Undergraduates completing this degree program will take coursework and field experiences that prepares teachers to work with students with mild to moderate disabilities such as specific learning disabilities (e.g., dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia) as well as students with a mild/moderate form of autism, intellectual disability, behavior or other health impairment.
The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education faculty and staff in general and special education collaborate to ensure undergraduate students learn critical knowledge and skills embedded within structured experiences to effectively teach students of all abilities.
The Bachelor of Science in Special Education degree program is accredited by the national Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. This ensures degree requirements meet the standards established by CAEP and the Council for Exceptional Children. CAEP accreditation ensures faculty create a culture of evidence-based best practices delivered through a rigorous course of study that prepares individuals to become competent and caring educators.
The four-year Special Education Plan of Study consists of 124 semester hours of coursework. This does not include remedial coursework needed by individuals or two semesters of college-level foreign language if the applicant is not able to test-out of this requirement. Our program embeds more than 400 hours of mentored classroom and tutoring experiences prior to a 16-week student teaching internship. Students complete general education, professional education and specialized education courses as depicted in the degree check sheet linked below. The second page of the Bachelor of Special Education Degree Sheet lists a suggested sequence of courses students need to complete each semester to attain the degree in four years.
Degree checksheet for this program
Special Education Certification (Mild/Mod) + General Education Certification = Highly Qualified
One hundred percent of graduates from the Bachelor of Science in Special Education program have attained Special Education mild/moderate teacher certification, pre-kindergarten through high school. In addition, students must pass the associated general education (early childhood, elementary, secondary subject area) state exam after obtaining an initial Special Education certification. Students may need to take additional courses to gain needed expertise to pass these state exams. The following areas are offered within general education:
Certification for Non-U.S. Citizens
Non-U.S. citizens can attain Oklahoma Special Education teacher certification upon successful program completion and passing required Oklahoma certification exams.
Application Materials and Advising
The Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education Undergraduate Advising Office serves as the advising and information center for undergraduate students who plan to major in Special Education and for current undergraduate Special Education majors. The Undergraduate Advising Office is in Collings Hall, Room 137 and can be contacted by calling 405-325-2238 or by email at jrcoe.advising@ou.edu.
Admission Requirements
When undergraduate students at the University of Oklahoma meet the following criteria, they become eligible to apply for admission into the JRCoE Special Education Program.
Admission Timeline
| Application Due Date | Start Date | Description |
|---|---|---|
| August | Fall | This is for students who have completed all the above admission requirements and plan to enroll in fall JRCoE courses. |
| October | Spring | This is for students who will complete the above list of requirements by the last day of final exams for the fall semester. If the OGET exam is not passed or a course is not successfully completed, full admission may be rescinded. |
| January | Spring | This is for students who have completed all the above admission requirements and plan to enroll in spring JRCoE courses. |
| March | Summer or Fall | This is for students who will complete the above list of requirements by the last day of final exams of the spring semester. If the OGET exam is not passed or a course is not successfully completed, full admission may be rescinded. |
Complete and Submit Application
Foreign Language Oral Proficiency Requirement
Demands created by a rapidly increasing multicultural society caused the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to require all incoming freshman education students to demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language. Students who do not score at the novice-high level on a foreign language test need to enroll in language courses. In addition to the traditional languages (Spanish, French, Italian, German, etc.), American Sign Language* and Native American Languages meet this requirement and both options are offered at the University of Oklahoma.
*Note: Declared Education majors receive priority enrollment privileges into ASL courses over non-Education majors.
Coursework
The four-year Bachelor of Science in Special Education consists of 124 semester hours of courses (not including remedial coursework or the two required semesters of college-level Foreign Language coursework), field experiences, and two student teaching internships. The documents below contain specific information about the undergraduate Special Education Program.
Becoming Highly Qualified Teacher in Early Childhood, Elementary, or Secondary Education
To be considered a “Highly Qualified Teacher” under the State of Oklahoma standards, students should prepare to take a certification test in at least one general education area (early childhood, elementary, secondary subject area) and are encouraged to take additional courses as electives to prepare for these certification areas. Early Childhood and Elementary Certification may be added on after the student has been traditionally certified in Special Education and passed the corresponding OSAT for the general education area. Secondary subject areas may also be added on after passing the corresponding OSAT.
Early in their programs, students should discuss their career goals with their advisor to plan appropriate coursework and field experiences. More information can be found at the Certification Examination for Oklahoma Educators website. To obtain more information about Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary certification and appropriate coursework, download the “Highly Qualified”(PDF) document and discuss career plans with your education academic advisor.
