Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Major in Education (Applied Special Education; Teacher Certification in Special Education, Early Childhood through Grade Twelve; Instructional Aide Pathway) - via Distance Education
Minimum required: 121 semester credit hours
Admission Requirements
Declaration into the degree program requires:
- Documentation of one year of service as an instructional aide (otherwise known as paraprofessional, educational aide, or teacher's assistant) with classroom-based duties and current employment as an instructional aide with classroom-based duties in a Texas PK-12 public or accredited private school.
- Completion of 36 credit hours of pre-major coursework, with an overall 2.5 GPA.
- ENG 1310 and 1320 or 6 credits with General Education Core attribute 010
- MATH 1312, 1315, or 1319 or 3 credits with General Education Core attribute 020
- MATH 2311
- 6 credits with General Education Core attribute 030
- 3 credits in PHIL 1305 or 1320 or with General Education Core attribute 040
- 6 credits in HIST 1310 or 1320 or POSI 2310 or 2320 or with General Education Core Attribute 060 or 070
- 3 credits in COMM 1310 or 2338 or 2315
- 6 additional credits from remaining 15 hours of General Education Core Requirements
Students admitted to the university prior to completing these requirements will be classified as a "pre-major" in education.
Once declared into the program, degree progress will require continued employment as an instructional aide in a Texas PK-12 public or accredited private school and admittance to the Educator Preparation Program (see those separate criteria here).
General Requirements
- 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.
- 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.
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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.
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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 Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| US 1100 | 1 | ENG 1320 (Communication Component Code 010 [TCCN ENGL 1302]) | 3 | ||
| ENG 1310 (Communication Component Code 010 [TCCN ENGL 1301]) | 3 | COMM 1310 (Component Area Option Code 090/091 [TCCN SPCH 1311]) | 3 | ||
| MATH 1312, 1315, or 1319 (Mathematics Component Code 020 [TCCN MATH 1342, MATH 1314, or MATH 1324]) | 3 | MATH 2311 (TCCN MATH 1350) | 3 | ||
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Component Code 080 | 3 | Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 | 3 | ||
| Life and Physical Sciences Component Code 030 | 3 | ||||
| 13 | 12 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Third Semester | Hours |
| PHIL 1305 or 1320 (Language, Philosophy, and Culture Component Code 040 [TCCN PHIL 1301 or 2306]) | 3 | ART 2313, DAN 2313, MU 2313, or TH 2313 (Creative Arts Component Code 050 [TCCN HUMA 1315]) | 3 | CI 2311 | 3 |
| MATH 2312 (TCCN MATH 1351) | 3 | POSI 2320 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2305]) | 3 | SPED 2360 | 3 |
| American History Component Code 060 | 3 | American History Component Code 060 | 3 | CI 2355 | 3 |
| POSI 2310 (Government/Political Science Component Code 070 [TCCN GOVT 2306]) | 3 | ENG Literature (Component Area Option Code 090/094) [TCCN ENGL 2322, 2323, 2332, 2333, 2327 or 2328] | 3 | ECE 4301 | 3 |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Junior | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | Third Semester | Hours |
| SPED 3338 | 3 | CI 3332 | 3 | CI 3337 | 3 |
| SPED 4374 | 3 | CI 4360 | 3 | CI 3338 | 3 |
| CI 4345 | 3 | SPED 4381 | 3 | CI 3355 | 3 |
| SPED 4340 | 3 | SPED 4345 | 3 | CI 4355 | 3 |
| 12 | 12 | 12 | |||
| Senior | |||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||
| Residency Pathway | Residency Pathway | ||||
| EDST 4670 | 6 | EDST 4671 | 6 | ||
| RDG 3321 | 3 | SPED 3390 | 3 | ||
| RDG 3315 | 3 | CI 4350 | 3 | ||
| 12 | 12 | ||||
| Total Hours: 121 | |||||
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While not recommended, previously completed courses in some areas can be substituted for the following degree requirements:
