Special Education

Accreditation

The Special Education Program is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Program Standards

The Special Education program and related courses align with standards set by the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC), the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), and Maryland Teacher Technology Standards (MTTS).

Qualified Teacher Education

In the Department of Teaching and Learning, we adhere to the high academic standards of our field, committing to prepare well-qualified special education professionals, who are ready to champion student success in diverse and urban environments. Our program equips graduates with capabilities to apply knowledge and theory to practice, using research-based practices to support individual student needs. 

We also expose teacher candidates to real-world classroom environments through our Professional Development School (PDS) sites. These classroom experiences help our students:

• Analyze teaching situations and challenges
• Select organize, and present subject matter
• Use evaluation techniques on teaching and learning results
• Apply theories and principles of learning

What You'll Learn

Learn how to: 

• Plan and engage children in exploration, experimentation, and discovery activities 
• Effectively teach and meet academic needs of all students in special programs 
• Create and use meaningful and challenging experiences to teach students with exceptional abilities 
• Establish safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning to effectively teach students with exceptional abilities 
• Engage students with exceptional abilities in a manner consistent with ethical principles and practices  
• Deconstruct curricula, be familiar with curricula organization, objectives, and procedures; as well as the instructional resources of the school and community to effectively implement curricula 
• Apply knowledge and skills acquired during practical experiences to effectively analyze teaching practices and experiences while engaging in the selection, planning, presentation, and evaluation of content knowledge 
• Motivate and support learners through applied theory and practice 
• Collaborate with the broader community of education professionals and practice continuous professional growth 
• Engage with current research to plan and apply tenets of practitioner research that demonstrate effective assessment of student learning and use those data to support learners and improve practices 
• Apply knowledge and skills in the use of technology to support instruction, access and manipulate data, enhance professional growth and productivity; communicate; and conduct research 

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours are split among:

• General Education Requirements, or GERs (45 credits)
• Program requirements (21 credits)
• Core requirements (30 credits)
• Methods and student teaching (27 credits)

Review the course descriptions to learn more about different types of major requirements.

General Education Requirements (GERs)

All special education majors must take (or transfer in) 45 credits.

Program Requirements (21 credits)

Core Courses (30 credits)

Methods and Student Teaching (27 credits)