2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog Department of Special Education

The Honors Program seeks to facilitate customized learning for Honors students in their disciplines by offering the opportunity for students to engage in Honors education and to have Honors Learning Experiences in upper division courses. Learn more about Honors in the Major.

Major in Special Education

In addition to meeting University requirements for graduation and Admission to Professional Studies requirements, all students in Special Education must successfully complete:

• Pre-student teaching - Clinical Experiences in Teacher Education designed to meet professional performance standards. These experiences include successful completion of a minimum number of semester hours through enrollment in appropriate field experience coursework (see sequence-specific requirements). Additional teaching or related experiences may be included as a part of core or specific sequence requirements or in remedial experiences. Performance evaluations in each of these experiences must recommend that the student advance to the next level of experience prior to doing so. Repeat of field experience coursework requires consent of the Department Chair. Students are responsible for housing arrangements and transportation to clinical sites.
• A full semester of Student Teaching (STT 399) for which teacher candidates are awarded 12 semester hours of credit. In order to be recommended for initial licensure, candidates must demonstrate during this capstone experience that they have obtained competence in the knowledge, performance, and disposition areas designated by the profession of special education and this department. Students are responsible for housing arrangements and transportation to student teaching sites.
• Passage of all applicable teacher licensure assessments.

Standards for Progress in the Major

A minimum GPA of 2.50 is required both overall and in major coursework for retention in all Special Education programs. Candidates must meet requirements for Admission to Professional Studies and Admission to Student Teaching to advance to experiences with these prerequisites.

Students in the Special Education major must complete one of the following sequences.

Specialist in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sequence

With the passage of appropriate licensing exams, this program leads to Illinois Professional Licensure for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Specialist. Specialists in Deaf and Hard of Hearing teach students in pre-school through age 21 in public schools and other specialized programs. Students in this specialty take courses in language, literacy, speech pathology, audiology, and sign language. Sequence-specific assessment: Passing score on communication proficiency interview prior to student teaching.

View Specialist in Deaf and Hard of Hearing Sequence Course Requirements

Specialist in Learning and Behavior Sequence

With the passage of appropriate licensing exams, this program leads to Illinois Professional Licensure for Learning Behavior Specialist I. The Learning and Behavior Specialist prepares students to teach in most public special education classrooms. Specialists in Learning and Behavior teach children from Kindergarten through age 21 with learning, emotional, or cognitive disabilities, orthopedic impairments, autism spectrum, multiple disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, or other health impairments.

View Specialist in Learning and Behavior Sequence Course Requirements

Specialist in Low Vision and Blindness Sequence

With the passage of appropriate licensing exams, this program leads to Illinois Professional Licensure for Low Vision and Blindness Specialist. Teachers of children with visual impairments work with learners who are blind or who have low vision, from preschool through high school. Sequence-specific assessment: Braille proficiency tests.

View Specialist in Low Vision and Blindness Sequence Course Requirements