Curriculum

Accelerate Central - 5 Year B.S. & M.S. and Initial Teaching Certification in Special Education

The accelerated Special Education program focuses on certifying teachers in an area in which the state has faced a shortage of qualified teachers. The undergraduate portion of this accelerated program is designed to provide a strong interdisciplinary content major. Content-specific preparation is often lacking from special education teacher preparation programs. This aspect of our accelerated program coupled with an early and comprehensive approach to practice-based preparation (3 supervised practica and a yearlong residency) will ensure our candidates will be well prepared to meet the needs of K-12 schools. Students must complete the master's degree in order to become certified teachers by the State.

Admissions Policy

First year students can apply to the B.S. in Special Education through the regular Central admissions process. Eligible undergraduate students can apply for admission to the Five Year Accelerated B.S./M.S. in the Spring of their third year of full-time study. Selected students may be able to complete a B.S. in Special Education and a M.S. in Special Education in as few as 5 years of full time study. For accepted students, four graduate courses will double-count as four undergraduate SPED courses. Students apply in the Spring of their third year of full-time study and must meet the requirements specified below:

1. Completed 90 earned credit hours by the end of the Fall semester of their third year of full-time study.  At least 12 credits must have been earned at Central.
2. Have a GPA of 2.7 or higher.
3. Have at least a 3.00 grade point average in Special Education courses.
4. Have been accepted into the professional program.
5. Students must maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.00 to remain in Accelerate Central.
6. Successful completion of the following courses, either the specified CCSU courses or their equivalents.

Students who are accepted into Accelerated Special Education Program will officially matriculate into the School of Graduate Studies the semester immediately following conferral of their Bachelor’s degree, even if they have already taken graduate-level courses while completing their Bachelor’s degree. Students wishing to defer their graduate studies must notify Graduate Admissions of this decision prior to the start of the term following the conferral of their bachelor’s degree.

Special Education, B.S. (120 Credits)

Special Education, M.S. (24 Credits)

Total Credit Hours: 120