Teaching is a challenging, yet highly rewarding career path! Majoring in Special Education provides an opportunity for you to teach and inspire students in a variety of ways. Special Education teachers are responsible for the knowledge and skills to practice safely, ethically, and effectively with a multi-categorical population of students with special needs. Check out the academic catalog (links below) to learn more about the exciting opportunities that await you as a Special Education major at Mayville State University!
If you do not yet have a bachelor's degree, you can earn a double major with the Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Special Education online or on campus, and a major in early childhood education, elementary education, or secondary education. Students completing their early childhood education, elementary education, or secondary education majors through other universities may concurrently pursue the special education major at Mayville State entirely online.
Special Education Majors
Special Education B.S.Ed. (Double-Major Option)
Special Education B.S.Ed. (Stand-Alone/Fast-Track Option)
Special Education Minor
Special Education Certificate
A Need for Qualified Teachers
The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), the discipline's professional organization, has acknowledged a "chronic and severe shortage of personnel to deliver special education services." The U.S. Department of Education approximated 50,000 individuals practicing special education who are unqualified. This negatively impacts the learning of more than one million students with disabilities. Mayville State's bachelor's level program meets entry-level expectations for special educators in the areas of standards-based curriculum content, subject matter content, and individualized pedagogical content.
Qualifications
Graduates of Mayville State's B.S.Ed. program in special education will be prepared to meet requirements of CEC Common Core of Knowledge and Skills, the Individualized General Education Curriculum, and Individualized Independence Curriculum or Early Childhood Special Education/Early Intervention, of the CEC, and endorsement standards for the state of North Dakota.
Career Options
Individuals with this degree will be equipped to work in a variety of career options. They might support people with disabilities in schools, or work in human service agencies, adult education, or community-home support. Students pursuing this degree will complete courses online and face-to-face in early childhood, elementary, or secondary special education. Students will be eligible to apply for early childhood, elementary, or secondary teaching licensure.
Transfer Students
Mayville State is working with community and technical colleges in North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Arizona, and Washington. Click here to see articulation agreements between Mayville State and a variety of community and technical colleges. Please note that these are provided for reference only. Actual transfer credit granted will vary.
Standalone/Fast-Track Option
The goal of the Special Education program is to prepare teacher candidates for entry to special education professional practice with knowledge and skills and skills to practice safely, ethically, and effectively with a multi-catergorical population of students with special needs. Special education candidates must master appropriate core academic subject matter as well as be prepared for the complex challenges of teaching individuals with exceptional learning needs. The Special Education program seeks to prepare students to:
-
Apply specialized pedagogical knowledge subject matter content.
-
Master appropriate core academic subject matter content.
-
Demonstrate instructional strategies and assessments that are developmentally appropriate for diverse learners.
-
Observe, document, and analyze characteristics, behaviors, and learning environments of populations with special needs.
-
Demonstrate professional dispositions and ethical practice through collaborative interactions.
-
Apply effective verbal and non-verbal communication, multi-media, and using current technology skills in specialized settings.
The Special Education program is available completely online.
-
Classes are scheduled for summer, fall, or spring terms.
-
This program supports a traditional 4-year degree, transfer students, and the possibility of receiving a bachelor’s degree in as little as 2.5 years.
-
This Fast-track option has been uniquely developed incorporating 8-week and 16-week courses.
BSED Special Education Factsheet (Standalone major option)
More Information
Want to learn more? Contact Mayville State Academic Advising Director, Teri Wright at teri.wright@mayvillestate.edu or Dr. Carly Theis at carly.theis@mayvillestate.edu.
My experience throughout the Special Education programming at Mayville State University has been truly outstanding. I chose Mayville because of the convenience of their online classes, which allowed me to balance my education with my other commitments. I also had several colleagues who had attended Mayville and they shared nothing but positive experiences. With Mayville State's reputation for having one of the best teaching programs available, it was an easy decision to enroll.