Special Education: Severe Emphasis - BA, BS

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Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services

Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling

About This Degree

The program prepares students to work with individuals who have mild, moderate, and severe disabilities, as well as young children with disabilities. Students are given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with local school districts or on-campus programs.

Severe Emphasis: This emphasis prepares graduates to work with students who have low-incidence disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, traumatic and acquired brain injury, and multiple disabilities. Graduates typically teach academic and life skills in a K-12 classroom or in a post-secondary setting (students age 18-21).

For more information about Special Education and Rehabilitation , see the website.
Admitted and current students must meet with an academic advisor.
Log on to Degree Works to check student-specific program progress.
Students following the recommended schedule should be able to complete degree requirements in four years (eight semesters).
The highest math requirement for this degree is MATH 2020: Euclidean Geometry and Statistics for Elementary Education School Teachers (QI) .

**Dual licensure programs are available on the Logan Main Campus for Special Education Severe Emphasis majors within special education with mild/moderate and birth to 5 emphases or with elementary education or secondary education content majors in the School of TEAL See website for more information.

Minimum University Requirements

Total Credits: 120
Credits of C- or better: 100
Total credits taken through USU: 30
Total major required credits taken at USU: 10
Minimum Grade Point Average (many majors require a higher GPA): 2.0 GPA
Credits of upper-division courses (#3000 or above): 40
Upper-division credits taken at USU: 20
General Education Requirements
University Studies Requirements
Undergraduate Degree Requirements

Admission Requirements For This Program

New freshmen must be admitted to USU in Good Standing.
Transfer students from other institutions or other programs at USU must have a 2.0 GPA.
Grade of C+ or better: ENGL 1010 (required for program admission; ENGL 1010 can also be met with AP ENGL or an ACT score of 30 or higher)
Grade of C or better: BAI , BLS , BPS (required for program admission); HDFS 1500

Major Requirements

Minimum Grade Requirements:

Grade of B- or better: All SPED, TEAL, and ELED courses (except SPED 4910 , SPED 5200 , and SPED 5900 )
Grade of C- or better in MATH 1050 or MATH 1051 ; Grade of C or better in MATH 2010 and MATH 2020 .
Grade of C- or better: All other courses required for the bachelor’s degree
Courses used to fulfill major requirements may not be taken pass/fail, except those courses that are only taught on a pass/fail basis.

Students are required to earn a grade of “B-” or better in all major courses (SPED, TEAL, ELED prefixes). Students who receive a grade below “B-” must retake the course. Each student will be allowed to repeat a maximum of one course (course is defined as didactic courses, practica, and student teaching). Students who receive two grades below “B-” or withdraw from two practica (or one practica two times) will not be permitted to continue in special education. Student teaching may not be repeated without appeal and approval by the appropriate special education program committee.

Additional Required Courses

The following class requires a grade of C- or higher.
MATH 1051 - Classical Algebra for Teachers (QL) 4 credit(s) or
MATH 1050 - College Algebra (QL) 4 credit(s)
The following courses require a grade of C or higher.
HDFS 1500 - Human Development Across the Lifespan (BSS) 3 credit(s)
MATH 2010 - Algebraic Thinking & Number Sense for Elementary Education School Teachers (QI) 3 credit(s)
MATH 2020 - Euclidean Geometry and Statistics for Elementary Education School Teachers (QI) 3 credit(s)

Junior Fall: Professional Education (14 credits)

ELED 3100 - Classroom Reading Instruction 3 credit(s)
SPED 4000 - Education of Students with Disabilities 3 credit(s)
SPED 5030 - Assessment in Special Education 2 credit(s)
SPED 5040 - Foundations of Effective Instructional Practices 4 credit(s)
TEAL 2660 - Educational Psychology for Teachers 2 credit(s)

Severe Specialization (42 credits)

Junior Spring:
SPED 5010 - Applied Behavioral Analysis 1: Principles, Assessment, and Analysis (QI) 3 credit(s)
SPED 5070 - Policies, Procedures, and Collaboration in Special Education 3 credit(s)
SPED 5310 - Teaching Reading and Language Arts to Students with Disabilities 1-4 credit(s) (enroll in 2 credits)
SPED 5510 - Curriculum and Assessment for Students with Severe Disabilities I 2 credit(s)
SPED 5600 - Practicum I Severe 2-3 credit(s)
Senior Fall:
SPED 5050 - Applied Behavioral Analysis 2: Applications 3 credit(s)
SPED 5080 - Transition-Focused Education and Collaboration 2 credit(s)
SPED 5520 - Curriculum and Assessment for Students with Severe Disabilities II 3 credit(s)
SPED 5530 - Family/Professional Collaboration and Technology for Teaching Exceptional Learners 3 credit(s)
SPED 5610 - Practicum II Severe 3 credit(s)
Student Teaching:
SPED 5200 - Student Teaching in Special Education (CI) 3-15 credit(s) (enroll in 15 credits)

Teaching Support (15 credits)

COMD 3010 - American Sign Language I (CI) 4 credit(s)
HEP 2000 - First Aid and Emergency Care 2 credit(s)
Select the remaining credits from the following courses:
REH 1010 - Disability and Society (BSS) 3 credit(s)
SPED 1010 - Disability and Society (BSS) 3 credit(s)
SPED 4910 - Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunities 1-3 credit(s)
ELED 1010 - Orientation to Elementary Education 3 credit(s)
HDFS 2400 - Couple and Family Relationships (BSS) 3 credit(s)
HDFS 2660 - Parenting and Child Guidance (HR) 3 credit(s)
HEP 3000 - Drugs and Human Behavior 3 credit(s)
PSY 1400 - Analysis of Behavior: Basic Principles 3 credit(s)
PSY 1410 - Analysis of Behavior: Basic Principles Lab 1 credit(s)
SOC 1010 - Introductory Sociology (BSS) 3 credit(s)
SW 1010 - Introduction to Social Welfare (BSS) 3 credit(s)
REH 2060 - Health Promotion for Individuals with Chronic Illness and Disability 3 credit(s)
PSY 1010 - General Psychology (BSS) 3 credit(s)
SPED 2910 - Early Field Experience in Special Education 3 credit(s)

Diversity Requirement (3 credits)

All special education majors need to take ONE of the following classes (or another advisor-approved course) to complete their diversity requirement. The diversity requirement must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Licensure Notification

This program typically leads to licensure and was designed to meet licensing qualifications in the state of Utah. If students wish to work in another state within the United States, they should review the qualifications for that state and the Education Licensure Compliance Table provided by School of Teacher Education and Leadership.

For more information, please contact the School of Teacher Education and Leadership at https://cehs.usu.edu/teal/

Open Electives

Total elective credit is determined by General Education courses taken, degree type selected, additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Please consult your Academic Advisor for details.

Total Credits: 120

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