Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 University Catalog 
    
2020-2021 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Special Education/Elementary Education, BA


About the Program

Special Education meets the unique needs of individuals with disabilities by preparing professionals with the knowledge, disposition and skills necessary to effectively serve individuals with diverse needs. The undergraduate program is based on an inquiry framework that emphasizes (a) creating connections between subject matter knowledge and teaching, (b) valuing the diverse characteristics of students and the ability to address the needs of all students, and (c) understanding the contextual aspects of teaching (e.g., the organizational and policy context).

The program links courses with field experiences in partner school and non-school settings. Particular attention is given to specialized skills to meet the individual needs of students with disabilities - serving students in various school and community settings; developing Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); using assistive technology; and developing instructional material and environmental modifications. All of these competencies are beyond the knowledge required for general educators.

A dual licensure major, Special Education: Mild Intervention and Elementary Education, graduate is qualified to teach children who experience mild emotional, learning, or intellectual disabilities, including children with high functioning autism, at the preschool through grade 12 levels, P-12 and Elementary Education kindergarten through grade 6 levels, K-6.  Four strands run through and guide the program: diversity, technology, field experience and performance assessment, including the use of electronic portfolios. The Special Education/Elementary Education Plan of Study outlines the required courses to complete the degree for licensure.

For more information about the degree program, visit the COE Office of Advising and Recruiting. For teacher licensure information, visit the Office of Teacher Education and Licensure.

Special Education Major Change (CODO) Requirements  

Degree Requirements


146-147 Credits Required

Departmental/Program Major Requirements (95 credits)


**Course included in Professional Education GPA (“B” average with no grade lower than a “C-“).

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (51-52 credits)


University Core Requirements


For a complete listing of University Core Course Selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.
  • Human Cultures: Behavioral/Social Science (BSS)
  • Human Cultures: Humanities (HUM)
  • Information Literacy (IL)
  • Oral Communication (OC)
  • Quantitative Reasoning (QR)
  • Science #1 (SCI)
  • Science #2 (SCI)
  • Science, Technology, and Society (STS)
  • Written Communication (WC)

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.


 

Program Requirements


(See your advisor for other options in creating your SPED Educational Plan of Study.)

15-16 Credits


17 Credits


Summer 1st Year


6 Credits


17 Credits


Required before BLOCK III: Basic Skills Competency Tests / Alternative

16 Credits


9 Credits


18 Credits


18 Credits


15 Credits


Required before BLOCK VI: Attempt/Pass all Content Tests

15 Credits


Additional Information


Date: ________ Basic Skills Competency Tests/Alternative

Date: ________ Content Tests (EDTB_____ and SPED_____)

Date: ________ GATE A: Admission to Teacher Education Program (TEP)

Date: ________ GATE B: TEP Retention

Notes


  • ** Course included in Professional Education GPA (“B” average with no grade lower than a “C-“)
  • A 2.8 Graduation GPA and a 3.0 Professional Education GPA are required for Indiana licensure recommendation.
  • 32 credits hours of Purdue coursework at the 30000 level or above required for graduation.
  • Licensure:  Dual major: Special Education Mild Intervention: P-12 & Elementary Education: K-6 / Reading Concentration

World Language Courses


World Language proficiency requirements vary by program. The following list is inclusive of all world languages PWL offers for credit; for acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor.

ASL-American Sign Language

ARAB-Arabic CHNS-Chinese FR-French
GER-German GREK-Greek (ancient) HEBR-Hebrew (Biblical) HEBR-Hebrew (modern)
ITAL-Italian JPNS-Japanese KOR-Korean LATN-Latin
PTGS-Portuguese RUSS-Russian SPAN-Spanish  

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical.

In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.  Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful.  These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program”. 

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.