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

• Major Requirements
• Schedule of Classes
• Department Website

Career Options

Common Career Areas

• Teaching
• Education policy
• Private practice

More career info

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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