Overview
Bethel’s B.A. in Special Education Academic Behavioral Strategist license (ABS) will help you become a skilled professional in a high-demand profession. You’ll learn to customize learning experiences with evidence-based practices in order to meet individual needs and serve students with compassion in a variety of roles. This program will build your knowledge base and refine your skills to assess, plan, and educate students with mild to moderate disabilities. You will also learn skills to become a collaborative professional in the field of special education.
Students graduating with a Bachelors of Arts degree in Special Education will be able to:
- Develop habits of self-directed, lifelong learning in order to navigate the evolving field of special education.
- Utilize critical thinking and data-based decision making in the implementation of appropriate special education programming.
- Apply ethical principles to the profession of special education.
- Demonstrate effective collaboration skills to use with K-12 public schools, families, and outside agencies.
- Respond appropriately to cultural and faith differences at school and in the family.
- Integrate a Christian perspective and personal values with the professional practice of special education.
- Demonstrate a synthesis of license-specific standards and general best practices.
Fieldwork and Licensing Requirements
The Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) requires all approved ABS programs to include coursework meeting state standards in three categories: standards of effective practice, special education core skills, and ABS content standards. These required standards are addressed in the program coursework. Additionally, PELSB requires teacher candidates to complete a minimum of 100 field placement hours prior to 12 weeks of student teaching. Bethel's B.A. in Special Education program integrates four unique field experiences throughout the program and the final semester includes 12 weeks of student teaching. Teacher candidates will complete an education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) during student teaching. At some point during the program, teacher candidates will complete a Basic Skills test, and two Minnesota Teacher Licensure Exams in Pedagogy and Special Education Core Skills. A passing score on these exams will allow teacher candidates to obtain the highest license.
If PELSB changes any content standards or education standards after a student is admitted into a Bethel education program, the student is responsible to find, complete, and pay for appropriate classes to meet the standard(s) either at Bethel or another college/university.
Progression and Graduation
To progress in the program and graduate, the student must meet Bethel University requirements for academic progress. In addition to graduation requirements common to all undergraduate programs at Bethel, students in special education must:
- Earn a grade of C or better in each program course and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher. This indicates satisfactory achievement of objectives and completion of course requirements.
- Demonstrate professional traits of educators.
- Uphold ethical practices in special education.
Admission Requirements
The Special Education major will consider applicants who:
- Meet the general requirements for admission to the College of Adult and Professional Studies.
- Have a transcript evaluation completed to determine which, if any, outstanding course requirements or needed credits must be fulfilled.
Students who have not achieved the minimum GPA, grade standards, or other assessment criteria may still apply to be considered for provisional acceptance. See Admission Categories.
Degree Requirements
The required curriculum for the B.A. Special Education, K-12, Academic Behavioral Strategist major comprises a 60 semester credit sequence of courses intended to be taken consecutively throughout the calendar year. For course sequence, request a program calendar from the College of Adult & Professional Studies. ENGL 225R, or an equivalent transfer, is a program prerequisite and must be completed before taking the below courses.
All curriculum has been approved by the MN PELSB and meets MN K-12 ABS license standards.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
EDUC 321 | Foundations in Education | 3 |
EDUC 324 | Educational Psychology | 4 |
EDUC 326 | General Methods of Instruction | 3 |
EDUC 363 | Educational Equity | 3 |
EDUC 368 | Classroom Technology | 2 |
EDUC 395 | School-wide Systems Field Experience | 1 |
EDUC 451 | Special Education Student Teaching Seminar * | 3 |
SPED 305 | Introduction to Special Education | 2 |
SPED 308 | Introduction to Academic Instruction and Behavior Management for Exceptional Learners | 3 |
SPED 320 | Reading Foundations | 3 |
SPED 321 | Reading Field Experience | 1 |
SPED 400 | Characteristics of Mild-Moderate Disabilities | 3 |
SPED 410 | Norm-Referenced Assessment | 4 |
SPED 418 | Foundations of Instructional Strategies for Students with Mild-Moderate Disabilities | 4 |
SPED 425 | Special Education: Planning and Programming | 3 |
SPED 431 | Responsive Instruction, Intervention and Assessment | 3 |
SPED 441 | Introduction to Behavioral Methods & Mental Health for Mild-Moderate Special Needs | 3 |
SPED 455 | Classroom-based Assessment | 3 |
SPED 470 | Assessment Field Experience | 1 |
SPED 473 | ABS Field Experience | 1 |
SPED 475 | Consultation, Collaboration, and Resources | 3 |
SPED 480H | Student Teaching: Academic Behavioral Strategist * | 4 |
Special Education Major Total | 60 | |
General Education, Core Distinctive, and Elective Courses ‡ | 62 | |
Total Credits | 122 |
- *
Course must be taken for credit at Bethel.
- ‡
Elective credits can include credits transferred from prior degrees and institutions.
Adult Professional Studies
College of Arts Sciences
Graduate School
- Academic Behavioral Strategist K-12 (ABS) License
- Autism Spectrum Disorders B-21 (ASD) License
- Developmental Disabilities K-12 License
- Director of Special Education License
- Ed.D. Leadership in K-12 Administration
- Emotional/Behavioral Disorders K-12 (EBD) License
- M.A. in Education K-12
- M.A. in Special Education
- Teacher Coordinator of Work-Based Learning License