Special Needs Teacher
Special needs teachers work with children, young people, and adults who require additional support. As a special needs teacher, you are expected to be able to analyse individual pupils’ developmental opportunities in different learning environments.
Subject description
The Special Needs Teacher Programme is a postgraduate programme at the advanced level for qualified teachers and preschool teachers who wish to deepen and further develop their pedagogical and didactic competences.
As a special needs teacher, you can work in all educational settings and with learners of all ages, from preschool to adult education.
Career opportunities
As a special needs teacher, you have a very high chance of finding employment after graduation. In November 2025, the government announced an inquiry to examine special education teacher and special needs teacher training programmes, with the aim of reforming them. The inquiry is set to be reported in 2026. The government has been clear that there is still a significant need for special education teachers, and the inquiry places the role of the special education teacher in schools at the centre. The Department of Special Education therefore interprets this as meaning that special education teachers will continue to be in demand.
Courses and programmes
Master's programme
Degree
Research
At the Department of Special Education, research is conducted from a variety of theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, which well reflects the interdisciplinary nature that characterises special education as an academic field.
Special education research addresses the conditions for participation and learning from societal, organisational, group, and individual perspectives. The focus is on examining how educational environments can support or hinder development, learning, and socialisation in both children and adults.