Undergraduate Bulletin > Specialized Education Services > Major-Special Education

Special Education: General Curriculum Major (SPED)

The Special Education Program provides opportunities for the study of school-age learners with mild to moderate disabilities (learning disabilities, behavior/emotional disabilities, and educable mental disabilities). Students enrolling in this program learn about trends and issues in the field of special education, characteristics and needs of students with mild to moderate disabilities, specialized teaching methods for working with these students, strategies for collaboration with parents/families and colleagues, positive means for providing behavior supports, and technology applications that support students’ education.

In addition to courses in the major area, students elect a second academic concentration (e.g., psychology, sociology, interdepartmental studies). Field experiences and student teaching take place at local public and private schools with students who have mild to moderate disabilities. Students completing this program and its requirements are eligible for licensure by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in special education: general curriculum (K–12).

Transfer students may require additional semesters to complete this undergraduate degree program.

Also see Teacher Education for Teacher Education admission requirements and second academic concentration requirements.

Student Learning Goals

Students completing the teacher preparation program in special education: general curriculum are able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of current federal and North Carolina law and policy related to special education and related services.
• Explain the basic educational and clinical concepts relative to definition, characteristics, identification, and diagnosis of students with mild to moderate disabilities.
• Create or revise program models for effective special education service delivery, including transition, based on a system of care philosophy and issues related to competent professional role management.
• Use exemplary diagnostic, instructional, and therapeutic approaches, including those based on technology applications, for effectively and positively meeting the academic and social/emotional needs of students with mild to moderate disabilities.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of students’ special education programs and services as well as overall program and service structures.
• Work collaboratively with other school professionals, paraprofessionals, parents, and community and agency personnel to meet the needs of students with mild to moderate disabilities.

Requirements

I General Education Core Requirements (GEC)

See complete GEC requirements and approved course listings for all categories.

Core Category	S.H.
Students may select courses for:
Literature (GLT)	3
Fine Arts (GFA)	3
Philosophical, Religious, Ethical Principles (GPR)	3
One additional GLT, GFA, or GPR course	3
Historical Perspectives on Western Culture (GHP)	3
Natural Sciences (GNS) one must be a laboratory course; each must have a different departmental prefix	6–7
Department specifies courses for:
Mathematics (GMT) required: MAT 115	3
Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) ENG 101 or FMS 115 or RCO 101, and one additional GRD course	6
Social and Behavioral Sciences GSB) required: SOC 101 and one additional GSB course	6

 

II General Education Marker Requirements

See details and courses. It is possible to meet all GE Marker Requirements while completing the GE Core requirements or courses required by the major/concentration.

III Major Requirements

Minimum 52 s.h. in the major: SES 101, 240, 250, 252, 350A, 350B, 350C, 360, 447, 460, 465, 466, 469, 469L, 471, 472

IV Teacher Licensure Requirements

1. General Education requirements as identified above
2. ELC 381  
3. LIS 120
4. SPA 101 or 121 
5. TED 450  
6. TED 320 or 335 or 420 or 535
7. TED 545
8. Students must have a 2.75 overall grade point average to be admitted to teacher education, and a 2.75 grade point average in all courses with an SES prefix in order to be admitted to student teaching. Students must earn a C- or better in program course work. Students must also have a passing score on the Praxis I, as required by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.

V Second Academic Concentration Requirement

All students majoring in Special Education: General Curriculum are required to complete an approved second academic concentration consisting of course work in an academic discipline. The following 18-semester-hour concentrations have been approved for Special Education: General Curriculum: Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, English, History, Interdisciplinary Science, Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy. The following 24-semester-hour concentration has been approved for Special Education: General Curriculum: Spanish.

VI Electives

Electives sufficient to complete the 127 semester hours required for degree.