The 3+2 Special Education Program allows students to complete a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and a Master of Arts in Special Education in five years. Students apply to the program by December of their year prior to their residency experience. To be accepted into the 3+2 Special Education Program, each student must:
- Provide letters of recommendation from at least one Education Department faculty member and one faculty member of a core content area department
- Have demonstrated content knowledge by passing the relevant Praxis exam(s) as defined by the Colorado Department of Education
- Be accepted into Western's Teacher Licensure Program
- Successfully complete EDUC 340 Application of Pedagogy and Practice or show proof of registration
- Be on track to complete all coursework required within the academic major
Upon completion of these requirements, students will be designated as "MA in Special Education candidates with provisional acceptance." Upon completion of the final undergraduate credits for the Western BA, students will be designated as "Master of Arts in Special Education degree-seeking students." Students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 Special Education Degree Program and all Western undergraduate requirements yet choose to leave the Master of Arts in Special Education program before year five, will still have completed the BA in Special Education, and are eligible to apply for initial teacher license.
Students seeking Special Education Generalist (Ages 5-21) Li censure in the 3+2 Special Education Program must complete the interdisciplinary requirements of the Special Education Standard Major, all other University requirements, and the Special Education Generalist (Ages 5-21) requirements set forth by the Colorado Department of Education.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Elementary Education/Special Education Core Content: | ||
| BIOL 130 | Environmental Biology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| BIOL 135 | Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| GEOL 101 | Physical Geology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| GEOL 105 | Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| or MATH 113 | Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) | |
| MATH 221 | Foundations of Mathematics for Teaching I | 3 |
| MATH 222 | Foundations of Mathematics for Teaching II | 3 |
| MATH 323 | Foundations of Mathematics for Teaching III | 3 |
| PHYS 140 | Introductory Physics (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| Two of the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Literature (GT-AH2) | ||
| Introduction to Creative Writing (GT-AH1) | ||
| Grammar and the English Language | ||
| Critical Approaches to Literature (GT-AH2) | ||
| Women Writers | ||
| Four of the following (courses must include at least 3 disciplines): | 12 | |
| Macroeconomics (GT-SS1) | ||
| Microeconomics | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Introduction to Human Geography (GT-SS2) | ||
| Geography of North America (GT-SS2) | ||
| Geography of Latin America and the Caribbean | ||
| Topics in World History (GT-HI1) | ||
| American History through Reconstruction (GT-HI1) | ||
| U.S. History from the Civil War (GT-HI1) | ||
| Introduction to Environmental History (GT-HI1) | ||
| History of the Middle East (GT-HI1) | ||
| History of Europe (GT-HI1) | ||
| History of Africa (GT-HI1) | ||
| East Asia, 1500 - present | ||
| History of Latin America (GT-HI1) | ||
| Colorado History | ||
| History of the Hispanic Southwest | ||
| Democracy, Capitalism, and Their Critics (GT-HI1) | ||
| Power in America (GT-SS1) | ||
| Politics of the Environment | ||
| Total Credits | 42 | |
The residency for Special Education Licensure must be completed in a K-12 setting, working with students who are receiving special education services. Students are expected to work cooperatively a minimum of 24 hours per week with qualified mentor special education teachers. During this year-long clinical residency, students are applying and extending the pedagogical knowledge that they are learning in their Education courses. The Special Education licensure coursework and the post-licensure coursework are taught online.
Specialization (18 credits)
The Special Education Major requires students take at least 18 credits in a specialized area of interest. The student may choose to minor in any minor offered at Western Colorado
University. Although it is not required, it is highly recommended that all 3+2 Special Education Majors strongly consider a minor in Psychology or Child Development.
Required Education Coursework
The Special Education Licensure Program requires 42 credits of Education coursework and the Gateway course.
