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The special education program at Saint Martin's provides graduates with the education and training to work in settings such as an inclusionary classroom, a resource room, or a self-contained special education class.

Program highlights

The University's special education program provides a rigorous educational environment in which faculty members work closely with their students. Small classes allow students to receive individual attention from faculty with extensive experience as University educators and in the kindergarten-12 education system.

Additional benefits include:

  • National accreditation
  • Approved by the Washington State Board of Education
  • 97% of our graduates find teaching jobs
  • Study abroad opportunities open doors to teaching internationally
  • Top employers includes public schools in Washington, Hawaii and California
  • Two subject endorsements required to better prepare students for employability
  • Educational endorsements aligned with most majors offered on campus
  • Ongoing experience in schools throughout the program

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  • Career paths

    A degree in special education prepares graduates to work with people with special needs in a learning environment such as:

    • K-12 school systems
    • Day care centers
    • Community organizations
    • Residential care facilities

    For a complete list of professional applications, visit "What Can I Do With This Major?". For additional information about how Saint Martin’s can help you find the career for you, visit our Career Center.

Requirements

To insure proper sequencing of courses, students planning to enter the program must consult an advisor from the College of Education to taking courses at the University.

Major requirements

  • 24-35 semester hours of pre-professional courses 
  • 59 semester hours of core courses 
  • 128-148 semester hours of preschool-12 teaching internship

In addition to the primary endorsement in special education, students are required to complete at least one additional endorsement with 30 to 40 semester hours of credit in an area of academic field emphasis. The additional endorsement may be earned either at Saint Martin's University or elsewhere. Depending on the academic field and with careful planning, this endorsement/academic field may require only 14 or 15 semester hours.

NOTE: Completion of the special education major and endorsement program does not allow the certificate-holder to teach in a regular elementary or secondary classroom. Therefore, candidates also must complete the required elementary or secondary sequence, including at least eight weeks of internship in a regular classroom.

  • Pre-professional courses (24-25 semester hours)
    MTHOne mathematics course above MTH 201
    HISOne U.S. history course (elementary and SED dual endorsements only)
    HISOne world history course (elementary and SED dual endorsements only)
    BIO/CHM/PHYOne natural science course with laboratory (elementary and SED dual endorsements only)
    PSY 101Introduction to Psychology
    ENG 101College Writing I
    ENG 102College Writing II
    COM 106
    -or-
    THR 211    		Public Address
    -or-
    Acting I
    ED 204Introduction to Education
    ED 205Child and Adolescent Development
    SOC 396
    -or-
    ED 202    		Intercultural Communications
    -or-
    Diversity in Educational Systems

     

  • Core courses (59 semester hours)

    Certification core requirements (22 semester hours):
    • ED 304 Directed Practicum Level I (1)
    • ED 306 Curriculum and Instruction (3)
    • ED 312 Classroom Technology (3)
    • SED 359 Introduction to Exceptionality (3)
    • ED 360 Classroom Management (3)
    • ED 362 Educational Law and Issues of Abuse (3)
    • ED 426 Methods of Teaching Language Acquisition (3)
    • ED 470 Classroom Assessment (3)

    Special education methods requirements (25 semester hours):
    • ED 408 Directed Practicum Level II (1)
    • ED 424 Early Childhood Education (for P-3rd Grade)-or- ED 426 Methods of Teaching Language Acquisition (3)*
    • SED 445 School Drug Prevention and Counseling (for 4th-12th Grade) or other coursework as approved by program director (3)*
    • SED 461 Instructional Methods of Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 463 Management Strategies for Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 465 Transition to Adulthood for Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 466 Assessment of Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 467 Legal Issues and the IFSP/IEP (3)
    • SED 469 Seminar and Practicum in Special Education (3)
    • ED 477 Reading Diagnosis (3)

    Internship requirement (12 semester hours):
    • SED 493 Internship: Special Education (10)
    • ED 498 Teacher Internship Seminar (2)

Minor requirements

  • 21 semester hours of upper-division courses

NOTE: The minor in SED does not include a complete endorsement in special education.

  • Upper-division courses (21 semester hours)

    Upper-division courses (21 semester hours):
    • SED 359 Introduction to Exceptionality (3)
    • SED 461 Instructional Methods of Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 463 Management Strategies for Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 465 Transition to Adulthood for Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 466 Assessment in Exceptional Learners (3)
    • SED 467 Legal Issues and the IFSP/IEP (3)
    • SED 469 Seminar and Practicum in Special Education (3)

    Visit the undergraduate academic catalog for a complete breakdown of special education requirements.

Faculty