2024-2025 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

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:

  1. 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.

  1. Have at GPA of 2.7 or higher

  1. Have at least a 3.00 grade point average in Special Education courses.

  1. Have been accepted into the professional program

  1. Students must maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 to remain in Accelerate Central

  2. 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 200Introduction to Linguistics

3

LING 300Language Acquisition

3

LING 406/LING 506TESOL Methods

3

LLA 315Comprehensive Reading Instruction I

3

LLA 316Comprehensive Reading Instruction II

3

LLA 412Literacy instruction in the Elementary School

3

SPED 215Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion through (dis)ability Perspectives

3

SPED 315Introduction to Educating Learners with Exceptionalities

3

SPED 412Teaching Students with Special Needs How to Access K-12 General Education Content

3

SPED 414/SPED 514Cognitive Behavior Management and Social Skill Strategies

3

SPED 415Assessment in Special Education

3

SPED 416Instructional Programming for Students with Exceptionalities

3

SPED 417Special Education Methods in Teaching Reading (K–12)

3

SPED 419Special Education Methods in Content Area Instruction (K-12)

3

SPED 440Classroom Assessment

3

Related Requirements (33 Credits)

GEOG 120World Regional Geography

3

HIST 161American History to 1877

3

HIST 162American History from 1877 to Present

3

MATH 113Structure of Mathematics I: Number Systems

3

MATH 213Structure of Mathematics II: Probability & Geometry

3

PS 110American Government & Politics

3

PSY 136Life-Span Development

3

PSY 362Child Psychology

3

WRT 202Intermediate Composition

3

or

WRT 280Tutoring Writing

3

Special Education Professional Education Core (21 credits)

SPED 421Special Education Practicum #1 – Elementary

3

SPED 422Special Education Practicum #2 – Secondary

3

SPED 443Special Education Practicum #3 – Secondary

3

SPED 521Student Teaching in Special Education - Elementary

3

SPED 522Student Teaching in Special Education - Secondary

3

Special Education, MS ED. (24 Credits)

Required Courses

EPS 535Special Topics in Educational Foundations

3

SPED 537Executive Function, ADHD, and Learning

3

SPED 541Person-Centered Planning and Transition

3

SPED 543Collaboration and Special Education Case Management

3

SPED 581Assistive Technology in Special Education

3

SPED 597Capstone Intervention Project II

3

SPED 598Research in Special Education

3

SPED 596Capstone Intervention Project I

3

Certification candidacy in spring semester of graduate year

Total Credit Hours: 120