Special Education

Degree Type

Bachelor of Science

About

Students are like stars; be the teacher who helps them shine. 

Introduction

Each teacher must prepare to face a classroom of children with varying exceptional abilities and needs. It can feel like a big responsibility (because it is), but you don’t have to do it by yourself. Every semester, our special education program commits to teaching and supporting teacher candidates in learning the skills needed to address the academic needs of all students. Because when you help them shine, you shine too.

Accreditation

The Special Education Program is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), and accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Program Standards

The Special Education program and related courses align with standards set by the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC), the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), and Maryland Teacher Technology Standards (MTTS).

Qualified Teacher Education

In the Department of Teaching and Learning, we adhere to the high academic standards of our field, committing to prepare well-qualified special education professionals, who are ready to champion student success in diverse and urban environments. Our program equips graduates with capabilities to apply knowledge and theory to practice, using research-based practices to support individual student needs. 

We also expose teacher candidates to real-world classroom environments through our Professional Development School (PDS) sites. These classroom experiences help our students:

  • Analyze teaching situations and challenges
  • Select organize, and present subject matter
  • Use evaluation techniques on teaching and learning results
  • Apply theories and principles of learning

What You'll Learn

Learn how to: 

  • Plan and engage children in exploration, experimentation, and discovery activities 
  • Effectively teach and meet academic needs of all students in special programs 
  • Create and use meaningful and challenging experiences to teach students with exceptional abilities 
  • Establish safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive learning to effectively teach students with exceptional abilities 
  • Engage students with exceptional abilities in a manner consistent with ethical principles and practices  
  • Deconstruct curricula, be familiar with curricula organization, objectives, and procedures; as well as the instructional resources of the school and community to effectively implement curricula 
  • Apply knowledge and skills acquired during practical experiences to effectively analyze teaching practices and experiences while engaging in the selection, planning, presentation, and evaluation of content knowledge 
  • Motivate and support learners through applied theory and practice 
  • Collaborate with the broader community of education professionals and practice continuous professional growth 
  • Engage with current research to plan and apply tenets of practitioner research that demonstrate effective assessment of student learning and use those data to support learners and improve practices 
  • Apply knowledge and skills in the use of technology to support instruction, access and manipulate data, enhance professional growth and productivity; communicate; and conduct research 
Students studying

750+ Course Options

The Coppin State University Academic Catalog has a wide variety of skill-building courses designed to inspire and prepare you to be in-demand professionals and transformational leaders.

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Special Education, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours are split among:

Review the course descriptions to learn more about different types of major requirements.

General Education Requirements (GERs)

All special education majors must take (or transfer in) 45 credits.

Course credits Name
ENGL 101 3 English Composition I
ENGL 102 3 English Composition II

WLIT 207

or

ENGL 2xx

3

World Literature

or

200 Level English

HIST 205 3 African American History I

HIST 206

3

African American History II

BIOL 101 4 Biological Science

MATH 131

or

MATH 203

3

College Algebra

or

Basic Statistics

PHSC 101

4 Physical Science 

PSYC 201 

3

Introduction to Psychology

PHIL 102 3 Introduction to Philosophy
HEED 101 3 Personal Health
IDIS 103 3 Visual Arts and Theatre
SOCI 201 3

Introduction to Sociology

MISY 150 3 Technology Fluency
FRSEM 101 1 Freshman Seminar

Program Requirements (21 credits)

Course Name
MATH 103 Math for Elementary Teachers I
MATH 207 Technology-Based Math
MATH 104 Math for Elementary Teachers II
PHSC 102 Earth and Space Science 

GEOG 102

World Geography

PSYC 335 Developmental Psychology
ENGL 321 Children's Literature

 

Core Courses (30 credits)

Course Name

SPED 201

Introduction to Needs of Exceptional Individuals

SPED 303 Techniques of Measurement and Evaluation of Learners with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
SPED 402 Counseling Parents and Family Members of Learners with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
SPED 403 Developing Individualized Education Programs for Learners with Mild and Moderate Disabilities
EDUC 201 Introduction to Race and Inequality

EDUC 202

Educational Psychology

EDUC 300

Foundations of Reading

EDUC 330 Culture and Cognition
REED 401 Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Disorders
REED 405 Strategies and Materials for Teaching Reading

Methods and Student Teaching (27 credits)

Course Name

SPED 301

Classroom Organization and Management in the Education of Learners with Mild and Moderate Disabilities

SPED 304 Curriculum for Teaching Literacy Skills to Mild and Moderate Disabled Learners in Elementary and Middle Grades
SPED 305 Curriculum for Teaching Math, Social Studies, and Science to Mild and Moderate Disabled Learners in Elementary and Middle Grades
SPED 404 Directed Teaching with Learners
SPED 405 Seminar

EDUC 331

Practice What You Teach

ELED 303 Methods of Teaching Reading

Remember! You must complete all major and prerequisite courses with a grade of C or higher.

Sample Degree Plan

This plan is only for example purposes. Your academic journey may be slightly different from another student’s, so be sure to always communicate with your academic advisor before finalizing your course schedule. 

Fall Semester (16 credits)

Course credits name
ENGL 101 3 English Composition I
PSYC 201 3 General Psychology

MATH 131

or

MATH 203

3

College Algebra

or

Basic Statistics

IDIS 103 3 Visual Arts & Theatre
MISY 150 3 Technology Fluency
FRSEM 101 1 Freshman Seminar

Spring Semester (16 credits)

course credits name
ENGL 102 3 English Composition II
MATH 103 3 Math for Elementary Teachers II
BIOL 101 4 Biological Science
HIST 205 3 African American History I
HEED 101 3 Personal Health

Fall Semester (16 credits)

Course credits name
MATH 104 3 Math for Elementary Teachers I
PHSC 101 4 Physical Science
WLIT 207 3 World Literature
PHIL 102 3 Introduction to Philosophy
HIST 206 3 African American History II

Spring Semester (16 credits)

Course credits name
MATH 207 3 World Literature
SOCI 201 3 Introduction to Sociology
PHSC 102 3 Earth and Space Science
SPED 201 3 Introduction to Exceptional Individuals
EDUC 300 3 Foundations of Reading

Fall Semester (15 credits)

Course credits name
EDUC 201 3 Introduction to Race and Inequality
EDUC 202 3 Educational Psychology
GEOG 102 3 World Geography
ENGL 321 3 Children's Literature
REED 401 3 Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Disorders

Spring Semester (15 credits)

course credits name
SPED 303 3 Technology of Measurement and Evaluation
EDUC 330 3 Culture and Cognition
PSYC 335 3 Developmental Psychology

SPED 402

3

Counseling Parents and Family

REED 405 3 Reading Materials and Strategies

Fall Semester (18 credits)

Course credits name
SPED 301 3 Classroom Organization and Management
SPED 304 3 Methods and Materials of Literature and Social Studies
ELED 303 3 Methods of Teaching Reading
SPED 305 3 Methods of Teaching Math and Science

EDUC 331

or

SPED 306

3

Practice What You Teach

or

Teaching Learners with Mild and Moderate Disabilities

SPED 403 3 Developing Individualized Education Programs

Spring Semester (12 credits)

Course credits Name
SPED 404 9 Internship
SPED 405 3 Seminar

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College

Special Education lives in the Department of Teaching and Learning in the School of Education within the College of Arts & Sciences, and Education.