Pre-Residency Coursework (15 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 000 | Education Gateway Course | 0 |
| EDUC 102 | Learning & Teaching (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| EDUC 202 | Past, Present, and Future of Schooling in the US (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| EDUC 210 | Science Teaching Methods | 3 |
| EDUC 326 | Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice in Education | 3 |
| EDUC 340 | Application of Pedagogy and Practice | 3 |
Special Education licensure coursework to be taken in year 4 of the Master’s in Special Education 3+2 (27 credits)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDUC 412 | Inclusive Assessment & Comprehensive Programming | 3 |
| EDUC 432 | Inclusive Schools | 3 |
| EDUC 600 | Foundations of Literacy Development | 3 |
| EDUC 601 | Methods and Strategies of Effective Reading Instruction | 3 |
| EDUC 611 | Strategies for Teaching Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| EDUC 614 | Inclusivity with Collaboration | 3 |
| EDUC 615 | Student Teaching for Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| EDUC 615 | Student Teaching for Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| EDUC 630 | Inclusivity in the Content Areas | 3 |
| Total Credits | 27 | |
All Special Education 3+2 students will be required to take 9 credits of 600 level education electives.
Elective Education coursework to be taken in year 5 of the MA 3+2 Special Education Program. Please see the Graduate Catalog for program overviews and requirements for completing Master’s degrees and additional Colorado Teacher Endorsement areas.
Western Watershed General Education Requirements
Students must complete all Western Watershed General Education requirements to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
Sample Plan
Degree Plans are for planning purposes. They reflect a suggested plan to complete the degree in a projected timeframe per program of study.
“Western Watershed Course(s)” refers to a course from the Tributaries area of the Western Watershed program. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BIOL 130 | Environmental Biology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| BIOL 135 | Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| EDUC 000 | Education Gateway Course | 0 |
| EDUC 102 | Learning & Teaching (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) (Western Watershed Fundamental Skills - Writing I) | 3 |
| MATH 140 or MATH 113 |
College Algebra (GT-MA1) (Western Watershed Fundamental Skills - Mathematics) or Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) |
3 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Headwaters (select one) | 2 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) (Western Watershed Fundamental Skills - Writing II) | 3 |
| PHYS 140 | Introductory Physics (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed course | 9 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 202 | Past, Present, and Future of Schooling in the US (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| MATH 221 | Foundations of Mathematics for Teaching I | 3 |
| Elective | Specialization Elective | 3 |
| Elective | ENG Elective | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed course | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 210 | Science Teaching Methods | 3 |
| GEOL 101 | Physical Geology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| GEOL 105 | Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| MATH 222 | Foundations of Mathematics for Teaching II | 3 |
| Elective | Specialization Elective | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed course | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| MATH 323 | Foundations of Mathematics for Teaching III | 3 |
| Elective | Specialization Elective | 6 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed course | 6 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 326 | Equity, Diversity, and Social Justice in Education | 3 |
| EDUC 340 | Application of Pedagogy and Practice | 3 |
| Elective | ENG Elective | 3 |
| Elective | Specialization Elective | 3 |
| Elecive | Specialization Elective (upper division) | 3 |
| WWGE 301/302/303/304 | Delta (select one) | 1 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| EDUC 432 | Inclusive Schools | 3 |
| EDUC 611 | Strategies for Teaching Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| EDUC 614 | Inclusivity with Collaboration | 3 |
| EDUC 615 | Student Teaching for Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| EDUC 630 | Inclusivity in the Content Areas | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EDUC 412 | Inclusive Assessment & Comprehensive Programming | 3 |
| EDUC 600 | Foundations of Literacy Development | 3 |
| EDUC 601 | Methods and Strategies of Effective Reading Instruction | 3 |
| EDUC 615 | Student Teaching for Students with Exceptionalities | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Western is committed to doing our part to provide each student a clear path to graduation. This four‐year degree plan is a sample map for fulfilling requirements in the major and General Education. The pathway that you take to your degree may differ somewhat from this