Master of Science in Special Education – Gifted, Talented, and Creative Online

Help highly capable students achieve their maximum potential with an affordable and accelerated online degree program. You can continue teaching full time with 100% online coursework and flexible in-person practicum requirements.

Apply By: 1/2/25
Start Class: 1/13/25 Apply Now

Program Overview

Read about the MS in SPED – Gifted, Talented, and Creative online program

Foster gifted students’ higher-level thinking and creative expression when you earn a Master of Science in Special Education – Gifted, Talented, and Creative online from Emporia State University. In this CAEP-accredited program, you will cultivate your ability to encourage—and challenge—children and adolescents with exceptionalities based on their individual learning needs as well as their unique strengths and weaknesses.

Using cutting-edge research, you will develop methods and procedures for educating gifted learners, including proactive and preventative approaches for common behavior management and sensory issues. Plus, as a recognized teachers college, Emporia State University prides itself on its outstanding instructors: You will learn how to identify, instruct, and assess gifted learners from the same qualified faculty who teach on campus.

Core courses include Characteristics of the Gifted, Creative Teaching and Learning, Affective Needs of the Gifted, Education of the Gifted Learners, and more.

Please note this program does not lead to obtaining a teaching license.

In this online MS in SPED – Gifted, Talented, and Creative program, you will:

  • Provide quality instruction to students with high ability, including diverse students identified as gifted
  • Assist teachers in recognizing and supporting the needs of students identified as gifted
  • Advocate for the resources and services required to meet the unique academic and affective needs of diverse students identified as gifted
In this online MS in SPED – Gifted, Talented, and Creative program, you will:+
  • Provide quality instruction to students with high ability, including diverse students identified as gifted
  • Assist teachers in recognizing and supporting the needs of students identified as gifted
  • Advocate for the resources and services required to meet the unique academic and affective needs of diverse students identified as gifted

This online gifted education program prepares you for roles such as:

  • Gifted and Talented Educator
This online gifted education program prepares you for roles such as:+
  • Gifted and Talented Educator

Also available:

Emporia State offers a wide range of graduate education degree programs in a convenient online format. Explore all of our online education programs.

$9,960* Total Tuition
As few as 12 months Duration
30 Credit Hours

Accreditation

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

The Teachers College at Emporia State is accredited under the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation standards through the CAEP accreditation system, for a period of seven years.

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Request Information

Call 800-721-2248

Call 800-721-2248

Tuition

ESU online tuition is paid by the course

Tuition for the MS in Special Education – Gifted, Talented, and Creative online degree program is the same for in-state and out-of-state students. All fees are included.

View additional tuition information+

Program Per Credit Hour Per Course Per Program*
MS in SPED – Gifted, Talented, and Creative $332 $996 $9,960

Tuition breakdown:

$9,960* Total Tuition
$332 Per Credit Hour

Calendar

Pick your application and start dates here

The MS in Special Education – Gifted, Talented, and Creative is delivered in an online format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring multiple start dates each year. Choose the start date that's best for you.

View full calendar  + 

7 week coursesProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlineRegistration DeadlinePayment Due
Spring 2025, Session I1/13/251/2/251/5/251/6/251/9/25
Spring 2025, Session II3/10/252/24/252/27/253/3/253/6/25
Summer 2025, Session I5/12/254/28/255/1/255/5/255/8/25
Summer 2025, Session II6/30/256/16/256/19/256/23/256/26/25

Now enrolling:

1/2/25 Apply Date
1/13/25 Class Starts

Have questions or need more information about Emporia State online programs?

Ready to take the next step toward earning your degree online from Emporia State?

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Admissions

Check out the guidelines for admission to the online gifted, talented, and creative master's program

Your journey begins here! The admission process is the first step toward earning your degree. Be sure to get familiar with these requirements to enroll in the MS in Special Education – Gifted, Talented, and Creative online program.

Admission Requirements:

  • Official transcripts
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Minimum GPA of 2.75
View all admission requirements +

MS in Special Education – Gifted, Talented, and Creative Online Admission Requirements

  • Graduate school application
  • Copy of teaching license
  • Government-issued ID
  • Official transcripts from all attended colleges and universities from regionally accredited institutions with a minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher
    • Students must submit official bachelor's degree transcripts containing a cumulative or last 60 semester hours of study GPA of 2.75 or higher or a completed master's degree with at least a GPA of 3.0 Any additional transcripts from college credits accumulated after the bachelor’s degree MUST be submitted if you will be using these credits for transfer credit.

