The Special Education program prepares you to work with mild to moderately disabled children in a self-contained or resource classroom. You will learn child development, differentiated learning, behavior intervention strategies, working with families and community resources, and strategies to teach students with learning deficits.
The Department of Education faculty is committed to the professional preparation of teachers for employment in special education programs. The goals are to prepare teachers who are:
- Classroom leaders, professionally prepared to accept responsibility for student learning
- Highly knowledgeable in their cognitive areas
- Skilled in the techniques and methods of teaching across a diverse student population
- Practiced in the application of six domains of positive teacher dispositions
The Professional Semester – Special Education
A student enrolled in Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching will assume the daily teaching schedule of the cooperating teacher. Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching (EDU 427 Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching) is to be taken during the student’s senior year. Seminar in Elementary Education & Human Relations (EDU 403 Seminar in Elementary Education and Human Relations) is to be taken concurrently with Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching. A passing score on the appropriate Content Area Assessment is required before enrollment in EDU 403 Seminar in Elementary Education and Human Relations and EDU 427 Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching.
Course work during the professional education semester is usually limited to EDU 403 Seminar in Elementary Education and Human Relations and EDU 427 Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching. Petition for any additional course work must be submitted to the Education Department in the semester prior to Student Teaching.
All of Missouri Western’s teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and by the Missouri State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Special Education (Bachelor of Science in Education, B.S.E.)
The Department of Education faculty is committed to the professional preparation of teachers for employment in special education programs. The goals are to prepare teachers who are:
- Classroom leaders, professionally prepared to accept responsibility for student learning (MWSU Conceptual Framework);
- Highly knowledgeable in their cognitive areas (MoSPE/MWSU/INTASC Standards);
- Skilled in the techniques and methods of teaching across a diverse student population (MoSPE/MWSU/INTASC Standards);
- Practiced in the application of six domains of positive teacher dispositions (MWSU Disposition).
The Professional Semester – Special Education
A student enrolled in Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching will assume the daily teaching schedule of the cooperating teacher.
EDU 427 Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching is to be taken during the student’s senior year. EDU 403 Seminar in Elementary Education and Human Relations is to be taken concurrently with Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching. A passing score on the appropriate Content Area Assessment is required before enrollment in EDU 403 Seminar in Elementary Education and Human Relationsand EDU 427 Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching .
Coursework during the professional education semester is usually limited to EDU 403 Seminar in Elementary Education and Human Relations and EDU 427 Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching. Petition for any additional course work must be submitted to the Education Department in the semester prior to Student Teaching.
Admission Requirements
- ACT composite score of 20 or higher or successful completion of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA)
- Overall GPA of 2.50
- Professional GPA of 3.0
- Content GPA of 3.0
- Satisfactory completion of EDU 202/203
*Alternative avenues to Teacher Education available for recruitment of historically under-served populations. Contact the Department Chairperson for guidelines and procedures.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Studies | 42-47 | |
| Students must complete General Studies courses | ||
| Major Requirements | ||
| EDU 150 | Psychological Development for Children & Adolescents for Educators | 3 |
| EDU 202 | Introduction to Education | 3 |
| EDU 203 | Participation in Teaching I | 1 |
| EDU 225 | Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDU 308 | Multicultural Education | 3 |
| EDU 315 | Psychology and Education of the Exceptional Child | 3 |
| EDU 325 | Introduction to Reading and Language Arts Methods | 5 |
| EDU 330 | Science Methods for Elementary Teachers | 3 |
| EDU 340 | Social Studies Methods for the Elementary and Middle School Teacher | 2 |
| EDU 342 | Evaluation of Abilities and Achievement | 2 |
| EDU 348 | Language Development for Educators | 3 |
| EDU 351 | Mathematics Methods for Early Childhood and Elementary Educators | 3 |
| EDU 352 | Introduction to Cross-Categorical Disabilities | 3 |
| EDU 355 | Teaching Students with Deficits in Mathematics | 3 |
| EDU 360 | Assessing and Individualizing Reading | 3 |
| EDU 370 | Behavior Management | 3 |
| EDU 375 | Teaching Reading in the Elementary School | 3 |
| EDU 403 | Seminar in Elementary Education and Human Relations | 3 |
| EDU 411 | Methods of Teaching the Student with Cross-Categorical Disabilities | 3 |
| EDU 426 | Experience Teaching Cross-Categorical Disabilities | 2 |
| EDU 427 | Cross Categorical Disabilities Student Teaching | 9 |
| EDU 430 | Teaching Students with Reading Deficits | 3 |
| EDU 473 | Preparing Students and Families for Transitions and Careers | 3 |
| EDU 474 | Collaborating with Families and School Personnel for Inclusion | 3 |
| ENG 403 | Literature for Children | 3 |
NOTE: In addition to the above major coursework, students may be required to take an Orientation Workshop, EDU 110. Also, upon Education Department determination, some students will be required to enroll in EDU 200 for state certification requirements.
Program Graduation Requirements
- Earn a grade of C or higher in all major and concentration coursework.
- Earn an overall GPA of at least 2.50, and a major GPA of 3.0.
University Graduation Requirements
- Earn a minimum of 120 credit hours (100 level and higher, maximum of 6 CED credit hours applicable).
- Earn a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper-division courses. Lower-division transfer courses accepted as meeting upper-division departmental course requirements cannot be used to fulfill this requirement.
- Earn 30 of the last 45 credit hours at MWSU in institutional coursework (exclusive of credit by examination).
- Participate in required departmental and campus wide assessments.
- Fulfill the Missouri Constitution requirement.
- Successfully pass the Missouri Higher Education Civics Achievement exam.
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- Major: B.S.E. Special Education
- Pre-Major: B.S.E. Special Education
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