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Coursework

Course Requirements

Track A Course Requirements

The cohort model begins with entry in Module 1 in Fall I or Spring I. Candidates who enter at other times of the year will be advised regarding course enrollment prior to the next modular entry date. A maximum of nine units may be taken per term with the department chair’s prior written approval only. All courses are online.

1. Take modules 1, 2, and 3.
Module 16 units
SPED 511
Language Development for All Students		3
SPED 574
Literacy and Reading Instruction for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities		3
Module 26 units
SPED 521
Collaboration, Inclusion, Community Integration for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities*		3
SPED 530
Introduction to Individual Differences and Strengths-based Education		3

*Students must complete this course before taking the RICA, and the RICA must be passed before qualifying for a credential.

Module 38 units
SPED 501
Instructional Strategies for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities		3
SPED 503
Behavior Support to Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities		3
SPED 586A
Clinical Practice/Seminar for Moderate to Severe Disabilities I (Student Teaching)*		2

*Candidates may not register for this course without clearance by the Office of Student Services. This is a mentor-based course. Teacher candidates do not attend classes to meet regularly with an instructor. Teacher candidates must attend a mandatory Clinical Practice orientation meeting before the term begins.

2. Pass RICA.
3. Apply for Clinical Practice by April 1 for spring and October 1 for fall.
4. Take module 4.
Module 47 units
SPED 502
Diagnostic and Prescriptive Intervention for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities		3
SPED 507
Assessment and IEP Development for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities		3
SPED 586B
Clinical Practice/Seminar for Moderate to Severe Disabilities II (Student Teaching)*		1

*Candidates cannot register for this course without clearance by the Office of Student Services. This is a mentor-based course. Teacher candidates do not attend classes to meet regularly with an instructor. Teacher candidates must attend a mandatory Clinical Practice orientation meeting before the term begins.

5. Clearance for Clinical Practice
6. Placement by Office of Student Services with Master Teacher.
Traditional candidate teaching (student teaching) in a master teacher's classroom during the third and fourth modules (18 weeks, full-time, voluntary work)
Total units for credential only 27 units
7. Apply for Preliminary Credential.
Note: This information is current for the 2012–13 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information. For additional information, please contact the department.
“The special education program at APU develops you as a teacher and a person. The subject matter is integrated with Christian beliefs, making the education extremely personal. By example, I have learned how to weave my own faith into my teaching, even at a public school. I now pray over my class and each of their seats, and it has impacted my students greatly.”
–Felipe Partida ’05
Special Education Teacher
Nogales High School