Special Education, B.S.

Major Requirements

Credit Hours: 69+

In addition to completing the requirements for this major, students must also complete the degree requirements specified in the Academic Regulations  section of this catalog.

Courses within this major may also satisfy general education requirements. Please consult the Liberal Arts and Sciences General Education Requirements  for more information.

Special Education Program

• Declare a major in education in using Program of Study Management in MyPortal as soon as possible. You will be assigned a faculty advisor to work with you in planning your program.
• You should apply for admission (this is NOT declaring your major) to the Teacher Education Program the semester you are enrolled in EDFS 201 Foundations of Education (3) . Requirements for admission:
  • Minimum overall GPA of 2.750 and 60 earned credit hours.
  • Passing scores on Praxis Core: Academic Skills for Educators designated by the South Carolina Department of Education OR qualifying SAT or ACT scores. Scores must be sent to the College of Charleston (Code R5113) and the SCDE (Code R8108).
  • Completing the application process during EDFS 201 .
  • If a student has transfer credit for a course that is equivalent to EDFS 201 , they must meet with the Teacher Education department chair and complete 1 hour of work.
  • A grade of C or higher in EDFS 201 Foundations of Education (3) .
• Your admission process must be completed before taking EDFS 440 .

Required Courses

• EDFS 201 Foundations of Education (3)
• PSYC 103 Introduction to Psychological Science (3)
• ANTH 101 Introduction to Anthropology (3)

• OR

• SOCY 101 Introduction to Sociology (3)
• MATH 104 Elementary Statistics (3)

• OR

• MATH 250 Statistical Methods I (3)

Professional Program Semester 1

• EDFS 303 Human Growth and Development and the Education Process (3)
• EDFS 401 Neurodiversity: Introduction to the Exceptional Learner (3)
• EDFS 411 Introduction to Curriculum and Instruction for Students with Disabilities (3)
• EDFS 326 Integrating Technology Into Teaching (3)

• OR

• TEDU 436 Using Instructional Technology in Problem-Based Learning (3)

Professional Program Semester 2

Select a Strand in Emotional and Learning Disabilities (ED/LD) or Emotional and Intellectual Disabilities (ED/ID)

• EDFS 350 Field Experience I in the Instruction of Students with Disabilities (3)
• EDFS 430 Characteristics of Students with Emotional Disabilities (3)
• EDFS 437 Data-Driven Assessment and Individualized Instructional Strategies (3)
• EDFS 450 Classroom & Behavior Management (3)
• EDFS 410 Characteristics of Students with Intellectual Disabilities (3)

• OR

• EDFS 420 Characteristics of Students with Learning Disabilities (3)

Professional Program Semester 3

• EDFS 412 Social Competence Instruction for Students with Disabilities (3)
• EDFS 413 Field Experience II in the Instruction of Students with Disabilities (3)
• EDFS 425 Teaching Reading and Language Arts to Students with Disabilities (3)
• EDFS 426 Language Development and Communication (3)
• EDFS 422 Educational Procedures for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (3)

• OR

• EDFS 428 Procedures for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities (3)

Optional Licensure Eligibility Requirements* for Special Education

Coursework Meeting Major Requirements Excluded from the Major GPA Calculation

The following courses are excluded: ANTH 101 , EDFS 440 , HONS 115 , HONS 163 , HONS 167 , HONS 215 , HONS 217 , MATH 103 , MATH 104 , MATH 111 , MATH 116 , MATH 120 , MATH 207 , MATH 220 , MATH 229 , MATH 250 , PSYC 103 , SOCY 101