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Degree:
Bachelor of Science in Education
Major: Special Education
The Special Education program is designed for candidates preparing to be special education teachers at the elementary or secondary level, serving children and youth with disabilities.
If you're interested in teaching children and youth with unique learning needs, UNO offers a variety of programs for aspiring special educators. We offer a Special Education-only program for students interested in Special Education Generalist careers, or a dual endorsement program with Elementary or Secondary Education content area.
What sets UNO apart from other institutions?
As an aspiring educator at UNO, you will be equipped with a high level of support and classroom experience that is unique to our Educator Preparation Program:
- Instructional coaches offer one-on-one support to every UNO education student during field work in Omaha-area schools.
- A tiered practicum experience will ease you into the classroom so you can build confidence, skills, and disposition under the guidance of a cooperating teacher.
- A final clinical practice semester provides the opportunity to apply learning and demonstrate readiness for the classroom through a co-teaching experience with a cooperating teacher.
- The UNO Educator Preparation Program prepares education students with culturally responsive teaching strategies and diverse perspectives to serve children and youth from all backgrounds.
Candidates interested in teaching in the area of special education can select one of the following degree program options:
| Program | Description |
|---|---|
| Special Education Generalist K-6 | Designed for those preparing to teach students with high incidence disabilities in grades K-6. |
| Special Education Generalist 7-12 | Designed for those preparing to teach students with high incidence disabilities in grades 7-12. |
| Dual Endorsement with Elementary Education/Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing PK-6 | Designed for those preparing to teach students who are deaf /hard of hearing in grades PK-6. |
| Dual Endorsement with Elementary Education/Special Education K-6 |
Designed for those preparing to teach elementary education and students with high incidence disabilities in grades K-6. |
| Dual Endorsement with Content Area Education of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing 7-12 | Designed for those preparing to teach students who are deaf /hard of hearing in grades 7-12. |
| Dual Endorsement with Secondary Content Area/Special Education 7-12 |
Designed for those preparing to teach students with high incidence disabilities in grades 7-12. |
Learn more from our students and faculty
Meet the Faculty:
Dr. Phil Nordness, Professor
Faculty profile
Dr. Amanda Kern, Assistant Professor
Faculty profile
Dr. Jessica Hagaman, Associate Professor
Faculty profile
Meet Dr. Hagaman
Miriam Kuhn, Assistant Professor
Faculty profile
Dr. Lisa Epp, Instructor
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Meet Dr. Epp
Sara Caniglia-Schulte, Instructor
Faculty profile
Meet Sara Caniglia-Schulte
Dr. Beth Leader-Janssen, Dept. Chair and Associate Professor
Faculty profile
Meet Dr. Leader-Janssen
Accreditation and Certification
The Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education (BSED) is currently accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Nebraska State Department of Education. The program will seek Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accreditation and The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AQQEP) upon the next review cycle.
To be formally accepted into the Educator Preparation program, candidates must pass the Praxis Core tests in reading (state benchmark of 156), writing (state benchmark of 163), and math (state benchmark of 150). View aggregated results for candidates completing Praxis Core exams.
The BSED degree certificate in Special Education allows UNO to recommend graduates for Nebraska licensure in special education. In addition, candidates must pass the Praxis II – Content Specific Exam in Special Education (5354) with a score of 151 or higher to meet state licensure requirements.
Contact us:
Have a question about our degree programs?
Contact the SECD team at unosecd@unomaha.edu.
Ready to connect with an undergraduate advisor?
Please contact the Office of Academic Advising and Field Experiences to schedule an appointment or for any advising questions.