Best Master's in Visual Impairment Education Programs by Degrees Awarded
Ranked by the number of master's degrees awarded each year, the most established programs. The top 10 out of 10 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.
- 1
University of Massachusetts-Boston
- 35Master's/yr
- Master of Education in Vision Studies, Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) track
- Online
About the programThe University of Massachusetts Boston offers a Master of Education in Vision Studies whose Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments track prepares educators for initial Massachusetts TVI licensure. Delivered online, the 37-credit track sequences coursework alongside field-based experience and practica, keeping the study anchored in real work with students who are blind or have low vision. Its reach extends well beyond one state, since the license is reciprocally recognized everywhere except Missouri, and the broader program also houses Orientation and Mobility, Vision Rehabilitation Therapy, and Assistive Technology tracks that point toward national ACVREP certification exams. Approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, it carries recognition among U.S. News and World Report's Best Online Graduate Education Programs. The overall design reads as a flexible, professionally respected route into a specialized and widely needed field. As a master's degree in visual impairment education, it adds to the master's-level visual impairment education options in Massachusetts.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 35 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 2
Western Michigan University
- 23Master's/yr
- $63,450Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching Children with Visual Impairments (Blindness and Low Vision Studies)
- Hybrid
About the programWestern Michigan University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching Children with Visual Impairments, housed within its Blindness and Low Vision Studies program alongside Orientation and Mobility and Vision Rehabilitation Therapy tracks. The hybrid Teacher of the Visually Impaired path supports adding a Visual Impairment endorsement to an existing teaching license, and it draws on a four-state consortium with UMass Boston, the University of Arizona, and the University of Kentucky that broadens its course offerings. A 180-hour practicum supervised by a licensed Teacher of the Visually Impaired grounds the degree in classroom practice under experienced mentorship. The program is explicit about its purpose, responding to a documented shortage of vision teachers in Michigan, and it extends partial tuition reimbursement to eligible Michigan teachers. Taken together, the consortium model and workforce focus mark it as a program built to fill a specific regional gap. This program offers a master's degree in visual impairment education in Michigan.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteA master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 23 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kalamazoo-Portage, MI, where elementary teachers earn a median $63,450, roughly $66,902 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
- 3
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
- 6Master's/yr
- Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) Certificate with Master of Education (M.Ed.)
- Hybrid
About the programThe University of Pittsburgh offers a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments credential that candidates can earn as a 29-credit certificate or extend with a six-credit research sequence into a combined 35-credit Master of Education. The program leads to Pennsylvania's Instructional I certificate as a TVI and includes a full semester of student teaching plus the required Praxis II exams, so the pathway stays firmly clinical and licensure-focused. Its accreditation by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired sets it apart, and a related dual pathway lets candidates add Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist preparation to their TVI training. As one of the longest-running vision studies programs in the country, with more than 60 years of history, Pitt carries deep institutional expertise in the field. It is the only AER-accredited university in Pennsylvania preparing both TVI and orientation and mobility specialists, and it waives the GRE for applicants. As a master's degree in visual impairment education, it adds to the master's-level visual impairment education options in Pennsylvania.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 4
Dominican University New York
- 6Master's/yr
- M.S. in Education – Teacher of Students with Blindness and Multiple Impairments
- Online
About the programDominican University New York offers a mostly online M.S. in Education for Teachers of Students with Blindness and Multiple Impairments, structured for candidates who already hold a New York teaching certificate and want to add a high-demand specialization. The 36-credit master's pathway moves through assistive technology, orientation and mobility, and Nemeth Code for mathematics in braille, while a separate 9 to 24 credit non-matriculating route lets certified teachers pursue the endorsement alone. The near-fully online delivery, broken only by a three-day on-campus residency at the end of June with hotel accommodations provided, signals a program designed around working educators who cannot leave their classrooms. Graduates are recommended for New York State certification as Teachers of Students with Blindness and Visual Impairment and prepared for Pre-K through 12 practice. A reported 95 percent pre-graduation employment rate points to strong demand for the credential across the state. It is a master's degree in visual impairment education at the master's level, based in New York.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 5
North Carolina Central University
- 6Master's/yr
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Special Education, Visual Impairment concentration
- On-campus
About the programNorth Carolina Central University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education with a Visual Impairment concentration, built as an entry point for candidates who do not yet hold a teaching license. The 53 credit-hour program develops initial teaching competencies alongside specialized coursework in braille instruction and the Expanded Core Curriculum, then extends eligibility to apply for state licensure as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. For educators who are already licensed, the university offers a parallel Master of Education with a Visual Impairment focus, so the MAT and MEd tracks together serve candidates at different career stages. As the only master's-level visual impairment teacher-preparation program in North Carolina, it fills a distinct gap in the state's supply of qualified vision teachers. The on-campus format keeps this hands-on, licensure-driven training close to faculty and clinical practice. It is a master's degree in visual impairment education at the master's level, based in North Carolina.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteA master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 6
