Do you want to advocate for students with diverse learning needs? Well, special education might be the career path for you! BYU has a wonderful Special Education K-12 degree that has you working with students in the classroom from your very first class in the program. Interested in this major? Take a prerequisite from the list below!
CPSE 203: Introduction to Special Education
This is a perfect opportunity to dip your feet in and see what you think about special education! This course focuses on the different categories of disabilities as well as the differences between mild/moderate and severe emphases in the major. You will have the opportunity to spend 12 hours in public school classrooms to gain experience and solidify if this is what you want to study!
MthEd 305: Basic Concepts in Math
We talked to Special Education student, Rose Dayley, to get some feedback on this prerequisite. She said the following: "When you hear of people taking advanced college math classes, people kind of scoff at the term "El Ed Math Class" [but] it challenged so many ways we solve problems." She added that it was challenging, yet fun! Rose said that "it will help me as a teacher as it challenged my fixed mindset about traditional math strategies. It helped me to see that children are more capable than we think, especially as we let them get creative and watch them as they problem solve in their own way."
CPSE 425: Foundations in Language Arts
This class provides you with your first "practicum" style experience. Which means you learn how to teach literacy to students with both severe and mild/moderate disabilities. Then get to go to a classroom and put those new skills into action! This course focuses on reading assessments, tips and tricks on teaching phonetics, and targeted reading intervention.
We hope to see you in our Special Education courses next semester! If you have any questions about the application process, meet with an academic advisor or chat with our Special Education ambassador to hear her experience in these courses/in the program!