilities.

Strengthen your skills in the classroom

While honing your understanding of teaching methodologies and assessment strategies through pedagogical theory and coursework is important, we prioritize practical application so you can work one-on-one with students. You’ll spend 90 hours in classrooms as part of the endorsement program, teaching students with exceptionalities across the full range of disabilities and learning from other educational experts along the way.

Special ed program curriculum

Our online special education endorsement program builds upon your previous academic and professional experiences as a teacher and delivers a highly focused curriculum to deepen your pedagogical knowledge and competencies.

During the program, you enroll in six courses, totaling 20 credits, that cover advanced teaching methodologies and skill-based concepts to inform your future career, working with children who have a spectrum of physical, intellectual, learning and emotional disabilities to various degrees.

Your studies begin by exploring the foundations of special education, including its history, how it fits into the larger educational system and how to manage a classroom effectively. You also gain practical experience creating individualized educational plans (IEPs), performing student assessments and evaluations, and implementing evidence-based instructional strategies across curricular areas and in a culturally responsive manner.

To round out your endorsement program, you participate in an in-classroom practicum, during which you put all the theory and concepts you learned into practice as you teach and support students with exceptionalities.

Review Linfield's Special Ed Certificate Program courses.

Career outlook for special education teachers

With increased attention placed on students with disabilities and their academic needs, special education teachers play an important role in ensuring all students receive the attention and support they deserve and creating a more inclusive, equitable space.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported that an estimated 33,500 special education teacher positions will open each year through 2032. A major concentration of these employment opportunities is in Oregon, which has some of the highest employment rates nationally.

In terms of earning potential, special ed teachers make an annual mean salary of almost $66,000. However, like most other education career roles, salaries can range from $47,520 to $106,290 based on numerous factors, including state of employment, school district, and level of education and experience. As a special ed teacher in Oregon, your annual average wage stands at $90,450, which is one of the most lucrative in the country.

Apply to the online special ed program

As a working educator, your time is precious. That’s why we’ve kept the application process simple. To qualify for acceptance into the special ed add-on endorsement program, you must meet the following criteria:

• An undergraduate bachelor's degree
• A valid teaching or administrator license

When applying to the program, simply submit your application, including any supplemental materials, and pay a $50 application fee by the following deadlines:

• Priority admission deadline for summer start: June 1
• Priority admission deadline for fall start: Aug. 1
• Priority admission deadline for spring start: Jan. 10

Tuition and cost

Invest in yourself and your career by continuing your education.

The cost of the Graduate Special Ed Endorsement program is $790 per credit. While federal financial aid is not available for endorsement programs, some school districts may reimburse or assist teachers and administrators who take these courses for graduate credit. We encourage you to contact your school district to see if this is an option for you.

Additionally, if 10 or more employees from a single district enroll, Linfield may be able to provide a “district discount.” Please contact Linfield’s Director of Education, Dr. Carrie Kondor, at 503-883-2201 or ckondor@linfield.edu for more details.

Become an advocate for children of all exceptionalities — earn your special ed certificate

Ready to take the next step to advance your teaching career? Linfield University’s Graduate Special Education Endorsement program supports your growth as an educator, giving you the theoretical framework and practical skills to provide high-quality instruction and care to all students.