Please Note: The program requirements listed below are for students entering in the catalog year 2011-2012.  Students who entered in previous catalog years should refer to the program requirement sheets in the Advising area of MyWheelock. Students entering in future years should follow the requirements in that catalog year.

The nationally recognized Special Education program is designed to prepare professionals to work with children, pre‑kindergarten through eighth grade, with mild to moderate disabilities who participate in inclusive, resource, or substantially separate public or private schools. Students develop skills in inclusive curriculum design, creating a supportive classroom ecology, differentiated teaching strategies, behavior management, collaborative problem solving, formal and informal assessment, and commitment to equity for all children in a multiracial and multicultural society. The program leads to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Moderate Disabilities (Pre K - 8), Initial License.Course Requirements

Required Support Courses (36-40 credits)

(Credits may apply to General Education Requirements)
HDP 122/123 Human Growth and Development (4 credits)
MAT 130/131 and 132 or MAT 140/141 Concepts and Processes (8-12 credits)
AST 150 Intro to American Government (4 credits)
HIS 165 America through the Civil War or HIS 167 America since the Civil War (4 credits)
One Global History course (4 credits)
Two Life and Physical Science courses (4 credits)
One Literature Course (4 credits)

Program Requirements: 44 credits

EDU 201 Orientation to Educ. Programs (0 credit)
HDP 290 Children with Specials Needs (4 credits)
EDU 255 Racial and Cultural Identities (4 credits)
SPE 264 Behavior Management (2 credits)
SPE 346 Assistive Technology (2 credits)
EDU 330 Elementary Mathematics (4 credits)
EDU 337 Teaching Reading in Grades Pre-K-8 (4 credits)
SPE 392 Teaching Students with Diverse Learning Needs (2 credits)

Special Education Practicum Core I (12 credits)

EDU 338 Teaching Nonfiction Literacy (2 credits)
SPE 394 Curriculum, Learning & Special Needs (4 credits)
SPP 460 Practicum I (4 credits)
SPP 461 Seminar I (2 credits)

Special Needs Practicum Core II (8 credits)

SPE 481 Assessing Children with Special Needs (4 credits)
SPP 470 Practicum II (3 credits)
SPP 471 Seminar II (1 credit)

Program Completion

SPE 465 Capstone & Portfolio: Special Education (2 credits)

All sections of the MTEL (Communication and Literacy Skills Test (both sub-tests), General Curriculum (both sub-tests), and Foundation of Reading must be completed; student are strongly advised to complete Practicum Core II prior to taking the capstone course.