Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Education (Special Education; Teacher Certification in Special Education, Early Childhood through Grade Twelve)

Minimum required: 121 semester credit hours

Admission Requirements

  1. All students pursuing teacher certification must apply and be accepted to the Office of Educator Preparation.

General Requirements

  1. To satisfy graduation requirements for teacher certification, students must have an Overall GPA of at least 2.75, as well as grades of “C” or better in all courses within the Major(s), Teaching Field(s), Certification area(s), and/or in the Education Minor.
  2. Students entering Texas State with fewer than 16 hours completed after high school graduation will be required to take US 1100. All others will be exempt from taking this course but will be required to earn an additional free elective, if needed, to reach the 120 minimum total hour requirement for the awarding of a degree.
  3. The general education core curriculum courses are listed in the degree plan below along with the statewide component code number. See the General Education Core Curriculum section of this catalog for the Texas State requirements and options in the core curriculum, including Honors courses.

  4. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires multiple background checks for progression through the Educator Preparation Program. Based on information recorded in your criminal history, you may be ineligible for issuance of a teaching certificate upon completion of the Educator Preparation Program. If you have a criminal history, you may obtain a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation from TEA. For more information, go to:  https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Investigations/Preliminary_Criminal_History_Evaluation-FAQs/.

Course Requirements 

Freshman
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
US 11001MATH 1312, 1315, or 1319 (Mathematics Component Code 020 [TCCN MATH 1342, MATH 1314 or 1324])3 
ART 2313, DAN 2313, MU 2313, or TH 2313 (Creative Arts Component Code 050 [TCCN HUMA 1315])3ENG 1320 (Communication Component Code 010 [TCCN ENGL 1302])3 
ENG 1310 (Communication Component Code 010 [TCCN ENGL 1301])3POSI 2320 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2305])3 
POSI 2310 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2305])3GS 2310 or PHYS 1365 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030)3 
PHYS 1365 or GS 2310 (Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030)3COMM 1310 (Component Area Option Code 090/091 [TCCN SPCH 1311])3 
GEO 1310 or ANTH 1312 (Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 [TCCN GEOG 1303])3  
 16 15 
Sophomore
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
SPED 23603Education Core:6 
PHIL 1305 or 1320 (Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 [TCCN PHIL 1301 or 2306])3  
MATH 2311 (TCCN MATH 1350)3  
GS 33103MATH 2312 (TCCN MATH 1351)3 
American History Component Code 0603American History Component Code 0603 
 ENG Literature (Component Area Option Code 090/094) [TCCN ENGL 2322, 2323, 2332, 2333, 2327 or 2328]3 
 15 15 
Junior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHoursSummerHours
ESL Block:6High School Field-Based Block:9CI 43503
   
   
SPED 43453  
SPED 43403SPED 33903 
SPED 33383SPED 43743 
CI 43553SPED 43813 
 CI 33383 
 18 21 3
Senior
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours 
Elementary Field-Based Block:9Student Teaching:6 
   
   
   
SPED 43893  
 12 6 
Total Hours: 121
1

While not recommended, previously completed courses in some areas can be substituted for the following degree requirements: