Special Education Major (BS)
College: College of Social Sciences & Professional Studies
The kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) cross-categorical special education license at UW-Parkside is offered through a bachelor’s degree program with a major in special education or as a post-baccalaureate license for candidates already holding a bachelor’s degree. This license can also be added on as an additional license for teachers holding a regular education license at the elementary and middle school (K-9) level, or the equivalent.
Candidates seeking a bachelor’s degree with a major in Special Education will complete requirements for the K-12 cross-categorical special education license simultaneously as they work towards their degree. Candidates seeking a K-12 cross-categorical special education license as a post-baccalaureate candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
Once all requirements for licensure are met, candidates will be endorsed for a K-12 cross-categorical special education license in alignment with PI 34.049 and will be authorized to teach cross-categorical special education in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Courses in this program are offered in face-to-face, online, and hybrid formats, with the majority of coursework taking place in a face-to-face format.
(81 credits and 250 clinical hours)
Special Education - Cross Categorical Learning Outcomes
The following learning outcomes are based on the Council for Exceptional Children’s 2020 Initial Standards for Teacher Preparation (https://exceptionalchildren.org/special-education-preparation-standards). The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has approved UW-Parkside’s special education cross-categorical license based on these standards.
- Engaging in Professional Learning and Practice with Ethical Guidelines.
- Understanding and Addressing Each Individual’s Developmental and Learning Needs.
- Demonstrating Subject Matter Content and Specialized Curricular Knowledge.
- Using Assessment to Understand the Learner and the Learning Environment for Data-Based Decision Making.
- Supporting Learning Using Effective Instruction.
- Supporting Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Growth.
- Collaboration with Team Members.
Degree Requirements
See the Degree Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science policy in the Academic Catalog. Completing the degree requirements does not automatically lead to an endorsement for a teaching license. Student must meet the teaching license requirements listed below.
Licensure Requirements
All majors or pathways leading to licensure must meet the requirements of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). DPI may make changes to the requirements for licensure at any time that may affect the teacher education program. It is the students’ responsibility to ensure that they are meeting with the teacher education advisor regularly to ensure that they have the most current licensure information.
A Tier II Wisconsin teaching license may be issued to a student who has received endorsement from the teacher education program’s Certification Officer. In order for a student to be endorsed for licensure, they must meet all requirements of the Exit Level Proficiency Policy.
- Successful completion of a licensable major or pathway, academic minor (if required for licensure), baccalaureate degree (if applicable) and UW-Parkside teacher education program (including student teaching).
- Successful completion of all clinical program requirements.
- Successful completion of the required content knowledge assessment.
- Successful completion of the Foundations of Reading Test (FORT) (for majors/pathways in early childhood, elementary education, and special education) or the Foundations of Reading Test Alternative.
- Successful completion of the pedagogical knowledge assessment determined by the program.
- A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale and a department (EDU) GPA of 3.0 or higher in the teacher education program (all EDU courses) with no single EDU course grade lower than a C+ (with the exception of student teaching coursework, which requires a grade of CR.)
