Special Education, BS
for the degree of Bachelor of Science: Major in Special Education
The Special Education, BS is designed to prepare special education teachers for students kindergarten-age 22. An applicant must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5 (A = 4.0), a minimum of 50 hours of prior experience with individuals with disabilities, and sophomore or higher standing prior to entering the professional education sequence of the program. A minimum of 125 semester hours of credit is required for graduation. To proceed to the five-semester professional education sequence, students must have completed all degree requirements outside of the professional education coursework.
Students pursuing teacher licensure programs in the College of Education (COE) must meet requirements in a series of sequential gateways. Included in the gateway requirements are successful completion of specified coursework, achievement of appropriate grade point averages, requirements for clinical experiences, and appropriate tests for the licensure area. Meeting all Gateway requirements leads to degree and licensure completion.
In order to be recommended for licensure, candidates are required to maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 (A = 4.0). Candidates in teaching licensure programs must maintain a C- or better in ALL content and professional education coursework. For teacher education licensure requirements applicable to all curricula, see the Council on Teacher Education.
Licensure requirements are subject to change without notice as a result of new mandates from the Illinois State Board of Education or the Illinois General Assembly.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science: Major in Special Education
Students completing their degree before May 2026 should consult the 2023-2024 Catalog to guide their selection of courses. Students enrolled starting August 2023 should consult the sequence below.
Graduation Requirements
Minimum hours required for graduation: 125 hours.
Requirements for licensure: Minimum cumulative Grade Point Average of 2.5 (A=4.0); Receive a grade of C- or better in licensure coursework.
University Requirements
Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree. Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.
The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.
General Education Requirements
Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
fulfilled by EDUC 202 | ||
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | 6 | |
| Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
fulfilled by EDUC 201 | ||
| Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, one course must be a Quantitative Reasoning I) | 6-10 | |
| Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | 0-15 | |
College of Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 101 | Education Orientation Seminar | 1 |
| Professional Education Coursework | 45 | |
| CI 415 | Language Varieties, Cultures and Learning | 3 |
| CI 431 | Teaching Elementary Mathematics | 4 |
| CI 475 | Teaching Elementary Reading and Language Arts I | 4 |
| EDUC 201 & EDUC 202 | Identity and Difference in Education and Social Justice, School and Society | 6 |
| EDPR 250 | School & Community Experiences (Section: LBS) | 4 |
| EDPR 420 | School Access & Supports (Section: LBE) | 6 |
| EDPR 420 | School Access & Supports (Section: LBS) | 6 |
| EDPR 420 | School Access & Supports (Section: LBT) | 6 |
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Educational Psychology | ||
| Intro to Human Development | ||
| Child Psych | ||
| HK 262 | Motor Develop, Growth & Form | 3 |
| PSYC 100 | Intro Psych | 4 |
| SHS 320 | Development of Spoken Language | 3 |
| Special Education Core Coursework | 45 | |
| SPED 117 | The Culture of Disability | 3 |
| SPED 410 | Principles of Universal Design for Learning & Models for Understanding Disability | 4 |
| SPED 412 | Understanding Special Education Law & Ethics | 4 |
| SPED 418 | Foundations of Assessment and Instruction | 3 |
| SPED 426 | Preparing for Professional Practice | 3 |
| SPED 438 | Collaboration with Diverse Families in Special Education | 4 |
| SPED 442 | Teaching Reading to Learners with Disabilities | 4 |
| SPED 443 | Teaching Writing to Learners with Disabilities | 4 |
| SPED 444 | Facilitating the Transition to Adulthood for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 452 | Teaching Mathematics and Science to Learners with Disabilities I | 4 |
| SPED 453 | Teaching Mathematics and Science to Learners with Disabilities II | 4 |
| SPED 462 | Facilitating Educational Access for Students with Extensive Support Needs | 3 |
| SPED 470 | School-Wide Behavior Supports in Learning Environments | 3 |
| SPED 471 | Individualized Behavior Supports for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
for the degree of Bachelor of Science: Major in Special Education
Sample Sequence
This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.
Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. For more information, see the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| EDUC 101 | 1 | Composition I or General Education course | 3 |
| EDUC 201 | 3 | PSYC 100 | 4 |
| Composition I or General Education course | 4 | SPED 117 | 3 |
| Language Other Than English (3rd level) or General Education course | 4 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course (Humanities & Arts with a Cultural Studies; Western or Non-Western designation) | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| EDUC 202 | 3 | CI 415 | 3 |
| EPSY 201, HDFS 105, or PSYC 216 | 3 | SPED 410 | 4 |
| HK 262 | 3 | SPED 412 | 4 |
| SHS 320 | 3 | SPED 438 | 4 |
| General Education course | 3 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| CI 431 | 4 | EDPR 250 | 2 |
| CI 475 | 4 | SPED 442 | 4 |
| EDPR 250 | 2 | SPED 452 | 4 |
| SPED 418 | 3 | SPED 462 | 3 |
| SPED 470 | 3 | SPED 471 | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| EDPR 420 | 6 | SPED 426 | 3 |
| SPED 442 | 4 | EDPR 420 | 12 |
| SPED 444 | 3 | ||
| SPED 452 | 4 | ||
| 17 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 125 | |||
for the degree of Bachelor of Science: Major in Special Education
- Students will develop a deep understanding of central concepts, tools of inquiry and structures of the discipline of special education and of the content they teach.
- Students will apply multiple methods of assessment to generate data for use in monitoring learner progress and guiding teacher decision-making.
- Students will demonstrate consistently in their practice a commitment to fairness, collaboration, professionalism, and the belief that all students can learn.
for the degree of Bachelor of Science: Major in Special Education
College of Education
Education Building, 1310 S. Sixth Street, Champaign, IL 61820
College of Education website
Department of Special Education
288 Education Building
Special Education email: andrewsl@education.illinois.edu
Phone: (217) 333-0260
Department of Special Education website
Department of Special Education faculty
Office of Undergraduate Programs
110 Education Building
Education Academic Affairs email: saao@education.illinois.edu
(217) 333-2800
Admissions & Academics website
Student Academic Affairs website