Undergraduate Special Education

About the Special Education Program

The Special Education Department at Slippery Rock University has a rich history in the field of special education. The Department was established in the early 1960s under the leadership of Dr. Jack Dinger and has become a national influence on school districts and community programs for persons with disabilities during the past several decades. Graduates from the program have secured full-time teaching positions in the greater Pittsburgh area and across the country, including Pennsylvania, Florida, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Utah, Virginia and many more, even internationally in Qatar and the Virgin Islands.

What Can I Do With an Special Education Degree?

Because special education can encompass any academic subject or life skill, the special education major must be well-versed in a number of subjects. Each student with special needs is different and the settings in which a special educator serves are constantly changing. Typically, positions in the field of special education involve educating children with disabilities, which can range from speech and language impairments to emotional and behavioral disorders, in settings ranging from general education classrooms to specialized public and private schools. At the undergraduate level, a special education certification enables graduates to teach children who are identified as having intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, physical disabilities or behavior disorders in school placements from pre-kindergarten through grade twelve.

Why Choose a Special Education Degree?

• Field-based learning
  Special education/early childhood majors benefit from six semesters of hands-on-field experiences in western Pennsylvania public schools. .
• Experienced faculty
  You will be taught by full-time faculty members, not graduate assistants, who have public and private school teaching, administrative and supervisor experience.
• Projects and research with faculty
  Students who receive their professional development through the department have an opportunity to learn and work closely with faculty members who have presented research and scholarly work at the state, national and international levels.
• Support and guidance
  Every undergraduate is assigned an academic adviser to guide you through your program of study and to help you make decisions to achieve your educational and career goals.
• Accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Council
  for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
  Accreditation by the CAEP means that our program meets or exceeds the industry standards developed by experts in the field.