College of Education & Human Services

Special Ed program undergraduate students working with a student.

Special Education, major

Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education

Location: Macomb campus

The Special Education program was designed to meet the national and state standards for special education teachers (Grade K - age 21). Teacher candidates learn the content and skills necessary to serve children and young adults with special needs. Students enrolled in the dual certification program also meet state standards for the elementary education teachers (Grade 1-6). 

Students who successfully complete the Special Education major will qualify for licensure as a Learning Behavior Specialist I. Instructional time in the major typically begins in the freshman year and increases through the senior year. Students participate in the assessment and instruction of children with special needs in a variety of classroom settings in the local schools. Sixteen weeks of student teaching are required with the time distributed equally between the elementary and secondary levels. Upon graduation, students will qualify to teach exceptional children (Grade K - age 21) as LBS I teachers. All majors must be accepted into the Teacher Education Program (TEP) and must pass all TEP and departmental requirements to continue in the program. Students may complete a dual licensure program for Special Education and Elementary Education.

Learning Behavioral Specialist 1

Students in the Learning Behavioral Specialist (LBS1) program (pdf) take some of their coursework side by side with Elementary Education majors. Special education and elementary education teachers must work collaboratively in the field in order to best meet the needs of diverse learners. We provide opportunities for students to practice collaboration in our courses.

In addition, because so many students with special needs are included in general education classes, and are taught with general education curricula, our majors also need to be competent in general education content. As a result, students working toward an LBSI certificate take courses in the School of Education in reading and reading methods, science methods, social studies methods, and math methods for elementary teachers. Our students also have multiple opportunities to practice the content and skills learned in the classroom.

Special Education/Elementary Education Dual major

Candidates may choose the dual special education/elementary education program (pdf) complete coursework and fieldwork that qualifies them to teach in both Special Education K-12 and Elementary Education K-8 settings.