Overview
Program Overview
The Special Education major is designed to prepare candidates to teach in a variety of inclusive educational settings. Currently, teacher candidates who major in Special Education must also complete a major in Childhood Education. Completing the Special Education major leads to dual certification: Childhood and Students with Disabilities (grades 1–6).* These uniquely inclusive programs are designed to meet the standards set forth by the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), both specialized professional associations under the NCATE umbrella.
Teacher candidates who are preparing to teach adolescents (high school teachers) will gain their Students with Disabilities certification by completing the Inclusive Education major along with the Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist Concentration. See the section on Inclusive Education: Adolescence for details on this program.
The Childhood Education major in combination with the Special Education major qualifies a candidate for initial certification to teach in inclusive classrooms and special education settings in grades 1–6.
All courses in the Special Education program are arranged in a block schedule. All courses in a given block must be successfully completed before taking any courses in the next block. It is highly recommended that all Special Education courses be taken simultaneously with the other courses in the block. If blocks are split, it may be necessary to fulfill additional field experience hours to complete all course requirements. It is highly recommended that the Special Education courses be taken simultaneously with courses in the corresponding Childhood Blocks. Advisors assist candidates in mapping their progression through the requirements of both the Childhood and Special Education major.
*Curricular and program requirements for the Special Education major combined with Childhood Education are currently under revision to reflect the Department’s inclusive education philosophy and goals.