Special Education, Disability Services (M.ED.)

Application and Fee

Prospective students are required to use our online system to create an account and submit an application. The application opens approximately one year in advance and is only good for the term and program in which it is submitted. Applicants who have submitted their application and wish to change their admission term or major/concentration may submit a new application and associated application fee. If you would like to cancel an open application, please contact us.

A $30 (USD) application fee is required regardless of previous enrollment. The application fee is non-refundable and cannot be waived. Undergraduate application fees cannot be used for a graduate application, and vise versa. The application fee must be submitted prior to the review of an application.

Current students who would like to add or change a major, concentration or certificate should submit the Change of Concentration or Major form.

College Transcripts

All applicants must provide transcripts from a U.S. institution accredited by an accepted institutional accreditor or its equivalent from a non-US institution that awarded the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, if applicable, and transcripts from institutions where any post-baccalaureate and/or graduate credits were earned. All admits must provide official transcripts.

All international transcripts will require a course-by-course evaluation by an approved third-party credential evaluation agency unless a graduate program has established an alternative credential evaluation procedure that is approved by the graduate school. To be accepted, the evaluation must be:

1. Translated to English and be the U.S. equivalent
2. Evaluated course-by-course
3. Include the overall academic GPA
4. Be from an approved third-party accredited evaluation service. Recommended evaluation agencies:
   • SpanTran. They have created a custom application for UNF that will make sure you select the right kind of evaluation at a discounted rate. You can access their application through the SpanTran Application - UNF Graduate School portal.
   • Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
   • World Education Services

Important Notes

• The UNF Graduate School cannot request transcripts on an applicants behalf.
• Unofficial transcript copies are accepted for admissions but must clearly state the institution name, student name, course information, terms, grades, and credits. Degree audits are not accepted. Admitted students will be prompted to provide official transcripts.
• If currently enrolled in courses, an incomplete transcript must be submitted before the posted deadline.
• Applicants who also have to apply through systems such as ATCAS or PTCAS, must submit separate transcripts to UNF.
• Official transcripts must:
  • Must be less than one year old from the date of printing
  • Must be submitted in a sealed envelope from your institution, or emailed through official electronic means.
• When requesting college transcripts, please verify with your institution(s) whether or not they are able to submit electronic transcripts in the proper EDI format. Institutions can submit transcripts via e-mail to graduateschool@unf.edu from an approved vendor such as ScriptSafe, Credentials, or Parchment.
• Former or current UNF students should not request UNF transcripts. After application submission, the UNF requirement will be updated to a "waived" status.

Specific Requirements

• Letter of intent
  • 500-1000 words
  • Describe reasons for seeking admission into the Special Education program;
  • Professional goals;
  • How the program will help attain goals
• Three letters of recommendation
  • Must be on official letter head (if applicable) and have an original signature (electronic signatures are not acceptable)
  • It is preferred that at least one come from a college/university professor
  • Address applicants academic background;
  • Aptitude for graduate work;
  • Capabilities for future performance and scholarship

Deadlines and Documents

The program application deadlines below are for international students who are seeking F1/J1 visas. While these deadlines are not mandatory, we encourage students to complete their applications and submit all immigration documents at least two months prior to the regular program deadlines to ensure timely visa processing. For most programs, the international deadlines are:

Fall: June 1

Spring: October 1

For programs with fall deadlines earlier than June 1 and spring deadlines earlier than October 1, the international deadlines are the same as the program deadlines. Please direct questions to the International Center.

According to U.S. immigration regulations, immigration documents can only be issued for students who are fully admitted to a full-time, on-campus, in-person, degree-seeking program. F-1/J-1 students cannot pursue online degree programs, part-time enrollment, or certificate programs; please see the list of F-1 Non-Qualifying Degree Programs and contact the International Center for more information. This list is subject to change.

English Language Proficiency

All international applicants, except those from an English-speaking country, are required to demonstrate English Language Proficiency by meeting the indicators listed on the English Language Proficiency page.

Affidavit of Financial Support and Bank Certification

The Affidavit is a legal document which is signed by the sponsor (the person who will be providing the funds) stating the amount of funds that she/he will provide for the educational expenses of the student applicant and then certified by a bank official that the sponsor does have that amount of funds in their account. This form represents an obligation on the part of the sponsor to provide the required amount of funds as indicated on the form. Please review the Estimated Cost of Attendance for International Students to determine the amount of funds needed to be written on the Affidavit.

All documentation and immigration inquiries should be sent to the UNF International Center.

Immunization Documentation Form and Health Insurance

All international students are required to submit proof of required vaccinations and health insurance. Please refer to the Office of Medical Compliance with any questions.