Special Education B.S.Ed. *

4x12 Requirements for SPED majors

Students must successfully complete 12 hours in each of the areas below with a grade of C or higher.  Courses which are also counted in General Education are noted.

Second Language Requirement for Teacher Education Majors

According to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) academic policy 3.21.4E:

Teacher preparation programs at the preservice level shall require students to meet one of two criteria addressing foreign language or Emergent Bilingual / English Learning in P-12 schools.

1. Teacher candidates demonstrate listening and speaking skills at the novice-high level, as defined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, for a language other than English, including American Sign Language. The assessment for such competency may occur at any point in the teacher candidate’s program and does not require specified course work or credit hours except as may be required by the institution.
2. Teacher candidates demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to address the needs of Emergent Bilingual (English Learner) students in the P-12 classroom and are proficient in the strategies required for successful delivery of P-12 instruction in that area. The assessment for such competency may occur at any point in the teacher candidate’s program through specified course work, approved by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA), and as may be required by the institution.

Students may use foreign language courses to also meet the Global Perspectives category (3 hrs) in General Education requirements. See General Education Requirements for more information. General Education Requirements  .

Special Education Core - 37 hrs.

• ECED 4113 - Creative Expression for Early Childhood
• ELED 4323 - Language Arts and Writing Strategies for the Elementary & Middle Grades
• P ED 4662 - Teaching Adapted Physical Education
• PSYC 3323 - Psychology of Adolescence
• READ 4023 - Reading and Language Development of the Young Child
• READ 4063 - Introduction to Reading and Writing Assessment
• READ 4213 - Remediation for Dyslexia & Struggling Readers
• SPED 4213 - Foundations, Future Trends, and Current Issues in Special Education
• SPED 4223 - Instructional Design and Curriculum for Students with Disabilities
• SPED 4233 - Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities
• SPED 4242 - Collaboration and Transition Planning of Students with Disabilities
• SPED 4253 - Instructional Evaluations and Implementation for Students with Disabilities
• SPED 4263 - Assistive Technology Strategies and Universal Design for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Select one of the following options:

Totals: Certification & Non-Certification - 66 hours

Accelerated B.S.Ed. Special Education-Mild/Moderate Disorders to M.Ed. Special Education-Autism Spectrum Disorders

Note:  Please refer to Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Degree Program  for complete information concerning the Accelerated Degree Program.  Refer to the current Graduate Catalog for master’s degree requirements.

IMPORTANT:

• Students admitted to the Accelerated B.S.Ed. Special Education to M.Ed. Special Education-Autism Spectrum Disorders degree program will complete up to 11 hours of graduate level credit to apply toward both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.
• Students may not receive credit toward the bachelor’s degree for both the undergraduate and the paired graduate-level course. A student completing an undergraduate course and the paired graduate-level course will only receive credit for one course toward the bachelor’s degree.
• Students must meet all minimum grade and GPA requirements for the undergraduate program.
• A minimum grade of C is required for all 5000 level graduate courses.
• Students who do not follow the approved degree plan may become ineligible to continue in the accelerated degree program. 
• Prior to completing the undergraduate degree, if the undergraduate GPA, graduate GPA and/or overall GPA fall below a 3.00, the student becomes ineligible to continue in the ADP.
• Students may withdraw from an approved accelerated degree pathway.  Graduate credit hours completed prior to the student withdrawing or becoming ineligible to continue in the ADP apply toward the undergraduate degree only.

Teacher Education Admission and Certification Policies

In addition to courses in the discipline, all students completing a baccalaureate degree that leads to teacher certification must meet the following requirements for certification.

• Be accepted for admission to teacher education, pre-II internship, and full internship according to published course sequence and guidelines.
• Demonstrate proficiency at the high novice level in a language other than English.
• Complete all courses in the major and Professional Education Core with a grade of “C” or higher.
• Students entering NSU beginning Fall 2013 must have an overall GPA of 2.75 for admission to teacher education.
• Once admitted to the teacher education program, all majors must continue to maintain a GPA of 2.5 (overall and in their major field of study) through completion.
• 4 X 12 requirement - Early Childhood, Elementary Education, and Special Education programs require completion of 12 semester hours with a grade of “C” or better in the following disciplines: Communication Arts (English, Communication, Literature), Math, Science, and Social Science (Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology) prior to graduation.
• All Professional Education majors must complete PSYC 1003 or PSYC 1113.  Advisors recommend those courses be completed as part of the General Education course sequence.

ECED/ELEM/SPED Non-Certification Option

Students admitted to the Teacher Education Program may apply to receive a degree in Education with the Non-Certification Option:

1. When a student realizes that teaching is no longer his/her chosen profession, but he/she wishes to complete an education degree without certification rather than changing major, OR
2. When career goals require a degree in education without teacher certification, OR
3. When circumstances prohibit loss of employment while student teaching.

Students receiving a degree in Education without Certification must:

1. Notify the Director of Clinical Education, in writing, of the desire to pursue an education degree without certification, naming one of the three reasons listed above as the basis for the request;
2. Complete the appropriate agreement form and submit it to the Director. The Director will forward the form, with his or her signature, through the appropriate Chair to the Dean and the Certification Office, where it will be placed in the student’s Clinical Education file.
3. With the exception of student teaching, successfully complete all the courses except for student teaching required for a degree;
4. Follow all policies and procedures and regulations outlined in the Teacher Education Handbook and NSU catalog related to teacher education;
5. Satisfy the full admission requirements for teacher candidacy and the criteria for progression;
6. Successfully complete all courses and field experiences, including Practicum, required for an education degree, with the exception of Student Teaching. With the approval of his/her academic advisor, select and complete twelve (12) additional semester hours of electives. These 12 semester hours of electives replace the student teaching with the approval of his/her advisor and department chair.

Final Semester: Electives- 12 hours

Non Certification Option: With approval of academic advisor, 12 hours may be substituted for the final semester of intern teaching and seminar for a candidate seeking a degree in education without certification. These 12 semester hours of electives replace the final intern teaching requirement.

A student who chooses to receive the Bachelor’s Degree in Education with the Non-Certification Option is not eligible for recommendation for certification by the College of Education until such time the student successfully completes all certification requirements through the College of Education, including the final internship. The student is not considered a program completer for the certification path for which he or she was initially pursuing.

Additional Degree Information - College of Education

In addition to general education and program requirements stated above, additional hours may be needed to satisfy all minimum degree requirements listed below.

• English Proficiency: Components I and II of English proficiency should be met with grades of “C” or better prior to the completion of 60 credit hours.
• ​A minimum of 124 hours is required. PE activity is limited to four hours. Prior learning credit (CLEP, Advanced Standing, Military Credit, etc) is limited to 30 hours.
• ​A minimum of 30 hours in residence (from NSU) is required for graduation. PE activity is limited to four hours. Hours in residence exclude zero-level courses and prior learning credit such as CLEP, Advanced Placement, Advanced Standing, Military Credit, etc.​
• A minimum of 40 hours of 3000/4000 level courses is required for graduation.  ​
• A minimum of 60 hours from a 4-year school is required for graduation excluding zero level and PE activity courses.
• At least fifty percent of the major requirements must be upper division courses (3000 and 4000 level).
• At least 18 hours or fifty percent of the major, whichever is greater, must be satisfactorily completed at NSU.
• The minimum number of credit hours required in the Liberal Arts and Sciences varies based on the type of degree.  B.A.Ed. and B.S.Ed. degrees require at least 40 hours.  B.S. degrees require at least 55 hours.  Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) courses are identified in catalog course descriptions.

For more information, see Bachelor’s Degree Requirements .