Special Education
Inspire and motivate exceptional students
DePaul’s Special Education degree program will prepare you to teach students with exceptionalities from kindergarten to age 21 in a variety of urban and suburban educational settings, including public and private schools.
By completing the bachelor’s in Special Education degree program, you’ll be eligible for the Illinois Learning and Behavior Specialist I (LBS1) license, provided you complete additional state requirements.
You’ll complete two lab-based courses in the Education and Counseling Center in the College of Education, one focused on reading, and one on math. In each course, you’ll work with a struggling learner from the community. You’ll also complete two field-based practicum courses (totaling 70 hours of field experience) with related seminars: one focused on learners with high incidence disabilities in an inclusive setting, and one focused on students with low incidence disabilities in a self-contained setting.
As a Special Education degree major, you’ll learn to:
- Apply specific strategies needed to teach exceptional learners
- Consult and co-teach in general education inclusion classrooms
- Modify content for exceptional learners in reading, math, natural and social sciences
- Teach small groups of exceptional students in a resource room
- Teach students with more significant disabilities in a self-contained classroom
Classes
Coursework
- Formal Assessment in Special Education
- Classroom and Behavior Management
- Collaboration in Schools
- Exceptionality and Learning
- Instruction and Differentiation
- Teaching Students with Significant Disabilities
- Teaching Literacy to Exceptional Students
Resources
Career Options
Common Career Areas
- Teaching
- Education policy
- Private practice
84%
of College of Education graduates were employed, continuing their education or not seeking employment after graduation.
Major Requirements
Course Requirements
Introductory Courses: 22 quarter hours with a grade of C or better required:
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
SER 300 | INTRO TO SPECIAL EDUCATION I: EXCEPTIONALITY & LEARNING | 4 |
SER 301 | INTRO TO SPECIAL EDUCATION II - FOUNDATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS | 4 |
SER 302 | INSTRUCTION AND DIFFERENTIATION IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 4 |
SER 310 | TEACHING MATHEMATICS TO EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS | 4 |
SER 311 | TEACHING MATHEMATICS FIELD EXPERIENCE LAB | 2 |
SCU 207 | SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL ISSUES IN EDUCATION | 4 |
Advanced Courses: 46 quarter hours required (excluding courses counted as Introductory Courses) with a grade of C or better.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
BBE 311 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER EDUCATION | 4 |
SCU 336 | ADOLESCENT AND ADULT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT | 4 |
or SCU 337 | HUMAN GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT | |
SER 303 | CLASSROOM AND BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT | 4 |
SER 314 | TEACHING LITERACY TO EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS | 4 |
SER 315 | TEACHING LITERACY FIELD EXPERIENCE LAB | 2 |
SER 320 | COLLABORATION IN SCHOOLS | 4 |
SER 321 | FORMAL ASSESSMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 4 |
SER 322 | TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES I: ACADEMICS, LIFE SKILLS, & TRANSITION | 4 |
SER 323 | TEACHING STUDENTS WITH SIGNIFICANT DISABILITIES II: COMMUNICATION & SOCIAL SKILLS | 4 |
SER 324 | PRACTICUM: INCLUSION SETTING | 2 |
SER 325 | TOPICS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 2 |
SER 327 | PRACTICUM: SELF-CONTAINED SETTING | 2 |
SER 328 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | 2 |
SER 329 | TEACHING LITERACY IN THE CONTENT AREAS | 4 |
Student Teaching: 24 quarter hours required, grade of B- or better required
Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures indicated in the college core section. EDU 95 indicates to the Illinois State Board of Education that all field experience hours are complete.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
SER 383 | STUDENT TEACHING SEMINAR | 4 |
SER 385 | STUDENT TEACHING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: ELEMENTARY | 8 |
SER 386 | STUDENT TEACHING IN SPECIAL EDUCATION: SECONDARY | 12 |
Open Electives: 20 quarter hours, grade of C or better required.
Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours. The following cannot be used to fulfill an open elective:
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
WRD 98 | PREPARATION FOR COLLEGE READING | 4 |
MAT 94 | BASIC ALGEBRA | 4 |
MAT 95 | INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA | 4 |
Licensure Tests
All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. Special Education majors must complete the following tests:
- Before June 6, 2022:
- LBS1 Content Area Test (test #155) – assesses knowledge of working with students with disabilities and special needs. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
- Special Education General Curriculum Test (test #163) – assesses knowledge of reading & literacy, mathematics, natural science, and social science. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
- June 6, 2022 or later:
- Learning Behavior Specialist I (test #290) – assesses knowledge of the following areas: understanding students with disabilities, assessing students and developing individualized programs, supporting development and learning, working in a collaborative learning community, and foundations and professional practice.
- EdTPA - assessment conducted during the student teaching experience including video clips of instruction, lesson plans, student work samples, analysis of student learning and reflective commentaries. Students will submit an electronic portfolio to an outside agency for independent evaluation and a fee will be imposed by that agency as part of the assessment.
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