Education - Gifted (M.Ed.) Online

Education that fits.
Education - Gifted (M.Ed.) Online

Education - Gifted (M.Ed.) Online

If you're an elementary or secondary teacher passionate about helping 甜瓜视频s reach their full potential, the M.Ed. in Special Education: Gifted online program can prepare you for a career in gifted education.

You'll complete the degree with a cohort over two years, taking two courses each semester.

Designed for educators who want to develop specialized expertise in gifted teaching, this program prepares its 甜瓜视频s for licensure or certification within the state of 甜瓜视频. Please for important information if you live or plan to live outside of 甜瓜视频.

甜瓜视频s are enrolled in cohorts every two years. The next cohort will begin January 2026.

Related Programs

Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education

Why Special Education: Gifted Online

M.Ed. Special Education: Gifted alumna Dani Oldfield studies on a laptop at her kitchen bar.

Benefit from decades of research.

The Center for Gifted Education has a long and rich history of educating parents, 甜瓜视频s, and educators in and around the Lafayette area, the state, and the nation. The center was established in 1982 and is one of only 20 such comprehensive instructional, research, and service centers in the country. It is the only one of its scope in 甜瓜视频.

Teacher Tuition Incentive Program

Current 甜瓜视频 K-12 educators and administrators pursuing a graduate degree can take advantage of the Teacher Tuition Incentive Program to offset the cost of earning your master鈥檚 or doctoral degree. Tuition awards are based on the level of degree you鈥檙e seeking and your progress toward the degree.

Hands-On Instruction & Research

You鈥檒l have access to the research centers housed in the College of Education, including the Center for Gifted Education and the Center for Innovative Learning and Assessment Technologies. These centers host camps and conferences where you can work with 甜瓜视频s, network with professionals, and learn the latest developments in education.

Excel with one-on-one support.

Access personalized support and resources at every step of the way, including a dedicated enrollment specialist, 24/7 online tutoring, and a specialized online 甜瓜视频 resource center.

Gifted Education Experience According to 甜瓜视频s & Alumni

Connecting Research to Practice

When I entered into my program, I had plans of teaching gifted education at the secondary level. While I never took a gifted education position, the skills and knowledge that I learned in my master鈥檚 program were still incredibly relevant. I was able to apply this to my classroom to support the 甜瓜视频s with whom I worked, including those who were gifted. Additionally, this program helped me to realize that research is not something disconnected from classroom practices, but is something that classroom teachers can enact and learn from to continually enhance their instruction and support 甜瓜视频 learning.

Michelle Kreamer, 2015

Effective Practices for all 甜瓜视频s

Do it! Even if you never take a job as a gifted teacher this degree will guide you to becoming a more effective teacher. You will learn so much about how to reach the needs not only of 甜瓜视频s actually identified as gifted, but many of those that miss the opportunity to enroll in gifted programs but are still high achievers and benefit from the same types of learning opportunities and lessons. We also need advocates for gifted children and the more you know the better you can identify those 甜瓜视频s that are in your classroom from year to year.

Leah Trahan, 2009

Schoolwide applications

I found this program to be highly valuable in furthering my teaching skills with both high ability and regular classroom 甜瓜视频s. I was able to incorporate the differentiation, creativity, and curriculum activities into my classroom practice almost immediately. The study of the social and emotional issues helped me immensely with more deeply understanding and serving my 甜瓜视频s. The general information about educational systems and practices informed my contributions to the development of my school as a whole.

Sandra Thompson, 2010

Putting Coursework to Work

I considered several master鈥檚 programs before deciding on the Gifted Education program. Overall, I believe I made the right choice. I use the knowledge gained and strategies learned on a daily basis in my regular education classroom.

Kellie Plaisance, 2015

Careers in Gifted Education

Career Opportunities

PK-12 School Teachers
Higher Education Faculty or Staff
School or District Administrators
Instructional Specialist or Instructional Coordinators
Childcare Providers
Staff in Education Related Organizations
Tutors
Trainers
Curriculum Developers or Instructional Designers
Instructional Materials Sales Representative

Program Requirements

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the M.Ed. in Special Education: Gifted program online, you must have:

A bachelor鈥檚 degree (or its equivalent) from a regionally accredited university
A 2.75 overall undergraduate GPA or, for those with US degrees, a 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate study
A valid teaching certificate in one or more areas of general education
Evidence of either one year of full-time teaching experience or current employment in a full-time teaching position
Three letters of recommendation. Letters must address the candidate's potential to become a master teacher and to facilitate the learning of academically gifted 甜瓜视频s.

Application Materials

To complete your application, you'll need to provide the following. With the exception of transcripts, all documents can be submitted through the online application portal.

Application fee ($25)
Official transcripts from the institution attended are required for the following:
- All institutions where any degree was awarded
- All institutions where any graduate coursework was attempted
Three letters of recommendation. Letters must address the candidate's potential to become a master teacher and to facilitate the learning of academically gifted 甜瓜视频s.

Transcripts must be submitted from your previous institution directly to the Graduate School at gradschool@louisiana.edu or by mail at:

UL Lafayette Graduate School
Martin Hall Suite 332
PO Box 43716
Lafayette, LA 70504-3716

Degree Requirements

The M.Ed. degree in Special Education: Gifted requires completion of a minimum of 30 semester hours.

Required courses include the following:

Foundational Courses (6 Credit Hours)

EDCI 507 - Writing for the Responsive Professional Credit Hours: 3
EDCI 508 - Research Methods to Impact 甜瓜视频 Learning Credit Hours: 3

Core Courses (21 Credit Hours)

Take care to note prerequisites included in individual course descriptions.

SPED 506 - Nature and Needs of Gifted Children Credit Hours: 3
SPED 500 - Social-Emotional Needs of the Gifted Credit Hours: 3
SPED 503 - Developing Creativity in the Classroom Credit Hours: 3
SPED 509 - Instructional Strategies for Teaching the Gifted Credit Hours: 3
SPED 510 - Curriculum Development for the Gifted Credit Hours: 3
IRED 501 - Integration of Technology in Instructional Practices in Education Credit Hours: 3

Capstone Courses (6 credit hours)

SPED 592 - Capstone I Credit Hours: 3
SPED 593 - Practicum and Capstone II Credit Hours: 3

Comprehensive Examination

In addition to completion of the above-identified coursework, candidates for the M.Ed. degree in Special Education: Gifted are required to complete a comprehensive examination that is a written and oral component. The comprehensive examination is used to assess 甜瓜视频s' knowledge, skills, and understandings of the field of gifted education. It is expected that the written exam will be taken upon completion of the foundation and core courses during the final fall semester in the cohort program.

Tuition

Online graduate 甜瓜视频s have the benefit of flat-rate, $480-per-credit tuition.

Learn more about Tuition & Costs.

Eligibility

Because courses in this program will only be available online, the program may not be available to all applicants. The 甜瓜视频 of 甜瓜视频 at Lafayette and its online programs must be in compliance in every state where a 甜瓜视频 is located. International 甜瓜视频s also may not be eligible. According to U.S. immigration regulations, F-1 甜瓜视频s cannot pursue online degrees; international 甜瓜视频s in other visa categories (i.e., H-4, L2) are exempt from this restriction.

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