Special Education (B.S.Ed.)
Administered by Exceptionality Programs
Effective Fall, 2009
The State Board of Education adopted changes that affect all of Pennsylvania's instructional and educational specialist programs by adding 9 credits or 270 hours or equivalent combination for adaptations and accommodations for diverse students in an inclusive setting and 3 credits or 90 hours or equivalent combination to meet the instructional needs of English Language Learners. Although these regulatory changes became effective on September 22, 2007, the PA Department of Education has not yet developed final requirements for colleges/universities to follow. Therefore, additional program requirements will be developed and incorporated into your certification program to comply with new regulations for certifying teachers that become effective on January 1, 2013.
General Education Requirements - The university requires a minimum of 50 hours of general education requirements, some of which are specifically required for this major. Core courses designated by the department as applicable to the general education requirements may be elected in partial fulfillment of that requirement. The following general education courses are required for completion of the program:
- 05.321 First Aid and Safety
- 20.101 Composition I and 20.201 Composition II (or any of the writing intensive literature courses)
- 25.103 Public Speaking or 25.104 Interpersonal Communication
- 48.101 General Psychology
- 48.210 Life-Span Psychology
- 50.100 Cells, Genes, Molecules
- 53.141 Introduction to Statistics or 48.160 Basic Statistics
- 70.101 Introduction to Individuals with Exceptionalities
To meet state certification requirements, special education majors must have six credits of mathematics, composition and an American, English or European literature course.
Requirements for the Major - A total of 70 semester hours is required for a major in special education including professional education courses, those required for special education and electives. Fall semester incoming freshmen are required to enroll in the Department of Exceptionality Programs’ University Seminar course (1 cr.).
Professional Education courses include:
- Choose one of the following three courses:
- 60.406 Multicultural Education
- 62.302 Teaching of Science in the Elementary School or 62.390 Teaching Social Studies in the Elementary School
- 62.371 Teaching Reading in the Elementary School
- 62.398 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School
- Choose one of the following four courses:
Special Education Courses include:
- 70.202 Technology for Exceptionalities
- 70.206 Introduction to Early Intervention
- 70.240 Foundations in Special Education
- 70.340 Educating Individuals with Moderate/Severe Disabilities
- 70.357 Vocational Programming
- 70.401 Student Teaching With Exceptional Individuals
- 70.417 Behavior Intervention and Support
- 70.433 Language Arts for Students with Special Needs
- 70.449 Assessment and Planning
- 70.450 Elementary Methods for Individuals with Mild Disabilities
- 70.451 Secondary Methods for Individuals with Mild Disabilities
- 70.461 Problems in Special Education
Elective Courses - A total of five semester hours may be taken as electives for this major.
Area of Concentration in Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Special education students may choose to take an area of concentration in education of the deaf/hard of hearing. The undergraduate curriculum in education of the deaf/hard of hearing lays the foundation for the training and education needed to prepare classroom teachers and itinerant hearing therapists to work in educational settings with deaf/hard of hearing children and adults. Students supplement the curriculum for their majors with an area of concentration in education of the deaf/hard of hearing that requires a minimum of 24 semester hours.
Certification to teach deaf/hard of hearing students in school programs is granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education upon completion of a related graduate program.
All applicants to the graduate program in Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing must have completed the courses listed below. Students without an education background will need to take five education courses agreed upon by the curriculum coordinator in education of the deaf/hard of hearing.
Required Courses
The following is a suggested time sequence for courses required in the area of concentration of the deaf/hard of hearing.
Freshman Year
- 70.101 Introduction to Individuals with Exceptionalities
- 74.153 Introduction to Sign Language
- 74.201 History, Education and Guidance of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing