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**Review** Undergraduate Catalog 2025-2026

Special Education B.A. – Liberal Arts Concentration

Program Overview

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Location: McKee 126, Dean's office

Telephone: 970-351-2691

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/special-education/

 

Contact: Center for Urban Education

Location: 1059 Alton Way #758, Denver, CO 80230

Telephone: 303-637-4334

Websitewww.unco.edu/cebs/urban-education/

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, courses in professional teacher preparation, courses in special education theory, practice, and pedagogy and courses in Liberal Arts Curriculum content. Strong emphasis is placed on literacy and mathematics in both Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements and content area coursework. The program is organized around nine themes including individual differences (disabilities, culture, and language), interpersonal/collaborative skills, direct instruction, legal responsibilities/processes, organizational/systemic process behavioral management knowledge and access of resources, inquiry skills, and implementation of special educator roles. Topics emphasized within these themes include typical developmental learning, general assessment concepts, foundational characteristics of disabilities, service delivery models, and technology.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Degree Requirements — 120 Credits

1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits

To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 79 required major credits.

Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.

Written Communication — 6 credits

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

See Written Communication courses

Mathematics — 3 credits

MATH 181 and MATH 182 are recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

See Mathematics courses

Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 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. We recommend that your Arts and Humanities courses count for your IS and MS designations.

HIST 100 or HIST 101 is recommended to fulfill History requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

GEOG 100 or GEOG 110 or PSCI 100 or ECON 203 or ECON 205 is recommended to fulfill Social & Behavioral Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

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

Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits

SCI 265 and SCI 266 are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements.

See Natural & Physical Sciences courses

See Liberal Arts Curriculum

2. Required Major — 79 credits

EDSE 201Culture of Special Education

3

EDSE 203The Individualized Education Program and the Collaborative Process

3

EDSE 270Field-Based Experience

3

EDSE 320Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 321Advanced Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 322K-12 Methods in Special Education

3

EDSE 325Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities I

3

EDSE 326Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities II

3

EDSE 327Methods for Teaching Mathematics: Students with Special Needs

3

EDSE 328Field Experience in Special Education: Elementary

3

EDSE 329Field Experience in Special Education: Secondary

3

EDSE 411Assessments to Support the Struggling Reader

3

EDSE 442Language and Literacy for Students with Severe Delays

3

EDSE 443Support Systems in Special Education

3

EDSE 460Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Disabilities

3

EDEL 360Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

3

CSD 266Normal Speech and Language Development

3

CSD 365Language Disorders in Children

3

EED 342Methods and Materials for Teaching Language and Composition in the Elementary School

3

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

HIST 100Survey of American History from Its Beginnings to 1877LAH1

3

or

HIST 101Survey of American History from 1877 to the PresentLAH1

3

GEOG 100World GeographyLAB2LAIS

3

or

GEOG 110Geography of the United States and CanadaLAB2

3

or

PSCI 100United States National GovernmentLAB1

3

or

ECON 203Principles of MacroeconomicsLAB1

3

or

ECON 205Principles of MicroeconomicsLAB1

3

SCI 265Physical Science ConceptsLAS1LASL

3

SCI 266Earth and Life ScienceLAS1LASL

4

Application for Initial Admission to PTEP

Application for Full Admission to PTEP

3. University-Wide Credits — 10 Credits*

Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 10 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.

Four Year Plan

This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance. 

Year 1 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

EDSE 201Culture of Special Education

3

ENG 122College CompositionLAW1

3

HIST 100Survey of American History from Its Beginnings to 1877LAH1

3

or

HIST 101Survey of American History from 1877 to the PresentLAH1

3

MATH 181Fundamentals of Mathematics I: Number and OperationsLAX1

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

Total Credit Hours:15

LAC Requirement: Choose an International Studies (IS) course.

Spring Semester

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

3

SCI 265Physical Science ConceptsLAS1LASL

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1

3

LAC Intermediate WritingLAW2

3

Application for Initial Admission to PTEP

Total Credit Hours:15

LAC Requirement: Choose a U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) course.

Year 2 – 31 credits

Fall Semester

MATH 283Fundamental Mathematics III: Geometry and Measurement

3

SCI 266Earth and Life ScienceLAS1LASL

4

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Choose one of the following courses:

ECON 203Principles of MacroeconomicsLAB1

3

ECON 205Principles of MicroeconomicsLAB1

3

GEOG 100World GeographyLAB2LAIS

3

GEOG 110Geography of the United States and CanadaLAB2

3

PSCI 110Global IssuesLAB1LAIS

3

Total Credit Hours:16

Spring Semester

EDSE 320Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 411Assessments to Support the Struggling Reader

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Application for Full Admission to PTEP

Total Credit Hours:15

Year 3 – 29 credits

Fall Semester

CSD 266Normal Speech and Language Development

3

EDSE 270Field-Based Experience

3

EDEL 360Teaching Foundational Reading Skills

3

University-Wide Elective

3

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:15

Spring Semester

CSD 365Language Disorders in Children

3

EDSE 325Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities I

3

EED 342Methods and Materials for Teaching Language and Composition in the Elementary School

3

University-Wide Elective

2

University-Wide Elective

3

Total Credit Hours:14

Year 4 – 30 credits

Fall Semester

EDSE 203The Individualized Education Program and the Collaborative Process

3

EDSE 322K-12 Methods in Special Education

3

EDSE 327Methods for Teaching Mathematics: Students with Special Needs

3

EDSE 328Field Experience in Special Education: Elementary

3

or

EDSE 329Field Experience in Special Education: Secondary

3

EDSE 442Language and Literacy for Students with Severe Delays

3

Total Credit Hours:15

EDSE 203, EDSE 322, EDSE 327, EDSE 328/EDSE 329, and EDSE 442 must be taken together.

Spring Semester

EDSE 321Advanced Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 326Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities II

3

EDSE 328Field Experience in Special Education: Elementary

3

or

EDSE 329Field Experience in Special Education: Secondary

3

EDSE 443Support Systems in Special Education

3

EDSE 460Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Disabilities

3

Total Credit Hours:15

EDSE 321, EDSE 326, EDSE 328/EDSE 329, and EDSE 443 must be taken together.

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