No, this is a non-licensure program. If you are interested in pursuing becoming a certified special education teacher, please refer to the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education or the Master of Education in Teaching: Dual Secondary & Special Education programs. However, if you are already a licensed teacher in another area and would like to add special education to your current license, then you can pursue earning 30 credits in special education to use as an “add-a-field” option through the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board. For more information, please refer to https://hawaiiteacherstandardsboard.org/content/add-a-teaching-field/ and review the “Credits and Experience” option.

No, we no longer require the GRE as an admissions requirement to our MEd programs. However, instead you will be expected to write a timed, 30-minute essay as part of the video recorded response component of the application process.

Unfortunately, one of the requirements regarding international student visas is that they participate in traditional, face-to-face coursework on campus. Our online/hybrid programs would not meet this requirement; therefore we can not admit international students to these programs/coursework at this time. We are very sorry for the inconvenience.

However, our department does offer two different programs using a traditional, face-to-face format that can accommodate international applicants:

• Bachelor of Education, Exceptional Students and Elementary Education
• PhD in Education, Exceptionalities Specialization

If you are already living in Hawaii and do not require a student visa, then you may be eligible to apply for our programs. Applicants with international transcripts may need to submit additional materials, such as an English Proficiency exam score and a transcript evaluation. Please inquire or visit the international student website to learn more:

• Bachelor's or Post Baccalaureate Certificate Applicants
• Master's Degree or PhD Applicants

Finally, international candidates looking to be employed with the Hawaii DOE upon completion of a program may also require additional documentation and eligibility requirements for employment. Please contact the Hawaii DOE to inquire.

The Hawaii DOE has provided a long-standing funding opportunity for those interested in becoming certified as special education teachers to teach in our public school system. Our MEd in Special Education does not lead to initial teacher licensure, therefore it is not eligible for the DOE stipend. However, on occasion the DOE will provide special funding opportunities based on need. For example, in 2019 the DOE funded 40 DOE employees in pursuing BCBA certification. If you would like to be sent notifications regarding new and upcoming funding opportunities, please be sure to complete the "Request More Info" form for this program.

Our program is designed to accommodate those who are working in schools during the day. The courses are held online in the early evenings so that they can be completed while continuing employment. Most candidates take two classes per semester, which would be two nights a week in classes and then work on assignments/readings on the weekends. While the MEd SPED program is designed to accommodate those who work full time jobs, keep in mind that the program is rigorous and will require a great deal of commitment and persistence.

For our online programs, classes will be presented through the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa’s Laulima course site. Each course has a website that includes various components, such as the syllabus, course schedule, assignments, quizzes/tests, and other resources. Some courses may include recorded video lectures. Students should expect to study/work approximately 9 hours per week for each 3-credit course.

All courses will include periodic synchronous online class sessions (some may meet weekly; some may meet less often than weekly). A synchronous online class session is a LIVE class in which students and their course instructor get together online at the same time using video-conferencing technology. At UH Mānoa, we use Zoom for our synchronous class sessions. These sessions are very much like a typical face-to-face class session held on campus: The instructor may provide some lecture, facilitate group discussions and activities, and respond to student questions. Each synchronous class session will be held for 1-3 hours, in the late afternoon on weekdays (typically not on Fridays). A schedule of the synchronous online class sessions will be provided by each instructor at the beginning of each semester. You can expect to designate one night a week for each class you are enrolled in.

A majority of our applicants are working during the day and therefore it became difficult to coordinate individual interviews as part of our admissions requirements. Therefore, we are using a video recording platform that allows you to respond to designated interview-type questions, but you are able to record this from your computer or phone at a day/time that works best for you. The only requirement is that you complete this component prior to the application deadline. The link to the video recorded response questions will be provided within the Makalei application at the time you apply.

As a support, please refer to this presentation which provided more details about this requirement, as well as tips & tricks for successfully completing your video recorded responses and essay. 

For applicants who meet the priority deadline (Feb. 1), decisions are typically mailed out in late March or early April. For regular deadline applicants (Mar. 1), decisions are typically mailed out in late April or early May.

One of the primary reasons for delays in admission decisions is due to transcripts. Candidates who do not send all official transcripts early or have missing transcripts will experience delays in admissions decisions. It's always best to follow up on the status of the UH application and transcripts to ensure everything is complete.