Students in Loyola's graduate programs in special education are prepared to provide effective services to children with a wide variety of disabilities and to take leadership roles in the field of special education. The programs emphasize proven strategies, specialized instructional methods, legal issues, comprehensive assessment, and advanced professional skills necessary to provide high-quality services to children and adolescents with special needs, particularly those with high-incidence disabilities such as language or learning disabilities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorders, emotional/behavioral disorders, and mild cognitive impairments.

The master's program in elementary/middle special education can be used to meet requirements for initial certification in generic special education (grades 1-8), and it is also appropriate for teachers seeking advanced professional development. The program attracts students from a variety of academic backgrounds and careers. Once accepted, students meet with an academic advisor to determine the need for prerequisite courses (if needed) or experiences and to develop a personalized program plan of courses based upon prior academic, teaching, and volunteer history. Program graduates are prepared to support the comprehensive needs of students in a variety of educational settings across the elementary and middle grades and to take leadership roles in the field of special education.