Special Education Program Requirements

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Objectives

This program leads to a state license in Special Education of students with mild to moderate 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 College 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:

  1. Demonstrate proficiency in a second language:-Complete a second semester college-level language course-Receive a passing score on a Level 1 CLEP language exam-Receive a passing score on a 102-level BYU language proficiency exam-Provide evidence of another language as your first language
  2. A May term study experience approved by the School of Education
  3. A semester of study abroad approved by the School of Education
  4. Student teaching in another country or other alternate placement approved by the School of Education
III. Prerequisite Courses 11  
EDUC 220 Math for K–6 Teachers I  3 MATH 144
MATH 144 Functions Modeling Change (or higher level equivalent) 4 MATH 101 or equivalent
PSYC 105  Bust that Psychology Myth  4  
IV. Core Courses 49  
EDUC 252 Developmentally Appropriate Teaching and Learning 4  
EDUC 302  Foundations of Education in a Diverse Society 4  
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 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  
TESL 324  Context Instruction for DLL 3  
* Students are required to spend fifteen clock hours in a field placement.    
V. Methods Courses 6  
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 are required to spend twenty clock hours in a field placement.    
Total Hours for the Special Education Major 66-70  


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.

For all inquiries about Recommended Plan of Study for this program, please contact Lowell Oswald, MAT Program Director of Elementary, Secondary, and Special Education.

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  
II. Method Courses 6  
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 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 Semester Spring Semester Summer Semester
Year 1 WCore courses
MATH 144
EDUC 302		 WCore courses
PSYC 105
EDUC 252		 WCore courses
EDUC 305
Year 2 WCore courses
EDUC 220
SPED 303		 WCore courses
EDUC 220
SPED 303
EDUC 221
EDUC 363 & 369
SPED 308
SPED 327
SPED 335		 SPED 377
Year 3  EDUC 364
EDUC 368
SPED 385
SPED 340		 EDUC 418
SPED 390