MSU-Meridian announces new Special Education degree

(MERIDIAN) – Starting this fall, students can earn a Bachelor of Science degree in special education at Mississippi State University-Meridian.

In 2010, U.S. News and World Report ranked special education #6 in a list of best career opportunities.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the number of special education opportunities nationwide will increase 17% by the year 2018.

Dr. Matt Boggan, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at MSU-Meridian, is serving as chair of the search committee responsible for hiring the new faculty for the program. He is also qualified to teach undergraduate and graduate programs in special education in addition to educational leadership.

“There really is a need for qualified special education teachers,” said Boggan.

“The trend right now in many districts across the state is to certify applicants on a one year emergency license. This is a short term solution only. We hope by adding this degree, we will attract students who have a desire to teach children with special needs,” he added.

Earning a degree in special education not only qualifies someone to teach K-12 in a public or private school setting but there are other job opportunities available.

“Many people don’t realize that places like East Mississippi State Hospital and Hudspeth Regional Center hire special education teachers as well as residential treatment facilities like Alliance,” noted Boggan.

The state of Mississippi also offers financial aid from the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) in the form of MS Teacher Grants/Scholarships/Loans. Students interested in teaching in a critical need area of the state and/or in a critical need subject area, which includes special education, foreign language, math, or science may apply at www.riseupms.com. This program is only available to Mississippi residents. The deadline to apply is March 31.

“We are really excited about this new degree and feel it will complement our existing degree programs we already offer in education at MSU-Meridian,” he said. “We encourage anyone interested in learning more to contact the division of Education at 601.484.0170.”

Other education degrees offered at MSU-Meridian include:

Undergraduate degree programs
Elementary Education
Secondary Education, English
Secondary Education, Social Studies

Graduate degree programs
Masters of Arts (MAT) in Teaching Community College Education
Master of Arts (MAT) in Teaching Secondary Education

Master of Science and Educational Specialist degrees in:
Elementary Education
Secondary Education, English
Secondary Education, Social Studies
Counselor Education
School Administration