Nov 21, 2024

2024-2025 General Catalog

Special Education: Mild/Moderate 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.

Mild/Moderate Disabilities Emphasis: This emphasis prepares graduates to work with students who have high-incidence disabilities, such as learning disabilities, mild/moderate intellectual disabilities, behavior and emotional disorders, or communication disorders. Educators work with children in grades K-12 in a resource-room setting or inclusive setting teaching academic skills.

For more information about Special Education and Rehabilitation Counseling , 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 Mild/Moderate majors within special education with severe and birth to five emphases or with elementary education or secondary 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 in 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 General Requirements (13 credits)

Grade of C- or higher
MATH 1051 - Classical Algebra for Teachers (QL) 4 credit(s) or
MATH 1050 - College Algebra (QL) 4 credit(s)
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)

Professional Education (14 credits)

Must be admitted to Special Education before taking ELED 3100 , SPED 4000 , SPED 5030 , SPED 5040 , and TEAL 2660 . All of courses listed below must be passed with a grade of B- or higher before beginning the next semester of SPED courses.

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)

Mild/Moderate Specialization (48 credits)

All courses listed below must be passed with a grade of B- or higher before beginning the next semester of SPED courses.

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 4 credits)
SPED 5340 - Teaching Math to Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities 3 credit(s)
SPED 5410 - Practicum I (Elementary) for Mild/Moderate Disabilities 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 5420 - Practicum II (Secondary) for Mild/Moderate Disabilities 3-4 credit(s) (Enroll in 4 credits)
SPED 5530 - Family/Professional Collaboration and Technology for Teaching Exceptional Learners 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)

Select 15 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)
COMD 3010 - American Sign Language I (CI) 4 credit(s)
COMD 3200 - Child Language Development 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 2000 - First Aid and Emergency Care 2 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

Suggested Degree Map - Special Education: Mild/Moderate Emphasis BA, BS

Special Education: Mild/Moderate Emphasis BA, BS - 4 Year Degree Map