Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling

Department Head: Thomas Higbee
Location: Emma Eccles Jones Education 313A
Phone: (435) 797-1933
FAX: (435) 797-3572
E-mail: tom.higbee@usu.edu
Website: sperc.usu.edu/

Graduate Program Coordinators:

Special Education Master’s Programs:
Sarah Pinkelman, Education 314, (435) 797-6371, sarah.pinkelman@usu.edu

Rehabilitation Counseling Program:
Trent Landon, Education 322, (435) 797-3269, trent.landon@usu.edu

Doctoral Program:
Tim Slocum, Education 314, (435) 797-3212, tim.slocum@usu.edu

Multi-university Consortium in Sensory Impairments Coordinator:
Laura Parrish, Education 371, (435) 797-7575, laura.parrish@usu.edu

Advising:

Program Coordinator:
Darcie L. Peterson, Education 336, (435) 797-3252, darcie.peterson@usu.edu

Advisors:
Special Education Undergraduate - Laura Parrish, Education 371, (435) 797-7575, laura.parrish@usu.edu
Rehabilitation Counseling - Kris Wengreen, Education 309, (435) 797-3246, kris.wengreen@usu.edu

Distance Education and Extension Program Coordinator:
Kristen Rolf, kristen.rolf@usu.edu

Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Education (MEd), and Educational Specialist (EdS) in Special Education; Master of Rehabilitation Counseling (MRC); Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Disability Disciplines. The Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling department participates in the Doctorate of Education (EdD) administered by the School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL).

Undergraduate emphases: BS, BA—Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Severe Disabilities, Early Childhood (Birth to age 5) Special Education, Visual Impairments, Mild/Moderate Disabilities OPTT (Online Practical Teacher Training), Severe Disabilities OPTT, Early Childhood (Birth to Age 5) OPTT.

Graduate concentrations: MEd, MS, EdS—General Special Education, Applied Behavior Analysis with Individuals with Disabilities, Administrative/Supervisory, Transition to work and post-secondary education with individuals with disabilities (Note: Graduate concentrations will not appear on student transcripts or diplomas.)

PhD specializations: Special Education, Applied Behavior Analysis with Individuals with Disabilities, Rehabilitation Counseling, Disabilities Studies, Speech-Language Pathology, Pathokinesiology and Audiology

Licensure is available for teachers in early childhood (birth to age 5) special education, mild/moderate disabilities, severe disabilities, and visual impairments. A Special Education composite licensure program is available with the Elementary Education Program in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL) for Logan Main Campus students. A dual licensure program is available with secondary education content majors in the School of TEAL and with early childhood students pursuing a master’s in Deaf Education for Logan Main Campus students. See website for more information comdde.usu.edu/.

Full details of the learning objectives, assessment plan, student outcomes, and evidence of continuous improvement for these programs of study can be found at sperc.usu.edu/assessment/index.

Undergraduate Programs

Objectives

The undergraduate programs in the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling offer educational and training opportunities for teachers and support personnel working with exceptional children and adults with disabilities. The programs prepare individuals to work with individuals with mild/moderate and severe disabilities, visual impairments, and with early childhood (birth to age 5) special education. Students who are majoring in other teaching fields (i.e., elementary education, secondary education) are encouraged to pursue a second certification by taking those courses which lead to a special education license. Teacher education programs in the department are accredited by the State of Utah. These programs are also fully accredited through the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).

Areas of Emphasis

The Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling offers training programs for individuals who want to work with children and adults with disabilities. A student fulfilling the undergraduate course requirements will qualify for a BS or BA degree in special education and be eligible for a license to teach students with mild/moderate disabilities, students with severe disabilities, students with visual impairments, or young children with disabilities. The severe, mild/moderate, and visual impairment licenses allow graduates to teach pupils with disabilities from kindergarten through 12th grades. The birth to age 5 special education license allows graduates to teach young children with disabilities.

The special education degree is offered on the Logan Main Campus as a traditional teacher preparation program. The special education degree is also offered online across the state of Utah for teacher candidates who are working as a para-professional or teacher of record in Utah (OPTT - Online Teacher Preparation Program).  The OPTT emphases can be taken as a first or a second bachelor’s degree.  When taken as a 2nd BS, some of the credits can be applied towards a master’s degree.

