Preliminary Education Specialist Credential: Mild-Moderate Disabilities

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Special Education Programs of Study

Faculty: Jacki L. Anderson (Coordinator, Moderate-Severe Disabilities), Ann T. Halvorsen, Linda Smetana (Coordinator, Mild-Moderate Disabilities)

The Special Education program prepares their graduates for careers in direct teaching and for leadership roles in Special Education. Programs are offered which lead to the Master of Science degree and/or to the Education Specialist: Mild-Moderate and Moderate-Severe Disabilities Credentials.

The emphasis is on providing students with a wide range of practical methods for enhancing the lives of individuals with exceptional needs. To this end, coursework is taught by successful practitioners in the field. Also, the programs provide extensive supervised fieldwork in settings that are appropriate to each student’s professional goals.

Additional Program Requirement:

To earn the Preliminary Education Specialist Credential in Mild-Moderate Disabilities all candidates must:

(1) hold a valid Multiple Subject or Single Subject Teaching Credential, or

(2) be enrolled in the joint Multiple Subject/Education Specialist (TED/SPED) program.

Credential Requirements (89-93 units)

Required Courses

EPSY 5021 - Introduction to Educating all Students in Diverse Classrooms Units: 4
EPSY 5125 - Educational Practices: Mild-Moderate Disabilities Units: 4
EPSY 5126 - Special Education Law and Program Design Units: 4
EPSY 6120 - Communication: Collaborative Teaming and Management Units: 4
EPSY 6124 - Augmentative Communication and Assistive Technology Units: 4
EPSY 6127 - Instruction and Behavioral Support: Mild-Moderate Disabilities Units: 4
EPSY 6129 - Advanced Study in Collaborative Service Delivery, Education, and Transition Units: 4
EPSY 6131 - Assessments: Students with Mild-Moderate Disabilities Units: 4
EPSY 6133 - Curriculum: Students with Mild-Moderate Disabilities Units: 4
EPSY 6134 - Advanced Curriculum and Instruction: Mild-Moderate Disabilities Units: 4
EPSY 6141 - Social Networks and Communication for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Other Disabilities Units: 4
EPSY 6143 - Positive Behavior Supports Units: 4
EPSY 6206 - Advanced Studies in the Education of Students with Mild-Moderate Disabilities: Research and Professional Practice Units: 4
EPSY 6670 - Field Work Group Supervision I Units: 3
EPSY 6860 - Advanced Fieldwork I Units: 2-4 (students in this program are required to take as a 4-unit course)
EPSY 6862 - Advanced Fieldwork II Units: 2-4 (students in this program are required to take as a 4-unit course)
EPSY 6880 - Advanced Internship Units: 2-15 (A maximum of 12 units are required for the credential: 4 units to be taken in Winter Quarter; 8 units to be taken in Spring Quarter)
EPSY 6999 - Issues in Educational Psychology Units: 2 (A maximum of 12 units are required for the credential; 2 units/quarter for 6 quarters)

Special Education Teacher Internship Program Mild-Moderate Disabilities Education Specialist Credentials

Complete the courses listed above for the Preliminary Mild-Moderate Disabilities Education Specialist Credential, in addition to:

EPSY 6770 - Internship Units: 2-6 (number of units depends on point-of-entry into internship) 2-6 units; may be repeated two times for credit, for a maximum of 18 units (special education candidates may take 6770 for a maximum of 8 units.)
The internship program will allow you to earn your Education Specialist credential while continuing to teach full-time.

Concurrent Multiple Subject and Education Specialist Credentials (Mild-Moderate and Moderate-Severe Preliminary) - TED/SPED

In this program, candidates earn both Multiple Subject and Educational Specialist Credentials (either Mild-Moderate or Moderate-Severe). The requirements for the Multiple Subject Credential are listed under “Standard Pathway” in the “Multiple or Single Subject Credential Programs” section of the Department of Teacher Education chapter in this Catalog. The requirements for the Preliminary Education Specialist Credentials are listed above. This is a two-year program, and the schedule of course offerings will vary with each entering cohort.