Elementary Education / Special Education, B.S.E.

This degree program is designed to provide prospective teachers with essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes to work effectively with students who are mentally, physically, and/or emotionally challenged in K-8 or K-12 inclusive, resource and self contained settings. Students completing this major will qualify for certification in elementary education for grades K-8 and special education in either K-8 or K-12.

System-wide General Education Requirement (31 credits)

* Majors must take MATH 102 or a course requiring MATH 102 as a prerequisite and POLS 100 or GEOG 200 and HIST 151 , HIST 152 or HIST 256 as part of the System-wide General Education Requirement.

Institutional Graduation Requirements (11 credits)

Majors must take EPSY 210 as part of the Institutional Graduation Requirement.

Note:

Students must complete 30 hours of system-wide general education courses in their first 64 credit hours. Students are also required to complete a course that provides a globalization/global perspectives and a course that provides a writing intensive experience.

¹ No grade less than a “C”; must be completed prior to admission to Teacher Education

² Requires field experience

Professional Education Courses (99-101 Credits)

CIS 350 - Computer Hardware, Data Communications and Networking 3 credits
EDFN 295 - Practicum: Pre-Admission 1 credit
EDFN 338 - Foundations of American Education 1-2 credits (2 credits required) ^{1, 2}
EDFN 365 - Computer-Based Technology & Learning 2-3 credits (3 credits required) ²
EDFN 475 - Human Relations 3 credits
ELED 303 - Earth and Physical Science for Elementary Teachers 3-4 credits (4 credits)
EPSY 302 - Educational Psychology 2-3 credits (3 credits required)^{1, 2}
LIBM 205 - Children’s Literature 2 credits
MATH 341 - Math Concepts for Teachers I 3 credits
MATH 342 - Math Concepts for Teachers II 3 credits
SPED 100 - Introduction to Persons with Exceptionalities 2-3 credits (3 credits required) ^{1, 2}
Note: Admission to the Teacher Education Program is required for the remaining courses.
EDFN 440 - Classroom Management 1-3 credits (2 credits required)
ELED 310 - K-8 Methods of Music, Art and Drama 2 credits
ELED 320 - K-8 Science Methods 2-3 credits (3 credits required) ²
ELED 330 - K-8 Math Methods 2-3 credits (3 credits required)²
ELED 360 - K-8 Social Science Methods 2 credits ²
ELED 440 - K-8 Language Arts Methods 2-3 credits (2 credits required) ²
ELED 450 - K-8 Reading Methods 2-3 credits (3 credits required) ²
ELED 459 - Introduction to Literacy Assessment and Remediation 1-3 credits (3 credits required)
ELED 462 - Teaching English: New Language 2 credits
ELED 488 - K-8 Student Teaching 2-16 credits (6 credits required)
GEOG 312 - Geography for Elementary Teachers 1-3 credits (2 credits required)
HLTH 420 - K-12 Methods of Health Instruction 1-3 credits (1 credit required)
INED 211 - South Dakota American Indian Culture and Education 3 credits
MLED 300 - Survey of Middle Level Education 1 credit
PE 360 - K-8 Physical Education Methods 1-2 credits (1 credit required) ²
SEED 450 - Reading and Content Literacy 1-3 credits (3 credits require) **
SPED 410 - Behavior Management of Exceptional Children 3 credits
SPED 413 - Serving Students with MR, DD, and Severe Disabilities 3 credits ²
SPED 417 - Vocational-Transitional Programming 2-3 credits (2 credits required)
SPED 420 - K-12 Curriculum and Instructional Strategies 3 credits
SPED 431 - Identification and Assessment in Special Education 2-3 credits (3 credits required) ²
SPED 442 - Serving Students with Learning Disabilities 2 credits ²
SPED 443 - Serving Students with Learning Disabilities Practicum 1 credit
SPED 454 - Literacy: Data Based Reflective Teaching 2-3 credits (2 credits required) ²
SPED 460 - Family Systems and Professional Collaboration 2-3 credits (2 credits required)
SPED 465 - Computer Applications Special Education 3 credits ²
SPED 488 - Student Teaching in Special Education 1-16 credits (6 or 8 credits required) ***
** K-12 SPED majors only.

*** 6 credits required for K-8 certification; 8 credits required for K-12 certification.

Yearlong Residency / Student Teaching

Teacher candidates complete a yearlong residency / student teaching capstone experience during the final two semesters prior to graduation. Placements are made in districts with which the College of Education has a formal partnership and whose personnel are trained in the co-teaching model. Out-of-area placements are not granted for the yearlong residency / student teaching experience.