Careers

A master’s degree in Special Education offers diverse and rewarding opportunities to make a meaningful impact across many fields. Successful completion of Gonzaga University’s Master’s in Special Education with a Behavior Analysis Emphasis positions graduates to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), opening doors to a wide range of career paths.

Many professionals serve in autism and developmental disability services, creating individualized interventions that help children and families thrive. Others work in education, where they design and implement behavioral supports that improve student learning and success.

Behavior analysts also work in health and fitness, supporting positive lifestyle changes; in substance use disorder treatment, where evidence-based practices promote recovery; in organizational behavior management, helping workplaces improve performance, safety, and efficiency, and more. With skills grounded in data-driven decision making and ethical practice, graduates are prepared to step into leadership roles and contribute to the well-being of individuals, families, and communities across a variety of settings

Read what our alumni have to say...

Savan

Savan, Class of '23

What is your current position and place of employment?
I currently serve as the Clinic Manager at AGES Learning Solutions in Fremont, California.

How does your degree from Gonzaga help you be effective in your current career?
My degree empowered me with the tools and knowledge to be a servant leader and advocate for my clients. I left Gonzaga with unique clinical experiences and I have been able to channel these experiences in my career daily.

What was the best part about your experience in the master’s program at Gonzaga?
Learning from expert faculty who wanted to help me reach my goals of becoming a well-rounded clinician and service minded individual. Anjali and Kim pushed me to be excellent and I feel more confident in my career because of their efforts and experience.


Nicole with faculty

Nicole, Class of '17 & '23

What is your current position and place of employment?
My current position is an ABA Head Teacher for the K-Special programs for the High Desert Education Service District. My classroom services K-3 student who have shown progress and responded well to discrete trial in preschool. Additionally, I am a BCBA which has beyond helpful since my classroom is the most restrictive in the district and an ABA classroom!

How does your degree from Gonzaga help you be effective in your current career?
One thing so special about GU is that your experience in the classroom start freshman year. I was able to spend time in so many different types of special education classrooms as well as across all grade levels. I believe that these experiences allowed me to expand my knowledge and identify exactly what age group I wanted to work with. Additionally, you cannot beat the class sizes at GU. During our Maters program we were able to bring experiences from accruing hours and discuss ideas / ask questions in class. It was helpful to hear my peers experiences as well.

What was the best part about your experience in the master’s program at Gonzaga?
The best part of my experience was knowing that Kim and Anjali truly cared about our learning. I was able to work as a TA for Kim during this time and that allowed me to learn even more as I was creating content for additional classes. During my final semester of my Masters program, Kim and Anjali were immensely flexible with me during a family emergency. They both worked with me to ensure that I was able to finish all my necessary requirements while I was out of the state, including meeting with me outside of class times.