In addition, the department offers composite and dual teaching majors with the Elementary Education Program and dual teaching majors with the Secondary Education Program, both of which are part of the School of Teacher Education and Leadership. These composite/dual degrees are only available on the Logan Main Campus. Students completing the dual major requirements in secondary education will be eligible for teacher licensure in one of the special education areas and the secondary education content major. Students completing the composite or dual major requirements in elementary education will be eligible for teacher licensure in one of the special education areas and elementary education. Students interested in teaching preschool children with disabilities may receive a birth to age 5 special education license for ages 0-5, in addition to a K-12 special education license in visual impairments, severe, or mild/moderate disabilities. A Birth to Age 3 minor is available for Human Development and Family Studies majors.

Requirements

Admission Requirements

Students are admitted to the Department of Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling as Pre-Special Education majors by meeting the Utah State University minimum requirements. To become a Special Education major, a student must make written application to the department after meeting the following prerequisites:

1. Completion of at least 40 attempted semester credits with an institution GPA of 3.00 or higher; and
2. Completion of admission requirements to the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services  Teacher Education Program.

• Visual impairment, mild/moderate and severe students must also complete MATH 1050  or MATH 1051  and MATH 2020  and MATH 2010 .
• Birth to age five students must complete one of the following: MATH 1050 , MATH 1051 , STAT 1040  or STAT 1045 . 
• All students must take the ELED Multiple Subjects Praxis Exam (5001). The Praxis test must be passed before student teaching.

Students should apply to the department during fall semester of their sophomore year (October 10 deadline). Admission to the department is competitive based on several factors. These include:

1. The student’s current GPA.
2. The number of credit hours completed by the end of fall semester.
3. Completion of pre-major classes (such as Math and HDFS 1500 ).
4. Praxis test.
5. Experience working with people with disabilities.
6. The student’s career goals and experiences.

GPA Requirement

A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required to apply for admission, to remain in good standing, and to graduate from the program. All required special education classes must be completed with a grade of B- or better.

Advising Plans

Students should consult with their advisor to develop a plan of study tailored to their individual needs and interests.

University Honors Program

The University Honors Program offers students in all colleges and majors the unique opportunity to deepen their educational experience with hands-on practical applications of their academic knowledge. The Honors Program admits incoming, transfer, and existing USU students based on application. High achieving students with at least one year remaining are encouraged to apply.  See the University Honors Program catalog entry and website (honors.usu.edu) for more information.

Additional Information

For more information concerning Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts requirements and the sequence in which courses should be taken, see major planning guides available on the department webpage or degree maps in the USU Catalog.

Financial Support

Scholarships, assistantships, grants-in-aid, and work-study programs are available through the university. In addition, there are some endowed scholarships available through the department and, sometimes, there are stipends available from federal grants.

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

Admission decisions are made by the department’s Graduate Program Committees: Disability Disciplines Doctoral Committee, Special Education Master’s Committee, and Rehabilitation Counseling Master’s Committee. Admission Requirements are based upon those of the School of Graduate Studies. In addition, the committees consider experience, academic record and curriculum, formal recommendations, and test scores. The Special Education Master’s program specializations do not require GRE scores for admission. The Disability Disciplines Doctoral program admission requires GRE scores. Rehabilitation Counseling master’s program admission requires GRE or MAT scores. 

Deadlines for application to the Special Education Master’s program and the Rehabilitation Counseling Master’s program are March 15_^th, June 15_^th, and October 15_^th. Applications for the BCBA concentration are due by January 15_^th for early consideration and March 15th for fall. Applications for the Administrative Supervisory Licensure program are due by March 15_^th for summer, May 1_^st for fall and October 15_^th for spring. The deadline for application to the Disabilities Disciplines Doctoral program is January 15_^th. Only complete files will be reviewed. Applications received after these dates will be considered, but opportunities for financial assistance may be limited. No applications will be considered until all required information arrives at the School of Graduate Studies office.

Teaching Licenses

The department prepares students for licensure as teachers of students with mild/moderate disabilities, students with severe disabilities, and preschool-age students with disabilities. Licensure may also be obtained in visual and/or hearing impairments through a multi university consortium program. Licensure may be obtained as part of the graduate degree program or without a graduate degree.

Doctorate of Education (EdD)

The department participates in the Doctorate of Education (EdD) degree program administered by the School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL). The general purpose of the special education emphasis area of the EdD program is to prepare leadership personnel for positions in administration, supervision, curriculum development, and teacher training. For information about admission requirements, procedures to follow, and research sponsored, as well as other information, see the Department of Curriculum and Instruction . 

Financial Assistance

Scholarships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships are available for qualified doctoral students. Scholarships are also available to qualified students in the Master of Rehabilitation Counseling program.

Additional Information

For additional information regarding the Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling graduate programs, check the departmental website at sperc.usu.edu/.

FACULTY - Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services