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Minor Requirements — Special Education

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The minor in special education is designed to meet two broad goals:
1. To prepare regular education teachers to meet the needs of children with special needs in their classrooms, and
2. To begin the process of candidates becoming certified in LBS I at the master's level by offering undergraduates the opportunity to take classes that would result in advanced standing in the Aurora University Master of Arts in Special Education (M.A.S.E.).

Therefore, this minor will enable regular education teachers to enter the work­force with additional knowledge for the inclusive classroom. The minor will also allow undergraduates the potential to achieve advanced standing for a graduate degree (M.A.S.E.), which would carry an LBS I certification, complementary to their Elementary or Secondary classroom certification achieved with the B.A./B.S. Candidates should note that a maximum of 14 hours of advanced standing can be awarded. To become certified in LBS I at the undergraduate level, a candidate must major in special education. A final alternative for candidates is to take only three courses in special education, which will result in an undergraduate "con­centration" but not a minor.

Academic Standards
Candidates should be aware that graduate school standards maintain that a grade of "C" or lower as being unacceptable academic performance. Graduate school expectations will apply to any undergraduate who elects to pursue this minor and who then plans to apply for advanced standing for a M.A.S.E. degree at a later date Coursework completed in the undergraduate courses that does not meet the standards of the graduate school may need to be repeated at the master's level at the discretion of the graduate school admission committee for special education.

Minor Requirements
Required Courses, totaling 8 hours:
Electives open to students who are not majoring in special education. Select from the following courses, totaling a minimum of 10 hours:

SPED3200       Cognitive Development and Disabilities (2)
SPED3350       Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Development: Promoting Prosocial Behavior (3) Writing Intensive course
SPED3500       Diversity and Disability Issues: Schools, Students, and Families (2)
SPED3650       Oral Language Development and Disorders (3)
SPED3750       Intervention Strategies for Problematic Behavior (3)
SPED3815       Strategies and Assistive Technology for Students with Low Incidence and Multiple Disabilities (3)
SPED3820       Psychoeducational Assessment of Students with Disabilities (4)
SPED4620       Trends: Collaboration, Differentiating Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom, and Transition (3)

Recommended courses for those individuals who plan to use the minor to aug­ment employability immediately after the B.A. degree are as follows:
Fall Semester Junior Year (or earlier to allow College of Education Methods courses this term): PSY3350, SPED 3120 = 8 semester hours
Spring Semester Junior Year: SPED3750, 3815 = 6 semester hours
Fall Semester Senior Year: SPED3200, SPED3350 = 5 semester hours

While slightly over the minimum requirement for a minor, this group of courses would serve to establish a foundation to understand the impact for students who exhibit the range of disabilities whom the LBS I educator might teach, including learning disabilities, cognitive impairments (mental retardation and traumatic brain injury), autism, social/emotional disabilities, and physical disabilities/other health impaired.

Academic information on departmental Web sites reflects the university's most current curriculum. The print version of the catalog, which is also posted online, may differ from this information.