Jan 13, 2025

2024-2025 General Catalog

Special Education: Severe Emphasis/Elementary Education Composite - 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

This degree is a combination of courses required for the special education major with severe emphasis and the elementary education major. Students who complete this composite degree are eligible for two licenses, one for special education (K-age 22) and one for elementary education, (K-8, though students are “highly qualified” to teach grades k-6 based on federal standards for “No Child Left Behind”). Students gain content knowledge through the elementary education program and learn strategies for teaching diverse learners through the the special education program.

This degree allows students to have more flexibility in their careers. Having both licenses allows teachers to move back and forth between special education and elementary education. Most elementary teachers will have students with disabilities in their classrooms, and this composite degree makes them more qualified to meet the unique educational needs to these students.

For more information about Elementary Education, see the website.
For more information about Special Education, 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) .

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 ; PHYS 1200

Major Requirements

Courses used to fulfill major requirements may not be taken pass/fail, except those courses that are only taught on a pass/fail basis.
3.0 GPA in major coursework
In addition to satisfying the basic Communication Literacy (CL) general education requirement, students in this major must receive a C+ or better in both ENGL 1010 and ENGL 2010 .

Preparation Courses

Unless otherwise noted, these courses require a B- or higher.

ELED 1010 - Orientation to Elementary Education 3 credit(s) or
TEAL 1010 - Introduction to Education 3 credit(s)
HDFS 1500 - Human Development Across the Lifespan (BSS) 3 credit(s) (grade of C or better)
TEAL 2660 - Educational Psychology for Teachers 2 credit(s)

Mathematics Requirements (10 credits)

MATH 1050 and 1051 require a grade of C- or higher. MATH 2020 and 2020 require a grade of C or better.

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

Assessment, Curriculum, and Instruction Core

A grade of B- or higher is required.

Arts Methods

Choose one from the following:

ART 3700 - Elementary Art Methods 3 credit(s)
MUSC 3260 - Elementary School Music 3 credit(s)
THEA 3320 - Movement Exploration for Elementary Education Majors 3 credit(s)
THEA 3330 - Drama for Classroom Teachers 3 credit(s)
THEA 3340 - Methods of Teaching Drama, Grades K-6 3 credit(s)
THEA 3380 - Drama Across the Curriculum, Grades K-12 3 credit(s)

Special Education Major (Severe) (B- or higher)

Students must be admitted to the SPED program before taking SPED courses.

Junior Spring:
ELED 4061 - Teaching Elementary School Mathematics I: Rational Numbers, Operations, and Proportional Reasoning 3 credit(s)
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) (enroll in 2 credits)
SPED 5600 - Practicum I Severe 2-3 credit(s) (enroll in 3 credits)
Senior Fall:
ELED 3050 - PE and Health in the Elementary Classroom 2 credit(s)
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 (15 credits)

ELED 5150 - Student Teaching: Elementary 3-9 credit(s) (enroll in 3 credits)
SPED 5200 - Student Teaching in Special Education (CI) 3-15 credit(s) (enroll in 12 credits)

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: Severe Emphasis/Elementary Education Composite BA, BS

Special Education: Severe Emphasis/Elementary Education Composite BA, BS - 4 Year Degree Map