Special Education
SPECIAL EDUCATION
At PSU, you can earn a Bachelor's in Special Education or pursue a different degree, and then earn a Master's degree in special education.
For the bachelor's degree option, you must apply for admission to take required SPED classes.
For a Master's degree in special education, you can can choose any major but should have a solid foundation in the multiple subjects you will be teaching, including science, math, social science, language arts, and health. Some major options include: Child, Youth, & Family Studies, Social Science, Art & Letters, or Liberal Studies.
Classes required for all special educators ( All pre-requisite courses should earn a B- or better)
Math 211 and 212 or 213 - Foundations of Elementary Mathematics
SPED 418 – Survey of the Exceptional Learner
Graduate-Level Options
If a Special Education bachelor's degree option won't work for you, you can major in any other subject area, and apply to the Master's program. Pre-Special Ed students have a lot of flexibility in selection of a major. Some majors that might make sense to select include Social Science, Child Youth and Family Studies, Psychology, Arts & Letters, or Liberal Studies. But students truly can choose any major they want as long as they earn a B- or better in the required classes:
MTH 211 and MTH 212 or 213 (Foundations of Elementary Math I & II or III)
SPED 418 (Survey of Exceptional Children)
PSY 311U (Human Development)
There are three three Special Education graduate tracks
Special Educator License Program-Endorsement in Special Ed
Earn a Master's in Special Education
1 year full-time or 2 years part-time to complete
Program follows a cohort model starting every summer term
Admission Requirements (must be completed by the end of spring term prior to program starting summer term):
Bachelor's degree awarded
GPA of 3.0 or higher (undergraduate cumulative or graduate-level)
Grades of B- or better in all pre-requisite courses (or approved equivalent courses):
MTH 211 and MTH 212 (Foundations of Elementary Math I & II)
SPED 418 (Survey of Exceptional Children)
PSY 311U (Human Development)
All applicants should have experience working with persons with disabilities, preferably in public school settings.
A personal statement reflecting on your prior experiences and future ambitions in the field of special education
Letters of recommendation, preferably from professional educators who have direct experience with you working with special needs children (see previous bullet point)
K-12 teaching license with special ed endorsement.
License authorization is for grades K-12, but the program of study focuses on your choice of either elementary (K-5) or secondary (middle/high school) aged children.
- Inclusive Elementary Educator Program (IEEP)-Endorsements in Special Ed and general Elementary Education
Earn a Master's in Education OR a Master's in Special Education
2 years full-time to complete
Program follows a cohort model starting every other summer term
Admission requirements and recommended majors include all items listed for SPED Master's Program (above) as well as those for GTEP Elementary.
K-12 teaching license with special ed endorsement AND multi-subject endorsement
License authorization is for grades K-12, but the multi-subject teaching endorsement is typical of elementary (K-5) teaching.
Secondary Dual Educator Program (SDEP)-Endorsements in Special Ed and Secondary Education (in chosen subject)
Earn a Master's in Education OR a Master's in Special Education
2 years full-time to complete
Program follows a cohort model starting every other fall term
Admission requirements include all items listed for SPED Master's Program (above) as well as those for GTEP Secondary (in your chosen subject endorsement).
K-12 teaching license with special ed endorsement AND subject-specific endorsement
License authorization is for grades K-12, but subject-specific teaching endorsements are typical of middle school (6-8) and high school (9-12) teaching.