Bachelor's of Science Degree in Special Education

Completion of 130 credit hours is required for the B.S. in Special Education. The coursework is divided into two main areas:

• General Education: Students complete courses in the Schools of Arts and Letters, Social Science and Natural Science in order to become well-rounded members of society and gain basic knowledge in subject matter content. The academic goals of this component are outlined by the campus faculty and the content exceeds what special educators will teach their own students. Degree requirements for the B.S. in special education ensure that candidates meet the campus general education requirements.
• Professional and Pedagogical Studies: Students complete courses and experiences leading to successful demonstration of what special educators need to know and be able to do. All-Learners Content courses focus on knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed by teachers who provide instruction in core subjects. Specialty Area Content courses target particular knowledge and skills for special educators.

See the Special Education program handbook for a detailed explanation of the specific courses and their sequence.

Post-Baccalaureate Initial License

Students in this option are sometimes referred to as "career changers" because they have completed an undergraduate degree but do not have a teaching license. The courses for this post-baccalaureate option lead to an Indiana all-grade teaching license in Mild Intervention but does not result in a second undergraduate degree or a master's degree. On a limited case-by-case basis, students who are not teaching full time in special education may be admitted to the program under increased requirements.

Students are required to have coursework or preparation in general education, general teaching methods, and special education. Program faculty will judge applicability of previous coursework to requirements in the post-bac program. At the point of admission to the program, students' transcripts will be analyzed and a list of remaining requirements will be given to them. The Special Education program handbook has a list of specific requirements.

Most students in this program option are full-time teachers. These students will need to arrange their personal schedules so that field work in the schools can be completed during regular school hours.

Because the program is designed to accommodate the needs of full-time teachers, fall and spring classes are offered in the evening. Summer courses vary.

Graduate Level Second Teaching Area

This program option is designed for graduate level students who hold standard teaching licenses and are engaged in full-time special education teaching with emergency permits. If program resources permit and on a limited case-by-case basis, students who are not teaching full time in special education may be admitted to the program under increased requirements. Specific requirements can be found in the Special Education program handbook.

Note: IUS does not have a master's degree in special education. However, generally no less than 15 credit hours of the coursework for the license can be applied to a master's in Elementary or Secondary Education. Questions about course overlap between the license and a master's degree should be directed to a graduate advisor.