Special Education - BS, BA

About This Degree

Utah State's Department of Special Education and Counseling is consistently ranked among the top 20 education programs in the country by U.S. News and World Report.

Students graduating from USU with a degree in special education are highly sought after by school districts across Utah and the United States. Utah State has a 100% job placement rate for special education graduates, with many students getting hired before they even graduate.

The department offers a number of unique educational and training opportunities for those interested in working with children and youth with disabilities. The program prepares students to work with individuals who have mild, moderate, and severe disabilities, as well as young children with disabilities. Students are given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience working with local school districts or on-campus programs.

The special education degree is offered on the Logan Main Campus as a traditional teacher preparation program. It is also offered online across the state for teacher candidates who are working as a para-professional or teacher of record in Utah (OPTT - Online Teacher Preparation Program).

The special education major on the Logan Main Campus is a popular choice for a composite major with Elementary Education (meaning students who graduate can apply for both an Elementary Education and a Special Education License).

Students receive a first or 2nd BS by completing all required courses in the major. To receive a BA, students must also gain proficiency in one or more foreign languages. OPTT (Online Practical Teacher Training) can also be taken towards a master's degree.

Emphases:

Students must choose an emphasis in one of the following areas

Birth to Age 5 Special Education:

This emphasis prepares graduates to work with children ages birth to five years who have disabilities. Children ages birth to three years are typically served by early intervention programs in their homes. Children three to five years are taught in public preschool settings within local school districts. Students in this emphasis may choose to combine this emphasis with either the mild/moderate disabilities emphasis or the severe disabilities emphasis.

Severe Disabilities:

This emphasis prepares graduates to work with students who have low-incidence disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, traumatic and acquired brain injury, and multiple disabilities. Graduates typically teach academic and life skills in a K-12 classroom or in a post-secondary setting (students age 18-21).

Mild/Moderate Disabilities:

This emphasis prepares graduates to work with students who have high-incidence disabilities, such as learning disabilities, mild/moderate intellectual disabilities, behavior and emotional disorders, or communication disorders. Educators work with children in grades K-12 in a resource-room setting or inclusive setting teaching academic skills.

Visual Impairment:

The visual impairments emphasis allows teachers to teach students who are blind or have visual impairments kindergarten to twelfth grade. This program is a Multi-University Consortium Teacher Preparation Program in Sensory Impairments with the Special Education Departments at Utah State University and the University of Utah. Once admitted to the major, students will take courses both at USU (fall and spring terms) and at the University of Utah in the summers. This Consortium is one of only 35 programs in visual impairments in the United States.

Courses address characteristics of disabilities, inclusion of students in general education, behavioral interventions, assessment, effective instruction, consulting with parents and teachers, assistive technology, Literary Braille, Nemeth Braille, orientation and mobility, and policies and procedures.