Official transcripts from all institutions attended can be submitted via a secure electronic service offered by the issuing institution to [email protected] or by selecting Emporia State University on the transcript request form, mailed (or overnighted) to:

Emporia State University
Graduate School
Room 313 Plumb Hall
1 Kellogg Circle
Emporia, KS 66801

Students who have obtained a degree from a foreign university/college must have a transcript evaluation from a recommended external source that is a member of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services). Students will not be allowed to enroll until the evaluation has been received in the Graduate School.

Have a question? Call us at 800-721-2248.

Courses

These are the courses for the online master's in gifted education

The MS in SPED – Gifted, Talented, and Creative online curriculum is comprised of 10 courses (30 credit hours).

Expand All

Students must complete all of the following courses: 

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This is an introductory graduate-level course in research methodology designed to allow the student to function as a knowledgeable and critical consumer of scholarly research in his/her field. The course will also emphasize the use of action research for program improvement.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides a practical guide to experienced teachers, teachers in-training, parents, and paraprofessionals for applying behavior management techniques both in general and special educational settings and in the home. The course focuses on the principles of behavior management and their application in the educational programs, as well as in the home. This course will help the student become a critical thinker, creative planner, and effective practitioner. The primary goal of this course is the ethical, effective, and efficient management of behavior and learning problems of children and youth as they learn to explore, manipulate, and ultimately control their world for personal satisfaction and benefit for the betterment of society.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course emphasizes definitions of giftedness, characteristics of the gifted, special populations of the gifted and factors involved in the identification of the gifted. Special problem topics are identified and addressed.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Development and implementation of gifted programming and differentiated instructional practices for diverse K-12 gifted learners.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This seminar provides information on affective aspects of giftedness, emphasizing proactive and preventative approaches.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
The course, appropriate for both special teachers of the gifted and general educators, including teachers, counselors, and administrators, explores the nature of creativity, with the emphasis given to attitudes, motivations, and educational practices which foster the identification, development, and maintenance of creative behaviors.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course provides practical approaches for students to refine and practice effective communication skills. Current models of consultation/collaboration will be presented. Topics studies include communication skills; academic diversity issues; teaming; problem solving; co-teaching approaches; working with paraeducators; models for collaboration with regular educators; engaging and empowering families and community in the education of the learner; and the use of technology for collaborative communication.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is a survey of the broad spectrum of psychological tests used in the assessment of human potential and functioning. The focus is on the nature, use, and interpretations of various methods of evaluation with specific reference to measurement in the areas of aptitude, achievement, interest, personality, and intelligence. Analyzing data and the interpretation of test results is a major emphasis.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Supervised Practice I: Gifted, Talented, & Creative P-12 requires students to draw on knowledge and skills gained in previous gifted education courses to plan and carry out relevant, appropriate projects with diverse gifted children and adolescents at P-12 grade levels. This course should be taken towards the end of the program.

Students must select one course from the following:

Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course, a detailed study of Kansas school law and regulations will be made as they apply to education. Consideration is given to statutes, court decisions and case law that affect administrative procedures and patterns.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course, differing values and issues in education are addressed, as are the philosophical, historical and social forces that create the issues. Students will be challenged to investigate the historical and cultural antecedents of modern education. They will also examine their own belief systems with regard to the institution of education and to the role and function of the teacher and school leader.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
This course is designed to prepare students to effectively educate culturally, ethnically, racially different, and differently abled students. Major components are: to explore personal biases and methods of overcoming them; explore the basic principles underlying multicultural education and to develop appropriate strategies for teaching, leading, and other functions of the school and its community.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
Brain-compatible classrooms are brain-friendly places in which the teaching/learning process is based on how the brain functions and the mind learns. We will use brain science and cognitive science to examine and reshape how, where, what, and when we teach. Brain compatible classrooms are designed with challenging, creative, safe, enriched environments that balance direct instruction with hands-on authentic constructivist learning. Brain-friendly strategies include teaching for, of, with, and about thinking/reflection. Course curriculum includes ways to recognize the diverse conditions that confront learners and how to address specific learning needs of diverse, at-risk students, including those who are hard to reach.
Duration: 7 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 3
In this course, students will learn the design-down method for curriculum writing. This involves creating a course with a course purpose and high-achievement unit outcomes fulfilling state, national or Common Core standards. Students will write measurable outcomes and create lesson plans from the outcome components. They will also align assessments to unit outcomes and critique alignment of curricula.

*Tuition is subject to change on an annual basis.

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