Skip navigation
A teacher prepares to read to students: Pursue an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership – Special Education online at Regent University.

Ed.S. in Educational Leadership – Special Education

Lead the Charge to Improve Special Education Through an Ed.S.

Are you a special education teacher seeking leadership positions in special education research, practice and policy? Regent’s Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership – Special Education provides career development for special education teachers for leadership positions in special education research, practice and policy to best serve children, youth and adults with high-incidence disabilities. You’ll gain advanced knowledge in areas such as learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disturbance, and mental retardation, and be better equipped to improve learning outcomes for those who need it most.

Online
31
January 13, 2025
Download PDF

INCREASE YOUR EARNING POTENTIAL

Capitalize on a higher salary with your Ed.S. degree.

EXPAND YOUR CAREER PATH

Take your career to the next level with exciting leadership opportunities.

MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE

Become a champion in special education while making a big impact on the lives of students.

ALIGN YOURSELF WITH EXCELLENCE

Regent has been ranked among the Top National Universities by the U.S. News & World Report (2024). Our programs have also been ranked among the Top 10 Best Online Graduate Education Programs in Virginia for 11 years in a row (2013-2023).

Presented from a Christian worldview, this specialty degree is supported by award-winning faculty in Virginia Beach.

Please complete the Request Information form on this page to learn more about this program.

On completing this Ed.S. concentration, the graduate can:

  • Interpret data so that you can draw sound conclusions and understand ramifications.
  • Develop empirical, research-based interventions and develop tools to deter empirically unsupported yet perennially popular interventions.
  • Understand the history of special education as well as current issues and best practices.

Career Opportunities

  • Education Researcher
  • Education Policy Maker
  • Education Advocate/Consultant
  • Central Office Executive Leader
  • Higher Education Administrator
  • Teacher/Professor
$97Thousand
Mean annual wage for education administrators, postsecondary U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021
Featured Courses
EFND 725Advanced Study of Best Practices in Special Education3
Advanced study of empirically based interventions for children with mild disabilities for academic, emotional, and social deficits. Emphasis on current best practices and practices often used but empirically unsupported as well as legal and ethical issues surrounding intervention implementation.
ESPC 705History of Special Education3
An advanced historical survey of the origins of special education. Focus on historical figures in special education, their theories of and interventions with people with disabilities; on the evolution of the social construction of disability; on broad legal and ethical issues related to people with disabilities; and on some current issues facing the field.
ESPC 710Advanced Study of High-Incidence Disabilities3
Advanced study of special education high-incidence disability categories: Learning Disabilities, Emotional and Behavioral Disturbance, and Intellectual Disabilities. Focus on the historical development of identification, including distinguishing characteristics and definitions, as well as empirically based interventions that address characteristic issues of each group.
ESPC 740Fad Interventions in Special Education3
Advanced study of empirically unsupported yet perennially popular interventions for children with disabilities.
ESPC 830International Special Education3
Advanced review of international special education; UN Charter, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to the Salamanca Statement and the Rights of Persons with Disability, and attention to special education in the developing world.
ESPC 840Bioethics in Special Education3
Advanced study of the modern origins of bioethics and its relation to persons with disabilities with particular attention to genetic fetal anomalies, assisted suicide, and euthanasia.

2024-25 Semester Check-In Deadlines

All students are expected to check-in for the semester two weeks before the session start date. Students should apply, be accepted, enroll in their first courses, and confirm a plan to pay for their courses prior to this date.

SessionSemester Check-InSession Start Date
Session AFriday, August 9Monday, August 19
Session MFriday, September 6Monday, September 16
Session BFriday, October 11Monday, October 21
Session CWednesday, January 8Monday, January 13
Session TFriday, January 31Monday, February 10
Session DFriday, March 7Monday, March 17
Session EFriday, May 2Monday, May 12
Session FFriday, June 13Monday, June 23

Admissions Requirements

Step 1: Apply to Regent University

Submit your application using the Regent University Online Application.

Note: If you are unable to complete our application due to a disability, please contact our Admissions Office at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu and an admissions representative will provide reasonable accommodations to assist you in completing the application.

Step 2: Submit Your Unofficial Transcripts

Submit your unofficial transcripts to regent.edu/items.

Upon submitting your application, you will receive an email requesting authorization for Regent University to obtain your official transcripts from your U.S. degree-granting institution. International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES, AACRAO or NAFSA approved agency.

Step 3: Submit Your Government-Issued ID

To ensure academic integrity, Regent University requires a copy of a government-issued ID. Please submit a scanned copy or photograph of it to regent.edu/items.


Please feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 757.352.4990 or admissions@regent.edu should you have any further questions about the application process.

Note: All items submitted as part of the application process become the property of Regent University and cannot be returned.

PART-TIME STUDENTS

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5656$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8003$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8003$2,400

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5659$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8009$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8006$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

Part-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5656$3,390
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8003$2,400
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8003$2,400

Full-Time Students

DegreeTuition Cost Per Credit HourAverage Credit Hours Per SemesterAverage Tuition Per Semester
Master of Education (M.Ed.)$5659$5,085
Educational Specialist (Ed.S.)$8009$7,200
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)$8006$4,800
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)$8006$4,800

Student Fees Per Semester

University Services Fee (On-Campus Students)$850 (Fall & Spring)
$700 (Summer)
University Services Fee (Online Students)$700

Military Admissions & Aid » | Cost of Attendance »

*Rates are subject to change at any time.

“My career has evolved over a short period of time because of my faith and the teacher preparation programs at Regent. The academic, spiritual and leadership guidance shared during my time at Regent gave me the foundation needed to excel in my field.”
Chonita Walker, M.Ed., 2011 Reading Specialist
“Regent's M.Ed. in TESOL program has prepared me to organize and run the ESL courses at my school. Regent's TESOL professors assign the most applicable projects, which have helped me with planning lessons, selecting curriculum and creating assessments, as well as with conducting several teacher-in-service sessions for my school.”
Katherine Tipton, M.Ed., 2011 Teacher
“I looked at other institutions, but I understood the importance of a Christ-centered focus, and I wanted that to be a part of my graduate experience.”
Cheryl C. Askew, Ed.D., 2012 Principal, Landstown High School
“The Career Switcher program gave me the skills that I needed to feel comfortable stepping into my classroom and allowed for my success. I am now a first-year teacher who is thriving in an environment that applauds creativity and innovation.”
Breanna Mead, M.Ed., 2018 Career Switcher
“Regent really helped me understand the unique landscape of Christian higher education. I feel better prepared to contribute to Life Pacific College's distinct mission and purpose because of my time spent here.”
Josh Arnold, M.Ed., 2008 HR Leadership & Management