Requirements for the Special Education Major
Recommended General Education Courses
The teacher education program is committed to supporting the liberal arts education at UW-Parkside through the general education program. The teacher education program recommends the following courses that meet both the university general education requirements as well as content knowledge policy requirements. Students should consult with the teacher education advisor each semester to ensure that they understand and are meeting requirements of the program’s content knowledge policy.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Humanities and the Arts | ||
| COMM 105 | Public Speaking for the 21st Century | 3 |
| ENGL 167 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| Choose any two courses from the Humanities and the Arts general education list | 6 | |
| Humanities and the Arts Subtotal | 12 | |
| Social and Behavioral Science | ||
| HIST 101 | The United States: Origins to Reconstruction | 3 |
| or HIST 102 | The United States: Reconstruction to Recent Times | |
| HIST 119 | Western Civilization II: The Middle Ages to 1815 | 3 |
| or HIST 128 | World History III: From 1800 to the Present | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Geography of American Ethnicity and Race | ||
| Contemporary Human Geography | ||
| Introduction to Geography: World Regions | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| The American Economy | ||
| American Politics | ||
| Introduction to Politics | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Social and Behavioral Science Subtotal | 12 | |
| Natural and Health Sciences | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Nature of Life | ||
| Bioscience | ||
| Human Biology | ||
| Environmental Science: Biological Approach | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Physical Geography and the Environment | ||
| Earth in Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Universe | ||
| Astronomy of Native America | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-5 | |
| The World of Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Lab I | ||
| Principles of Physics | ||
| Choose one course from the Natural Sciences general education list to complete the required 12 credits (if needed) | 3-4 | |
| Natural and Health Sciences Subtotal | 12-17 | |
| Total Credits | 36-41 | |
Required Major Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Professional Sequence | ||
| EDU 100 | Introduction to the Teaching Profession | 1 |
| EDU 101 | Introduction to Disability | 3 |
| EDU 200 | Teaching the Whole Child | 1 |
| EDU 210 | Exploring Equity In Education | 1 |
| EDU 211 | Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
| EDU 212 | Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers I | 3 |
| EDU 215 | Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers II | 5 |
| Pre-Professional Sequence Subtotal | 17 | |
| Developing Expertise Sequence | ||
| EDU 300 | Creating Effective Learning Environments | 1 |
| EDU 304 | Context and Culture In Learning Environments | 3 |
| EDU 310 | Family, School, and Community Partnerships | 1 |
| EDU 312 | Designing Learner-Centered Lesson Plans | 3 |
| EDU 322 | Teaching Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| EDU 324 | Individual Learning Design and Technology | 3 |
| EDU 326 | Behavioral and Psychosocial Models | 3 |
| EDU 332 | Foundations of Literacy | 2 |
| EDU 335 | ESL Methods | 3 |
| EDU 343 | Classroom Management | 3 |
| Developing Expertise Sequence Subtotal | 25 | |
| Demonstrating Expertise in Practice Sequence | ||
| EDU 412 | Literacy Development | 3 |
| EDU 430 | Using Action Research to Improve Instruction | 2 |
| EDU 431 | Teaching Developmental Mathematics, Grades K-3 | 3 |
| EDU 432 | Teaching Developmental Literacy, Grades K-3 | 3 |
| EDU 437 | Academic and Behavioral Assessment | 3 |
| EDU 439 | Transition and Self-Determination | 2 |
| EDU 440 | Teacher Preparation Portfolio Design | 2 |
| EDU 442 | Teaching Developmental Mathematics, Grades 3-9 | 3 |
| EDU 443 | Teaching Developmental Literacy, Grades 3-9 | 3 |
| EDU 447 | Case Management and Developing Individualized Plans | 3 |
| Demonstrating Expertise in Practice Sequence Subtotal | 27 | |
| The Residency | ||
| EDU 420 | Residency Seminar | 2 |
| EDU 425 | Residency (Student Teaching) | 10 |
| The Residency Subtotal | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 81 | |
Requirements for a Double Major in Elementary Education and Special Education
(96 credits)
Students may satisfy graduation requirements for both elementary education and special education by completing all required courses for elementary education, together with the following special education courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Elementary Education Courses | 74 | |
| Required Special Education Courses | ||
| EDU 101 | Introduction to Disability | 3 |
| EDU 324 | Individual Learning Design and Technology | 3 |
| EDU 326 | Behavioral and Psychosocial Models | 3 |
| EDU 412 | Literacy Development | 3 |
| EDU 437 | Academic and Behavioral Assessment | 3 |
| EDU 439 | Transition and Self-Determination | 2 |
| EDU 447 | Case Management and Developing Individualized Plans | 3 |
| Required Special Education Courses Subtotal | 94 | |
| Total Credits | 94 | |
General University Degree Requirements (Bachelor's Degree)
In addition to individual program requirements, students must also fulfill the following requirements:
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Skills | 7-8 |
| General Education | 36 |
| Foreign Language** | 6-8 |
| Ethnic Diversity | 3 |
| Total | 52-55 |
** Transfer students in sustainable management, and health information management and technology collaborative, online degree-completion programs, the business management online degree-completion program, and the flexible option degree-completion program will be exempt from the university’s foreign language requirement. See appropriate academic section for further information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | ||
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading | 3 |
| Computational Skills | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-5 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| College Mathematics with Applications | ||
| College Algebra I | ||
| Total Credits | 7-8 | |
Degree Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Minimum Total Credits | 120 |
| Upper Level Credits (300 level or above) | 36 |
| Residency | 30 |
Cumulative Degree GPA: 2.0 minimum