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Undergraduate Catalog 2021-2022

Special Education B.A. — Early Childhood Special Education Liberal Arts Emphasis (Birth to 8 Years)

Program temporarily not accepting new applications for admissions.

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Contact: Nancy M. Sileo or Jennifer Lieber

Location: McKee 29

Telephone: 970.351.2691

Fax: 970.351.1061

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/sped

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. University-Wide Credits

Program Description:

The curriculum consists of recommended Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements and courses in early childhood and early childhood special education theory, practice, and pedagogy to ensure students have the breadth of knowledge needed in early childhood special education. Strong emphasis is placed on promoting families as partners, collaborative and cross-disciplinary service approaches, recommended intervention practices that are based on research evidence, and appropriate practices for work with children and their families across a range of abilities and cultural experiences. Students are required to take technology courses; and the use of technology is incorporated into the special education coursework. Field based experiences with children in three age-groups birth to 2 years, 3- 5 years, and 5-8 years are included in coursework. The program addresses national and state early childhood special education professional standards for the promotion of development and learning of young children from birth to age 8 in inclusive settings. 

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits

Written Communication — 6 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

The following courses are recommended, but not required for the major:

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

These courses are recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

  • MATH 181 Fundamentals of Mathematics I: Number and Operations 
  • MATH 182 Fundamental Mathematics II: Algebra, Probability and Data Analysis

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies, and International Studies — 15 credits

To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list. Please work with your advisor for recommended courses for this section of LAC.

See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. Required Major — 71 credits

Required Major Courses — 39 credits

Take all of the following courses:

EDSE 201Culture of Special Education

3

EDSE 203The Individualized Education Program and the Collaborative Process

3

EDSE 270Field-Based Experience

3

EDSE 331Typical and Atypical Development of Young Children

3

EDSE 332Appropriate Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education

3

EDSE 333Evidence-based Practices for Preschool Learners, 3-5 Years

3

EDSE 334Evidence-based Practices for Young Learners, 5 to 8 Years

3

EDSE 431Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education

3

EDSE 432Evidence-based Practices for Infants and Toddlers, Birth to 3 Years

3

EDSE 434Collaborative Practice with Families and Professionals

3

EDSE 435Young Children with Significant Support Needs

3

EDSE 436Field Experience in Early Childhood Special Education: Birth to 3 Years

3

EDSE 437Field Experience in Early Childhood Special Education: 3-8 Years

3

Additional Required Courses — 32 credits

Take all of the following courses:

ECLD 350Teaching Young Bilingual Children

3

EDEC 205Nutrition, Health, and Safety

3

EDEC 220Curriculum Development: Methods and Techniques

3

EDEC 240Administration of Early Childhood Care and Education Program

3

EDEC 241Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood

3

EDEC 250Diverse Early Language and Literacy

3

ET 340Integration of Technology into Content and Pedagogy

2

MATH 181Fundamentals of Mathematics I: Number and OperationsLAX1

3

MATH 182Fundamental Mathematics II: Algebra, Probability and Data AnalysisLAX1

3

MATH 283Fundamental Mathematics III: Geometry and Measurement

3

PSY 347Educational Psychology for Elementary Teachers

3

3. University-Wide Credits — 18 credits*

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 18 credits.

*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.