Salus University
- 4Master's/yr
- Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Blindness and Vision Impairment
- Hybrid
About the programSalus University offers a Master of Education in Blindness and Vision Impairment that prepares Teachers of Students with Vision Impairments through a competency-based curriculum spanning infants, children, and youth who are blind, visually impaired, or have multiple disabilities. The program carries Approved Certification Program status from the Pennsylvania Department of Education and points toward reciprocity in other states, so graduates can carry the TVI credential beyond Pennsylvania. Its hybrid rhythm keeps coursework primarily online during fall and spring terms, then brings candidates to campus for a four-week summer residency across two consecutive summers, followed by an internship in schools. That structure, along with full-time completion in roughly a year and a semester, reads as an efficient path for candidates ready to move quickly into the field. The blend of distance study and intensive on-campus immersion balances flexibility with the hands-on skill building that vision instruction requires. It is a master's degree in visual impairment education at the master's level, based in Pennsylvania.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 7
CUNY Hunter College
- 3Master's/yr
- $96,900Metro teacher pay
- Master of Science in Education (MSEd) in Blind and Visually Impaired
- Hybrid
About the programHunter College offers a Master of Science in Education in Blind and Visually Impaired that prepares teachers to serve students across grades K-12 in one of education's most specialized fields. Its dual certification pathway pairs childhood education with vision-specific preparation, so candidates build fluency in braille, assistive technology, orientation and mobility, and the Expanded Core Curriculum that visually impaired learners depend on. Supervised fieldwork placements in New York City public schools run alongside the coursework, grounding theory in the daily realities of urban classrooms. Completion leads to New York State certification as a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments, a credential the state has few programs to grant. As one of only four programs nationally that also prepares vision rehabilitation therapists and orientation and mobility specialists, Hunter reads as a hub for the full continuum of vision services. It is a master's degree in visual impairment education at the master's level, based in New York.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
- 8
University of Kentucky
- 3Master's/yr
- Master's Degree - Teacher Preparation Program in Visual Impairments
- Hybrid
About the programThe University of Kentucky offers a master's-level Teacher Preparation Program in Visual Impairments, a hybrid degree that prepares candidates to become Teachers of the Visually Impaired. Approved by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board, it leads directly to state certification in Visual Impairments and offers initial, alternate, and advanced certification tracks to fit teachers at different stages. The 33 credit hours unfold over two years and carry heavy field expectations, including at least 200 practicum hours plus 40 days of field experience or 70 days of student teaching. Face-to-face weekend sessions bring candidates together on campus, and the program removes a real barrier by providing free lodging at the Kentucky School for the Blind during those visits. The structure signals a program deliberately built to grow a specialized, hard-to-staff corps of vision teachers across the state. This program offers a master's degree in visual impairment education in Kentucky.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteA master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 9
Concordia University-Wisconsin
- 1Master's/yr
- Master of Science in Education – Special Education, Visual Impairment licensure track
- Online
About the programConcordia University Wisconsin offers an online Master of Science in Education in Special Education with a Visual Impairment licensure track, one of three tracks within its special education master's. Students may pursue the Teacher of the Visually Impaired license on its own or fold it into the full MS degree, giving them flexibility to match the program to their certification goals. The sequence opens with a summer visual-impairment prerequisite course, then moves into Braille I and Braille II, where candidates learn multisensory instruction and braille translation as the technical core of the credential. Delivered fully online, the program fits practicing teachers who need to study around their classroom schedules. As the only TVI licensure program in Wisconsin, it holds a distinct place in the state's preparation of vision teachers. It is a master's degree in visual impairment education at the master's level, based in Wisconsin.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 10
University of South Carolina-Upstate
- 1Master's/yr
- Master of Education in Special Education: Visual Impairment
- Hybrid
About the programUSC Upstate offers a Master of Education in Special Education with a Visual Impairment focus, a 39-credit cohort program built for certified teachers moving into vision services. Candidates advance together on a two-year schedule, extendable to four, and choose between a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments track and an Orientation and Mobility track depending on the role they intend to fill. Because a valid teaching certificate is required for admission, the M.Ed. reads as an advanced specialization for practicing educators rather than an entry credential, while a separate 45-credit MAT option serves those who still need initial licensure. The hybrid design holds live summer classes at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, then continues with distance learning through fall and spring, pairing immersive institutional access with flexibility during the school year. As the only program of its kind in South Carolina, it prepares candidates for the state's visual impairment education endorsement. As a master's degree in visual impairment education, it adds to the master's-level visual impairment education options in South Carolina.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
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