Special Education (Specialist Certification), Bachelor of Science
Program Overview
The Bachelor of Special Education Specialist Certification program prepares applicants for the Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) issued Special Education Specialist: Early Childhood-Grade 12 certificate. The program does not prepare applicants for an SBEC issued content area certificate; however, the program provides a path to earning a minor that may align to a content area certification. Students seeking a content area certificate are advised to consult with the Office of Educator Preparation regarding the selection of an appropriate minor.
Admission requirements for this program beyond university admission requirements.
- For teacher certification, students must apply for admission and be accepted to the teacher preparation program prior to enrolling in teacher certification courses,
- Admission to the Teacher Education Program at the Office of Educator Preparation and Accountability is required for completion of teacher certification requirements with the undergraduate degree. All admission requirements are in accordance to Texas Administrative Code rules §227.10 and the HEA Title II accountability requirements. All applicants must meet the current admissions requirements in effect at the time of application, regardless of the catalog year of degree plan. For more information, see the Educator Preparation Admissions website.
Progression requirements for this program.
- Students must apply and be accepted into clinical teaching prior to their last semester in the program.
- Teacher Education Program progression requirements include GPA, course grades, certification courses, benchmarks/key assessments and testing.
Note: This program leads to a profession which requires an occupational license as defined under Texas Occupations Code 58.001. This requires that all applicants seeking to become licensed must undergo a criminal background check prior to licensure. Students in this program should check with the College of Education and P-16 Integration on the requirements for a criminal background check prior to student teaching.
Core Curriculum - 42 hours
The Core Curriculum serves as a broad foundation for the undergraduate degree. All candidates for a bachelor’s degree must achieve core student learning outcomes, including communication, critical thinking, empirical and quantitative skills, teamwork, personal responsibility and social responsibility, by completing courses within each category or component area of the Core Curriculum as outlined below.
The University has approved specific courses that satisfy Core Curriculum Requirements. Approved courses can be found on the Core Curriculum Page. Students seeking the most efficient way to complete the core curriculum and major or minor requirements are advised to take approved courses that can fulfill both requirements. Although core curriculum courses can also be used to fulfill major or minor requirements, earned credits hours are only applied once.
The courses listed below fulfill core curriculum and major requirements. Students who have completed a core curriculum category with courses other than those listed below will still be required to take the listed course(s) to meet major requirements.
020 Mathematics - 3 hours
Choose one:
050 Creative Arts - 3 hours
Major Requirements - 60 hours
Required Courses - 36
| SPED 1390 | Introduction to Exceptional Children | 3 |
| SPED 3300 | Universal Design for Learning and Special Education Technology | 3 |
| SPED 3333 | Learning Strategies in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 3350 | Collaborative Models and Legal Issues in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 4310 | Inclusion and Differentiated Instruction in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 4330 | Language and Literacy Development of Diverse Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| SPED 4350 | Assessment and Data Interpretation in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 4370 | Instructional Methods for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 4380 | Instructional Methods for Students with Learning Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 4395 | Social Emotional Learning | 3 |
| EPSY 3331 | Human Development and Student Learning | 3 |
| EPSY 3332 | Working with Families | 3 |
Pedagogy Core Coursework - 24 hours
| EDUC 3301 | The Teaching Profession and Student Learning in Contemporary Schools | 3 |
| EDUC 3302 | Knowledge of Student Development and Learning | 3 |
| EDUC 3304 | Instructional Planning and Assessment in Culturally Sustaining Classrooms | 3 |
| EDUC 3306 | Evidence-Based Teaching in Positive Learning Environments | 3 |
| EDUC 4306 | Implementing and Assessing Effective Secondary Content Pedagogy | 3 |
| READ 4305 | Disciplinary Literacy in the Classroom | 3 |
| EDUC 4611 | Student Teaching Secondary or All-Level | 6 |
Students will complete a 6-credit hour clinical teaching experience through EDUC 4611.
Minor - 18 hours
Students must complete a minor in a teaching field offered by the UTRGV Educator Preparation Program. For more information regarding approved certification fields, the student should consult the College of Education and P-16 Integration and the Undergraduate Special Education Program.
Minors vary in credit hours required. If applicable, the credit hours in the minor selected may impact the number of free electives required to reach the 120 credit hours needed to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Advanced Minimum Credit Hours: 42
Total Credit Hours: 120
View this program’s recommended roadmap to graduation.
UTRGV Roadmaps are a suggested sequence of courses designed to assist students in completing their undergraduate degree requirements. This is a term-by-term sample roadmap of courses required to complete the degree. Students must satisfy all requirements in their catalog including, but not limited to course prerequisites, grade point average and course grade benchmarks, progression requirements, and graduation requirements.
Students should meet with their academic advisor every semester to discuss their individualized path toward completion. Degree progress within this roadmap depends upon such factors as course availability, individual student academic preparation and readiness, student time management, work and personal responsibilities, and financial considerations. Students may choose to take courses during summer terms to reduce course loads during long semesters.