Special Education, BS.ED. & MS ED.
The accelerated Special Education program focuses on certifying teachers in an area in which the state has faced a shortage of qualified teachers. The undergraduate portion of this accelerated program is designed to provide a strong interdisciplinary content major. Content-specific preparation is often lacking from special education teacher preparation programs. This aspect of our accelerated program coupled with an early and comprehensive approach to practice-based preparation (3 supervised practica and a yearlong residency) will ensure our candidates will be well prepared to meet the needs of K-12 schools. Students must complete the master's degree in order to become certified teachers by the State.
Admissions Policy
First year students can apply to the BS ED Special Education through the regular CCSU admissions process. Eligible undergraduate students can apply for admission to the Five Year Accelerated B.S./M.S. in the Spring of their third year of full-time study. Selected students may be able to complete a B.S. in Special Education and a M.S. in Special Education in as few as 5 years of full time study. For accepted students, four graduate courses will double-count as four undergraduate SPED courses. Students apply in the Spring of their third year of full-time study and must meet the requirements specified below:
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Completed 90 earned credit hours by the end of the Fall semester of their third year of full-time study. At least 12 credits must have been earned at CCSU.
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Have at GPA of 2.7 or higher
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Have at least a 3.00 grade point average in Special Education courses.
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Have been accepted into the professional program
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Students must maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 to remain in Accelerate Central
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Successful completion of the following courses, either the specified CCSU courses or their equivalents:
Students who are accepted into Accelerated Special Education Program will officially matriculate into the School of Graduate Studies the semester immediately following conferral of their Bachelor’s degree, even if they have already taken graduate-level courses while completing their Bachelor’s degree. Students wishing to defer their graduate studies must notify Graduate Admissions of this decision prior to the start of the term following the conferral of their bachelor’s degree.
Special Education, BS.ED. (120 Credits)
Major Requirements (48 credits)
| LING 200 | Introduction to Linguistics | 3 |
| LING 300 | Language Acquisition | 3 |
| LING 406/LING 506 | TESOL Methods | 3 |
| LLA 315 | Comprehensive Reading Instruction I | 3 |
| LLA 316 | Comprehensive Reading Instruction II | 3 |
| LLA 412 | Literacy instruction in the Elementary School | 3 |
| SPED 215 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through (dis)ability Perspectives | 3 |
| SPED 315 | Introduction to Educating Learners with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| SPED 412 | Teaching Students with Special Needs How to Access K-12 General Education Content | 3 |
| SPED 414/SPED 514 | Cognitive Behavior Management and Social Skill Strategies | 3 |
| SPED 415 | Assessment in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 416 | Instructional Programming for Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| SPED 417 | Special Education Methods in Teaching Reading (K–12) | 3 |
| SPED 419 | Special Education Methods in Content Area Instruction (K-12) | 3 |
| SPED 440 | Classroom Assessment | 3 |
Related Requirements (33 Credits)
| GEOG 120 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| HIST 161 | American History to 1877 | 3 |
| HIST 162 | American History from 1877 to Present | 3 |
| MATH 113 | Structure of Mathematics I: Number Systems | 3 |
| MATH 213 | Structure of Mathematics II: Probability & Geometry | 3 |
| PS 110 | American Government & Politics | 3 |
| PSY 136 | Life-Span Development | 3 |
| PSY 362 | Child Psychology | 3 |
| WRT 202 | Intermediate Composition | 3 |
| | or | |
| WRT 280 | Tutoring Writing | 3 |
Special Education Professional Education Core (21 credits)
| SPED 421 | Special Education Practicum #1 – Elementary | 3 |
| SPED 422 | Special Education Practicum #2 – Secondary | 3 |
| SPED 443 | Special Education Practicum #3 – Secondary | 3 |
| SPED 521 | Student Teaching in Special Education - Elementary | 3 |
| SPED 522 | Student Teaching in Special Education - Secondary | 3 |
Special Education, MS ED. (24 Credits)
Required Courses
| EPS 535 | Special Topics in Educational Foundations | 3 |
| SPED 537 | Executive Function, ADHD, and Learning | 3 |
| SPED 541 | Person-Centered Planning and Transition | 3 |
| SPED 543 | Collaboration and Special Education Case Management | 3 |
| SPED 581 | Assistive Technology in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 597 | Capstone Intervention Project II | 3 |
| SPED 598 | Research in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 596 | Capstone Intervention Project I | 3 |
Certification candidacy in spring semester of graduate year
Total Credit Hours: 120