Application Deadlines

• Oct. 1 for Spring Semester Admission
• Feb. 1 for Summer Semester Admission (preferred semester to start)
  • Feb. 1 is also the deadline to be considered for the Project Hi2LD fellowship
• June 1 for Fall Semester Admission

Basic Requirements to be Considered for Admission

All application materials are reviewed by a committee of faculty members who look for evidence of preparation for advanced professional study at the master’s level and the likelihood of academic success, as indicated by an applicant’s educational record, work experience, statement of professional goals, and letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant’s academic and professional experience and potential. 

• All applicants must possess a U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average in the last two years of undergraduate study and in all graduate courses.
• All applicants must possess a teaching certificate.
• Students from certain states are not eligible to apply to distance education programs at MSU.  For a state-by-state summary, please visit https://reg.msu.edu/Read/pdf/StateSummary.pdf.
• The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is not required but may be used as supporting materials if available.
• All international applicants and applicants whose first language is not English must be proficient in English as a condition for regular admission to MSU. Such applicants will be required to demonstrate their proficiency by meeting certain minimum standards. Find more information on the MSU Graduate School website.

Required Application Materials

To complete your university application, you will need to provide the following information and materials:

Letters of Recommendation

In the application portal, provide contact information for three persons who are familiar with your academic and professional accomplishments and potential for success.

We strongly recommend that you seek letters of recommendation from those who can speak directly to your potential for graduate study, as well as from persons who are knowledgeable about your teaching competence and experience. Thus, letters from former professors or other supervisors of graduate or undergraduate work are especially important. Letters from teaching colleagues, principals, and administrators that address your teaching, leadership, and academic skills and dispositions are also important. We suggest you do not rely on letters from friends and family members when you submit your application. They will not be weighed as heavily in the admissions decision.

Professional Goal Statement

The professional goal statement should explain the following: 

• Your personal, educational, and professional goals and how you believe pursuing this master’s degree will help you achieve them. 
• Your choice of endorsement area. Please provide a rationale for your choice. 
• Finally, while no prior experience with online learning is required for admission, you should explain how this learning format fits your goals and characteristics as a learner.

This document is very important element of your application. See description of content and formatting of this statement for more information. Find more advice on writing a personal statement from MSU’s Career Services Network.

Resume or CV

List professional experience, awards, honors, publications, presentations, professional affiliations and professional development activities. This Resume Writing Checklist from MSU’s Career Services Network, along with sample templates for candidates who work in education, may be helpful.

Official Transcripts

Request the registrar of each college or university attended to send one copy of each official transcript. We cannot accept transcripts sent by applicants. Colleges and universities generally require both fees and time to process requests for transcripts. To be considered “official” the transcripts must have a university seal or notarization mark and be sent directly by the institution to electronically to admis@msu.edu or to the following address:

Michigan State University
Counseling, Educational Psychology & Special Education
Erickson Hall
620 Farm Lane, Room 335
East Lansing, MI 48824

MSU alumni do not need to formally request official MSU transcripts. Enter your MSU degree information as requested in the application portal and upload unofficial transcripts (which you can access through student.msu.edu). Admissions will later mark the transcript requirement as waived.

Copy of Your Teaching Certificate

Have questions about this step? Email us at sped@msu.edu.

Application Fee

The application fee ($65 for domestic applicants of $75 for international applicants) is paid within MSU’s applicant portal.

How to Apply

Complete your application on MSU’s application management system. Follow the steps listed below:

• Create account and login.
• Start New Application: Select Graduate from dropdown menu and Create Application.
• Provide Personal Background information.
• Under Other Information, select the first semester you wish to enroll in classes. To select Major Preference, scroll to the College of Education and select Special Education (Online Program) (Masters). Provide additional details about Enrollment Information, Communications preferences, and Financial Aid. It is not necessary to include the Personal or Academic Statement as requested in Other Information (you will provide a Professional Goal Statement later in the process). Providing information on your experiences in the COVID-19 section is optional. Provide responses to Conduct Questions and Other from the dropdown menus and in text boxes where appropriate.
• Include all Academic History information. To begin, click on Add Institution.
• Test Scores: The GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is not required. All international applicants and applicants whose first language is not English must be able to be proficient in English as a condition for regular admission to MSU. Such applicants will be required to demonstrate their proficiency by meeting certain minimum standards. Find more details on the MSU Graduate School website.
• Employment/Activities Page: Leave blank.
• References: Using Add Recommender, provide contact information for three people who are familiar with your academic and professional accomplishments and potential for success. The portal will then send out recommendation requests to the people you listed. The requests come from admissions@admissions.msu.edu. It is strongly recommended that one letter is from a current or past professor, academic advisor, or field instructor. If possible, the other two letters should be from current or past supervisors. Letters from friends or colleagues will not be considered. The letters must be current and specifically for the Special Education program. Letters previously used for other purposes cannot be accepted.
• Provide your Signature electronically by typing in your full legal name, then select Confirm.
• The Review section will provide you with a list of potential errors if a section has not been completed. Please return to those sections and make the appropriate corrections before finalizing the application and submitting your payment.
• Once you have finalized your application, you will complete the payment ($65 for domestic applicants of $75 for international applicants).

Once you have finalized your application, you will receive a confirmation email. You can then login to the application portal to upload and track your application materials. If you cannot submit the required materials in PDF format or have any questions, please contact the Special Education Program at sped@msu.edu and (517) 353-1842

1. Add the following documents in the application portal :
   • Resume or Vita: List professional experience, awards, honors, publications, presentations, professional affiliations and professional development activities.
   • Professional Goal Statement: Specify “personal statement” as document type. This document is very important element of your application. See description of content and formatting of this statement for more information.
   • Copy of your Teaching Certificate
2. Request the registrar of each college or university attended to send one copy of each official transcript. We cannot accept transcripts sent by applicants. Transcripts of work taken at MSU need not be requested. Colleges and universities generally require both fees and time to process requests for transcripts. To be considered “official” the transcripts must have a university seal or notarization mark and be sent directly by the institution electronically to admis@msu.edu or to the following address:

Michigan State University
Counseling, Educational Psychology & Special Education
Erickson Hall
620 Farm Lane, Room 335
East Lansing, MI 48824

Information for Multilingual and International Applicants

All international applicants and applicants whose first language is not English must be proficient in English as a condition for regular admission to MSU. Such applicants will be required to demonstrate their proficiency by meeting certain minimum standards. Find the most up-to-date information on accepted English language tests for international students on The Graduate School’s website.

English language tests must have been taken within two years of a student’s application. Achieving an acceptable score on one of the tests does not, by itself, guarantee an applicant’s admission to the program.

Applicants should have all test scores sent directly from the testing agency electronically or to:

Office of Admissions
Michigan State University
Hannah Administration Building
426 Auditorium Road, Room 250
East Lansing, MI 48824

International transcripts must be submitted as official documents directly from each post-secondary institution. In most cases, these documents will need to be sent in official, sealed, issuing institution envelopes. Records must show courses taken, grades earned, and must be translated into English if the original records are in another language. Translations must be done by the issuing institution, a certified translator in the country of study, or by an American Translator’s Association certified translator in the US. The original record should be also included. See information on the Academic Programs website.

Financial Information

• Tuition calculator (online education master’s program)
• MSU Financial Aid
• University Fellowships & Assistantships
• College Fellowships & Assistantships
• Fellowships are available for the Learning Disabilities endorsement program in 2021 through 2024.

The identification of financial assistance and graduate assistantships is an important factor for many students admitted to the program. Unfortunately, we are not able to provide guaranteed funding to support enrollment and living expenses. However, the program has established a number of successful placements on campus and in the surrounding communities that have served as sources of employment for many of our students. 

Many students apply directly to the campus Office of Residence Life for positions as residence hall advisors, while some apply for substitute teaching opportunities in schools in the surrounding communities. Admitted students will receive a list of campus openings as they occur throughout the summer. Newly admitted students are strongly encouraged to contact student mentors during the summer months for assistance with any questions regarding employment opportunities, housing and other issues associated with adjustment to the university and community. Due to nine-month academic appointments, program faculty members are typically not available for consultation during the summer months.