Educational Prerequisite

To be eligible to attain NASET/AASEP Professional Board Certification in Special Education, the candidate must meet the following criteria:

I. Possession of a minimum of a Master's degree from any of the following:

• United States or Canadian institution of higher education fully or provisionally accredited by a regional, state, provincial or national accrediting body
• An institution of higher education located outside the United States or Canada that, at the time the applicant was enrolled and at the time the applicant graduated, maintained a standard of training equivalent to the standards of training of those institutions accredited in the United States.

II. The graduate level degree (Masters or higher) attained by the candidate must be in a field involved with students with special needs.  These include (but are not limited to) the following:

  (Please inquire if you are not sure your degree will qualify for BCSE prerequisite)

                  by email to:  careercenter@naset.org

Modules Required for NASET/AASEP Board Certified in Special Education (BCSE)

There are seven Modules comprised of 58 individual Units which must be completed to become a Board Certified in Special Education. The following are the Module titles:

• MODULE #1 Overview of Legal Issues in Special Education
• MODULE #2 Assessment in Special Education
• MODULE #3 Response to Intervention
• MODULE #4 Understanding Students with Exceptionalities
• MODULE #5 Special Education Eligibility
• MODULE #6 Critical Concepts in Special Education (Part 1)
• MODULE #7 Critical Concepts in Special Education (Part 2)

Click here for Module/Unit Table of Contents

Examination Requirements for NASET/AASEP Board Certification in Special Education (BCSE)

Each Module contains multiple Units (58 in total). After completing all required Units of a specific Module, there is a link to an examination covering the material. The examinations consist of 50 to 100 multiple choice questions. Every candidate must take the multiple-choice examination to denote his or her competency on the area being assessed. A score of 80% or higher must be attained to pass each of the 7 Module examinations.

Preparation for Examinations

In order to adequately prepare for each of the 7 required Module examinations, the candidate has access to all Unit materials within each Module.  In order to be best prepared for the examination, the candidate is encouraged to review all the module materials presented, including the supplemental readings and videos.  A passing score on all seven examinations leads to the NASET/AASEP designation of Board Certified in Special Education (BCSE)

Passing Scores for Each Examination

A passing score of 80% must be attained to pass each of the 7 Module examinations. The candidate has the opportunity to take an examination up to three different times.

Fee for Board Certification in Special Education Program

Currently, there are very few programs that lead to a Board Certification in Special Education (BCSE). NASET & AASEP have the vast resources, materials, abilities, and expertise to provide Professional Board Certification in Special Education at a much lower fee than any other organization or association in the country.

The fee for each of the 7 required Modules is only $195 (Members) or $225 (Non-Members). If you pay in a single payment the total cost is $1,100 for NASET Members and $1,300 for Non-Members. Paying for each course one at a time the total fees for the entire Board Certification in Special Education are $1,365 (Members) or $1,575 (Non-Members). Pay for all Modules in a single payment and save from $265 (NASET Members) or $275 (Non-Members).

Also, unlike all other programs, there is also no application fee involved.

Our ability to provide the Board Certification in Special Education program at a fee far less than other groups is also due to our extensive use of an online environment to present the course materials, thereby avoiding the costs of producing printed materials along with the associated shipping and handling costs.

In addition to an online presentation of the module materials, each Unit contains many files for downloading and printing offline in the comfort of your own home or office. Members of the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) are entitled to discounted pricing for all Modules.

                                                                     Member**         Non-Member
Course Fee  (Each Module (7))                     $195/each            $225/each
* One Payment for All Modules*                   $1,100                  $1,300

 * (Save from $265 to $275)   

** Members of National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)

Credentials for Candidates to use Upon Completion of the Board Certified Advocate in Special Education Program

Upon completion of all requirements to become a Board Certification in Special Education, professionals may use the respective NASET Credentials, B.C.S.E. (Board Certified in Special Education) after their educational degree (e.g., M.S., B.C.S.E or Ph.D., B.C.S.E.) denoting their achievement.

For example:

Sally J. Smith, M.S., B.C.S.E.
Board Certified in Special Education

Certification Renewal for Successful B.C.S.E Professionals

All candidates who complete the Board Certification in Special Education program must renew their certification annually with the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET). The goal of certification renewal is to ensure that BCSE professionals maintain the highest level of competence and continue to remain current in the field of special education advocacy.  Although certification renewal will provide an additional Unit of updated information, it does not require any further examinations or the performance of any professional duties for certification renewal. The annual BCSE certification renewal fee for NASET Member is $125.00. Non-members renewal fee is $165.00.

To learn more about BCSE certification renewal and to request the renewal application contact the NASET Career Center:  careercenter@naset.org

BCSE Application - Click here  

BCSE Module/Unit Summaries - Click here

BCSE FAQ -Click here

BCSE Handbook - Click here

Go To Module Access Portal