UNDERGRADUATE SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJOR (K-12)
Academic Requirements
Students seeking a major in Special Education must fulfill requirements for a bachelor's degree, requirements for a teaching certificate at either the Elementary or Secondary level, and advanced preparation in educating students with cognitive impairments (CI) or emotional impairments (EI). Students majoring in Special Education are subject to all Teacher Education Program policies and procedures. (NOTE: Once certified, teachers may return to earn an endorsement in learning disabilities (LD) [and/or CI or EI] and continue working toward a Master’s degree in Special Education if they so choose.)
Requirements for a Bachelor’s Degree and Teacher Certification:
Students must complete all degree requirements. Please refer to the SVSU catalog for information on Basic Skills, General Education requirements, major/minor requirements for certification, and admission requirements to the Teacher Education Program. Students must also pass the appropriate MTTC subject-area tests and have valid First Aid/CPR prior to student teaching and certification.
Following admission to the Teacher Education Program, students majoring in Special Education are required to follow the sequence of Professional Studies courses (regular education) for either Elementary or Secondary Education. Additionally, they must complete the Professional Studies courses for either CI or EI (which are outlined on the following page).
Exception: Elementary Education students who choose to do Special Education do not need to take TE 342, Teaching and managing the Diverse Classroom: K-8.
Special Education Majors - Elementary Teacher Certification:
Special Education Elementary majors are required to develop a foundation in English, natural science, mathematics, and social studies. To achieve this, the student must select categories A and B in the following manner:
A. First, select a minor from the following four content areas:
- English (21 credits)
- Mathematics (20-24 credits)
- Natural Science (24 credits)
- Social Studies (28 credits)
B. The student will then use the remaining three core content areas to build a 20-22 credit Planned Program Minor. This minor consists of at least two courses in each of the three remaining core content areas. The courses to build the planned program must be selected from the approved list of courses in the SVSU catalog. It is recommended that students work closely with a certification advisor to ensure that they are taking the right combination of courses.
Special Education Major - Secondary Teaching Certification:
In addition to the Special Education Professional Studies requirements, Special Education majors at the Secondary level must complete either:
A. An approved major listed under Secondary Teaching Certification
--OR--
B. Two (2) minors from the list of approved minors listed under Secondary Teaching Certification
Note: Students who elect to exit from the Special Education Major prior to completion of Special Education Professional Studies, but who wish to seek certification for regular education, must meet the requirements for approved majors/minors listed under regular Elementary or Secondary Certification (see the SVSU catalog for details). It is recommended that these students contact the Office of Graduate Admissions and Certification at (989) 964-4057 #3 for an advising appointment to update their program plan.
MTTC Tests: Students who complete the Secondary Special Education program must take the Michigan Test for Teacher Competency (MTTC) subject-area tests in their major(s) and/or minor(s), EI or CI, and the Elementary Education test, in order to be considered "highly qualified"to teach all subjects for K-12 Special Education under No Child Left Behind.
Clinical Experience (Student Teaching):
Students should plan to have all of their coursework for their degree program (including General Education, major(s) and/or minor(s), and all Professional Studies courses for regular education and Special Education) completed prior to student teaching. Students will complete regular student teaching one semester followed by Special Education student teaching the next. Students must submit an application for student teaching. Applications will be accepted through the last working day of the month in November for the next year’s Fall Semester Student Teaching assignment. Applications will be accepted through the last working day of the month in March for the next year’s Winter Semester Student Teaching assignment. Application materials are located on-line at: http://www.svsu.edu/clinicalexp/. Questions related to student teaching can be directed to the College of Education Office of Clinical Experiences, (989) 964-7109.
Special Education Professional Studies Requirements:
Support Core [9-12 credits required]:
| PSYC 210 | Applications in Human Development | 4 cr |
| PSYC 320* | Psychology of Learning | 3 cr |
| PSYC 374** | Psychological Disorders of Childhood & Adolescence | 3 cr |
| TE 516 | Classroom Management Techniques for Effective Instruction | 3 cr |
SPECIAL EDUCATION CORE [13 credits required]:
| TE 430 | Educating Exceptional Learners | 3 cr |
| TE 532 | Assessment and Planning in Special Education | 3 cr |
| TE 541 | Special Education Curriculum and Methods - K-12 | 4 cr |
| TE 535 | Consultation/Integrated Programming in Special Education | 3 cr |
Candidates will select one of the following endorsement areas (either CI or EI) and complete the coursework listed within that core content area.
COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT CORE [11 credits required]:
| KINE 120 | First Aid and CPR for the Professional Rescuer | 2 cr |
| TE 433 | Introduction to Cognitive Impairments | 3 cr |
| TE 568 | Educating Youth with Multiple Disabilities | 3 cr |
| TE 569 | Advanced Theories and Methods: Cognitive Impairments | 3 cr |
OR
EMOTIONALLY IMPAIRED CORE [9 credits required]:
| TE 431 | Introduction to Emotionally/Behaviorally Impaired | 3 cr |
| TE 432 | Introduction to Learning Disabilities | 3 cr |
| TE 536 | Advanced Theory and Methods: Emotionally Impaired | 3 cr |
CLINICAL EXPERIENCE [8 credits required]:
(Student Teaching)
| TE 445 and | Seminar in Special Education - K-12 | 2 cr |
| TE 460 | Student Teaching: Special Education | 6 cr |
KAM 11/20/05