MARQUETTE, Mich.—Northern Michigan University is ranked 33rd nationwide and in the top 25 percent of small schools on the list of “50 Most Affordable Online Master’s in Special Education Degree Programs 2015” released by topeducationdegrees.org. NMU offers a master of arts in education degree with a concentration in learning disabilities for certified elementary and secondary teachers who want to obtain a Code SM endorsement in learning disabilities.

“This is great news regarding one of our high-need, high-quality programs,” said Joe Lubig, associate dean of the School of Education, Leadership and Public Service. “We receive requests weekly for more learning disabilities teachers. There is clearly a demand for individuals willing to commit to extra years of schooling so they are more qualified to address the unique learning styles and needs of students across the special education spectrum.”

Candidates for NMU’s program should have at least one year of teaching experience. They must meet basic core competencies in math, reading and psychology and complete a survey course in exceptionalities. Total credit hours required for the degree range from 34 to 40, depending on which cognates the student takes. 

Topeducationdegrees.org developed its ranking with the help of College Navigator’s website filtering options. It compiled a list of nearly 200 U.S. colleges that offer any sort of online program in special education. After collecting information on the in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees, it averaged these values for each school and sorted the colleges accordingly.

The introduction to the rankings reads: “These 50 schools are the absolute most affordable online master’s degrees in special education. But thankfully, many of them also offer high-quality programs with unique opportunities for distance learners.”

NMU and Spring Arbor University are the only Michigan schools to make the list. 

Editors: For more information, contact Lubig at 227-1880.