Special Education
Objectives
This program leads to a state license in Special Education of students with mild to moderate disabilities or a license in special education of students with severe disabilities. The program may be taken as an undergraduate major leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree or as an undergraduate minor.
Admission to the Program
Undergraduate students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program (as outlined in the Education/Teacher Education Programs section of this catalog) prior to enrolling in any special education course except SPED 303. All coursework must be planned with the student’s advisor. Special Education majors must have an academic or teaching content minor. Acceptable academic or teaching minors and acceptable transfer academic or teaching minors must be approved by the dean or program director.
Students who are seeking their first licensure must take a minimum of 30 credit hours in education at Westminster College and must also meet college residency requirements. All coursework must be planned with the student’s advisor.
Program Requirements
All students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 cumulative GPA in education courses and have a minimum grade of C in all education courses. In credit/no credit education courses, students must perform work at the level of C or higher to receive credit. Education courses may only be repeated once.
All students must complete the appropriate state required content test(s) in order to meet the requirement for an initial Utah Level I teaching license.
Students must meet the college-wide graduation requirements:
- 124 total hours
- 30 upper division hours
- WCore or Honors requirements
Major in Special Education
| Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. Admission to the Program | 0 | |
| Completion of Teacher Education Program Admission | ||
| II. Cultural Awareness | 0–4 | |
While the themes of diversity and cultural awareness run throughout the program, a
specific cultural awareness requirement is also included to help our students become
better teachers of the diverse student populations in Utah and the U.S. This requirement
may be met by successfully completing one of the following:
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| III. Prerequisite Courses | 11 | |
| EDUC 220 Math for K–6 Teachers I (3) | MATH 144 | |
| MATH 144 Functions Modeling Change (4) (or higher level equivalent) | MATH 101 or equivalent | |
| PSYC 105 Bust that Psychology Myth (4) | ||
| IV. Core Courses | 48 | |
| EDUC 252 Developmentally Appropriate Teaching and Learning (4) | ||
| EDUC 302 Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society (4) | ||
| EDUC 303 Teaching with Technology (1) | ||
| EDUC 311 English Learners (2) | EDUC 302 | |
| EDUC 363* Literacy Foundations, Assessment and Instruction (3) | EDUC 252; co-requisite EDUC 369 | |
| EDUC 364* Reading and Language Arts (3) | EDUC 252 | |
| EDUC 368* Math Methods for K–6 Teachers (3) | EDUC 252; EDUC 220 and 221 | |
| EDUC 369 Literacy Assessment and Intervention (1) | EDUC 252; co-requisite: EDUC 363 | |
| EDUC 391 Portfolio Development (1) | EDUC 302; EDUC 252 | |
| EDUC 418 Elementary Student Teaching Seminar (2) | EDUC 252 | |
| SPED 303 Roles of the Special Educator (3) | ||
| SPED 308* Principles and Application of Special Education Assessment (3) | EDUC 302, SPED 303 | |
| SPED 327 Technology for Teaching Exceptional Learners (2) | SPED 303 | |
| SPED 377 Facilitating Services Across Disciplines (3) | ||
| SPED 385* Behavioral Supports in Special Education (3) | SPED 303 | |
| SPED 390 Special Education Student Teaching Mild/Moderate (10) orSPED 391 Special Education Student Teaching severe (10) | ||
| * Students are required to spend fifteen clock hours in a field placement. | ||
| V. Methods Courses | 6 | |
| Students obtaining a license or endorsement in Mild/Moderate Special Education take: | ||
| SPED 335* Mild/Moderate Special Education Methods K–6 (3) | EDUC 302, SPED 303 | |
| SPED 340* Mild/Moderate Special Education Methods 7–12 (3) | SPED 303 | |
| Students obtaining a license or endorsement in Severe Special Education take:SPED 336* Severe Special Education Methods K–6 (3) | EDUC 302, SPED 303 | |
| SPED 341* Severe Special Education Methods 7–12 (3) | SPED 303 | |
| * Students are required to spend twenty clock hours in a field placement. | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION MAJOR | 65–69 |
Completion of an approved academic or teaching minor is required (see individual program
listings for details).Students must pass the requisite Praxis Test before applying
for student teaching.
Recommended Plan of Study
*The program plan below is a sample plan for students wishing to complete an accelerated 3-year program. Please contact the Undergraduate Program Director for a plan tailored to your specific needs and interests *
| Fall Year 1 | Spring Year 1 | Summer Year 1 |
| WCore courses MATH 144 EDUC 302 EDUC 303 |
WCore courses PSYC 105 EDUC 252 |
WCore courses |
| Fall Year 2 | Spring Year 2 | Summer Year 2 |
| WCore courses SPED 303 |
EDUC 311 EDUC 221 EDUC 362 EDUC 363 & 369 SPED 308 SPED 327 SPED 335/336 |
WCore courses SPED 377 EDUC 342 |
| Fall Year 3 | Spring Year 3 | Summer Year 3 |
| EDUC 364 EDUC 368 EDUC 391 SPED 385 SPED 340/341 |
EDUC 418 SPED 390 or SPED 391 |
Special Education Endorsement Program Requirements
Students who choose not to major in Special Education may earn an endorsement in Special Education in addition to an elementary license. Requirements for the endorsement are:
(1) Admission to the Elementary preparation program.
(2) Completion of the following courses for endorsement (may be taken at the undergraduate
numbered in the 300s).
| Requirement Description | Credit Hours | Prerequisites |
| I. Core Courses | 18 | |
| SPED 303 Roles of the Special Educator (3) | ||
| SPED 308* Principles and Application of Special Education Assessment (3) | EDUC 302, SPED 303 | |
| SPED 327 Technology for Teaching Exceptional Learners (2) | SPED 303 | |
| SPED 377 Facilitating Services Across Disciplines (3) | ||
| SPED 385* Behavioral Supports in Special Education (3) | SPED 303 | |
| SPED 390 Student Teaching in Special Education (4) or SPED 391 Student Teaching in Special Education Severe (4) |
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| II. Methods Courses | 6 | |
| Students obtaining an endorsement in Mild/Moderate Special Education take: | ||
| SPED 335* Mild/Moderate Special Education Methods K–6 (3) | EDUC 302, SPED 303 | |
| SPED 340* Mild/Moderate Special Education Methods 7–12 (3) | SPED 303 | |
| Students obtaining an endorsement in Severe Special Education take: | ||
| SPED 336* Severe Special Education Methods K–6 (3) | EDUC 302, SPED 303 | |
| SPED 341* Severe Special Education Methods 7–12 (3) | SPED 303 | |
| * Students are required to spend fifteen clock hours in a field placement. | ||
| TOTAL HOURS FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION ENDORSEMENT PROGRAM | 24 |
Students must pass the requisite Praxis Test before applying for student teaching.
Recommended Plan of Study
| Fall Year 1 | Spring Year 1 | Summer Year 1 |
| WCore courses MATH 144 EDUC 302 EDUC 303 |
WCore courses PSYC 105 EDUC 252 |
WCore courses EDUC 305 |
| Fall Year 2 | Spring Year 2 | Summer Year 2 |
| WCore courses EDUC 220 SPED 303 |
EDUC 221 EDUC 363 & 369 SPED 308 SPED 327 SPED 335 SPED 336 |
SPED 377 |
| Fall Year 3 | Spring Year 3 | Summer Year 3 |
| EDUC 364 EDUC 368 EDUC 391 SPED 385 SPED 340 SPED 341 |
EDUC 418 SPED 390 and SPED 391 |