Program Overview
College of Education and Behavioral Sciences
New and current students cannot currently declare this program.
Contact: Corey Pierce, Ph.D., Director
Location: McKee 29
Telephone: 970.351.2691
Fax: 970.351.1061
Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/special-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:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- 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.
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.
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 201 | Culture of Special Education | 3 |
| EDSE 203 | The Individualized Education Program and the Collaborative Process | 3 |
| EDSE 270 | Field-Based Experience | 3 |
| EDSE 331 | Typical and Atypical Development of Young Children | 3 |
| EDSE 332 | Appropriate Assessment in Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| EDSE 333 | Evidence-based Practices for Preschool Learners, 3-5 Years | 3 |
| EDSE 334 | Evidence-based Practices for Young Learners, 5 to 8 Years | 3 |
| EDSE 431 | Introduction to Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| EDSE 432 | Evidence-based Practices for Infants and Toddlers, Birth to 3 Years | 3 |
| EDSE 434 | Collaborative Practice with Families and Professionals | 3 |
| EDSE 435 | Young Children with Significant Support Needs | 3 |
| EDSE 436 | Field Experience in Early Childhood Special Education: Birth to 3 Years | 3 |
| EDSE 437 | Field Experience in Early Childhood Special Education: 3-8 Years | 3 |
Additional Required Courses — 32 credits
Take all of the following courses:
| ECLD 350 | Teaching Young Bilingual Children | 3 |
| EDEC 205 | Nutrition, Health, and Safety | 3 |
| EDEC 220 | Curriculum Development: Methods and Techniques | 3 |
| EDEC 240 | Administration of Early Childhood Care and Education Program | 3 |
| EDEC 241 | Administration: Human Relations for Early Childhood | 3 |
| EDEC 250 | Diverse Early Language and Literacy | 3 |
| MATH 181 | Fundamentals of Mathematics I: Number and OperationsLAX1 | 3 |
| MATH 182 | Fundamental Mathematics II: Algebra, Probability and Data AnalysisLAX1 | 3 |
| MATH 283 | Fundamental Mathematics III: Geometry and Measurement | 3 |
| PSY 347 | Educational 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.