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Special Education Programs

• Undergraduate
• Master's: Clinical
• Master's: Teaching
• Master's: Admin.
• Doctoral

Undergraduate:

WMU offers undergraduate programs for the preparation of teachers in the areas of emotional impairments/learning disabilities (EI/LD) and cognitive impairments/learning disabilities (CI/LD), at either the elementary or secondary level of special education. Students completing the bachelor of science degree program earn a State of Michigan Elementary Provisional Teaching Certificate (K-8) and an endorsement in one of the following areas:

• Emotional Impairments and Learning Disabilities (K-12)
• Cognitive Impairments and Learning Disabilities (K-12)

Program Info

Master of Arts

WMU offers a Master of Arts in Special Education emphasizing one of three Degree Options

• Clinical Teacher (first endorsement in special education)
• Master Teacher (second endorsement in special education)
• Special Education Administration

Within these options, students may focus their studies on obtaining a special education teaching or administration endorsement, indepth study of special education content for personal growth, or preparation for advanced graduate training. Regardless of which degree option a student chooses, all programs are based on an Information Literacy Model. Students gain skill in locating, organizing, critically evaluating, using, and dissseminating information; effectively using the ever-expanding information base to solve problems in the field of special education; and producing new information related to the field. Competencies are acquired via completion of a 12 semester-hour core of courses.

Doctor of Education

The doctoral program is a competency-based graduate program designed to prepare an individual to serve as a college teacher in a department of special education and as an administrator of educational programs for children and youth with disabilities.

• Doctor of Education in Special Education

Related Links:

• IRPR (A Teacher Preparation Grant)
• Western Michigan University Student Council for Exceptional Children #346 (SCEC)
• Michigan Department of Education
• Intern Teaching Project in Germany
• TCVI/O&M
• Career Connections Research Center
• Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC)