B.S. in Special Education (with Teacher Licensure)
University of Saint Joseph
Key Information
Campus location
West Hartford, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
4 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
USD 21,025 / per semester **
Application deadline
Request info *
Earliest start date
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* admission to USJ is made on a rolling basis; therefore, you can apply at any time and expect a decision approximately two weeks after the application is complete
** full-time
Scholarships
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Introduction
USJ’s Special Education program helps individuals develop the skills they need to make a personal and professional impact
A B.S. in Special Ed is a popular choice for students who desire a high-impact career. Learning is an intensive, personalized experience that demands both individual and collaborative group effort.
USJ graduates are able to work with a wide range of ages and disabilities, in both public and private settings. They are knowledgeable and confident practitioners, ready to meet the rewards and challenges of this field.
Gallery
Curriculum
Advantages
By pairing a rigorous curriculum with valuable experiential learning opportunities in working with children of all ages and disabilities, USJ’s renowned program prepares students for meaningful and high-impact careers. Entering the field as effective educators and advocates for all children, students have the skills necessary to be change agents who embrace the challenge and opportunity of teaching and learning in today’s diverse classrooms.
Degree requirements
Required Supporting coursework (9 credits)
In addition to the nine credits of required supporting courses, Special Education students are required to complete the Core Curriculum and Competencies: Requirements for students entering USJ Fall 2018 and later (formerly known as General Education) The General Education courses should be selected in conjunction with Academic Advising or faculty advisor to ensure that the student can meet all degree requirements as well as licensure requirements in a timely fashion.
- ENGL 340 - Literature for Children 3 Credits
- HDFS 250 - Ways of Studying the Developing Child 3 Credits
- PSYC 220 - Child Development 3 Credits
Required courses (48-51)
- EDUC 205 - Foundations of Education 3 Credits
- EDUC 251 - Teaching in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Classrooms 3 Credits
- EDUC 322 - Developmental Reading in the Elementary School 3 Credits
- EDUC 341 - Effective Teaching of Mathematics 3 Credits
- SPEC 217 - Foundations of Special Education 3 Credits
- SPEC 218 - Designing Learning Experiences for Students with Low-Incidence Disabilities 3 Credits
- SPEC 265 - The Elements of Teaching 3 Credits
- SPEC 275 - Curriculum and Instruction in Special Education 3 Credits
- SPEC 343 - Educational Assessment 3 Credits
- SPEC 346 - Strategy Instruction for Inclusion 3 Credits
- SPEC 350 - Reading Disabilities: Assessment and Intervention Practices 3 Credits
- SPEC 383 - Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports 3 Credits
- SPEC 421 - Student Teaching Seminar 3 Credits
- SPEC 447 - Student Teaching: Students with Disabilities 6 Credits Note: SPEC 447-Student Teaching will be taken for 9 credits for students not seeking cross-endorsement.
- SPEC 499 - Coordinating Seminar 3 Credits
Students wishing to complete elementary cross-endorsement must complete these additional courses:
- EDUC 250 - Reading and Social Studies
- EDUC 343 - Process of Teaching Science
- EDUC 370 - The Language Arts
- EDUC 430 - Practicum: Elementary
Program Outcome
The candidate will:
- Understand the field as an evolving and changing discipline grounded in evidence-based principles and theories, relevant laws and policies, and human issues that influence the education of individuals with exceptional needs, both in school and society
- Demonstrate respect for individuals with exceptional needs as unique human beings
- Understand how exceptional conditions interact with the domains of human development and use this knowledge to respond to the varying abilities and behaviors of individuals with exceptional learning needs
- Be active in seeking to understand primary language, culture, and familial backgrounds that interact with the individual’s exceptional condition
- Use multiple types of assessment information and understand the legal policies and ethical principles of measurement and assessment
- Collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways
- The Special Education major is a distinctive program grounded in evidence-based theory and practice. The formal study examines individuals with exceptional learning needs from multi-dimensional perspectives: cognitive, academic, and social learning, language, communication, behavior, and attention. Applications occur in varied settings and contexts: schools, the community, and at home, across the lifespan. Concepts of social justice, current law and policies, and growth and development underlie coursework.
Career Opportunities
With USJ’s on-campus lab school, the Gengras Center, students in the Special Education program gain experience and intern in its K-12 classrooms as well as the West Hartford and Hartford school districts. Our students enter the profession with educational expertise, personal, and professional confidence. Potential careers: special education teachers, early intervention specialists, early childhood teachers, special education advocates, speech and language pathologists, and more.