Elementary & Special Education

The Department of Elementary and Special Education (ESE) offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. At the undergraduate level, the Department of ESE offers a dual major/dual certification Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Elementary and Special Education (ELE/SPED). This program consists of 127 hours of coursework designed to prepare students to work in both fields from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. Partnerships with school districts afford ELE/SPED students the opportunity to complete over 1500 hours of extensive practicum field experiences and internships in professional development schools.

All students accepted into the Elementary and Special Education program will complete field experiences and internships in a Professional Development Community (PDC). Being part of a Professional Development Community involves full-day, full-year teaching and learning experiences at a school district partner school. This experience is critical for the development of our teacher candidates. Not only are our teacher candidates in the ELE/SPED program well-prepared for the classroom due to their intensive practicum and internship experiences embedded in the PDC model, but they are also taught by faculty who are experts in the most current pedagogies and research in their fields.

At the graduate level, the Department of ESE offers a Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in Early Childhood Education (ECE). The M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is designed for teachers who are certified in Early Childhood Education and who have an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education or an Elementary Education related degree. Our M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education is a fully online 39-credit program that can be completed in six semesters.

Along with the M.Ed. in ECE program, the Department of ESE offers four graduate-level endorsements. The Autism Education Endorsement, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Endorsement, Gifted Endorsement, and Reading Endorsement programs can be taken for graduate college credit as standalone programs or embedded endorsements in the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. These four endorsement programs can also be taken for Professional Learning Units (PLU) credit.

Programs

Bachelor of Science

Elementary and Special Education (B.S.)