It depends where you live. In most, if not all states, you must have at least a bachelor's degree to be a teacher. What state you are in depends upon what area your degree can be in. I'll talk about Texas since that's what I'm familiar with. In Texas, you can have a degree in any area, but you must pass a teacher certification for whatever area you want to teach in. There is a specific test to take for special education, jsut as you would for science, math, etc. So, in conclusion, a bachelor's degree and certification in your state in special ed.