Undergraduate Program

Undergraduate Student Contact
Staff Program Coordinator
Hokona Zuni Hall Rm. 103
specialeducation@unm.edu
(505) 277-5018

Application materials and program information can be found at the Special Education department Web site, or by contacting the Faculty Program Coordinator.

Degree Offered

Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.)-double major in Special Education and Elementary Education

Upon successful completion of the program, students are eligible to apply for teaching licensure in both Special Education (PreK–12) and Elementary Education (K–8) from the NM Public Education Department.

Application Information

The UNM Dual License Program in the Department of Special Education has a rolling admissions process. However, for best consideration, applications should be submitted by March 15 or November 15.

Requirements

In order to apply and be considered for admittance into the UNM Dual License Program in the Department of Special Education, students must have completed the following requirements:

26 credit hours;
Maintenance of a minimum GPA of 2.75;
SPCD 201 and SPED 2110 (or equivalent course from another college) with a grade of "B" or better.

To apply to the UNM Dual License Program in the Department of Special Education, please submit the following items online through Tk20™, which can be accessed from the College of Education and Human Sciences Web site. Once all documentation has been submitted, the application will be reviewed by program faculty and students will be notified of admittance decisions.

PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educators – Reading, Writing, Math. Additional PRAXIS exams will be required to apply for licensure through NM PED upon completion of the program.

Resume: A resume with work, volunteer, and extracurricular experience must be included in the application.

Letter of Intent: A 500 word maximum letter of intent is required. The letter must comprehensively include the student's reasons for applying to the program, a description of relevant experiences, education and career goals.

Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are requested, to be submitted online through the Tk20™ application. The letters of recommendation must be uploaded prior to the application deadline.

Interview

All candidates will be interviewed. Students are encouraged to meet with one of the Dual License faculty before applying to the program to answer any questions or concerns regarding the application process or the program. To schedule an appointment, contact the Staff Program Coordinator at: specialeducation@unm.edu or (505) 277-5018.

B.S.Ed. with a double major in Special Education and Elementary Education Dual License Program

The UNM Dual License Program is based on the belief that all children are valued members of the school and wider community. This challenging program prepares students to work with a diverse learning population and teaches strategies that are effective for all learners by providing:

Diverse university and field-based learning experiences.
One-on-one field support from experienced UNM supervisors.
Coursework that connects theory to practice.
Supportive faculty members who have recent experience in classroom settings.
Consistent advising from faculty beginning pre-admission through to graduation.

This program's state-of-the-art preparation is one of the few of its kind in the country that prepares teachers to be effective across the full continuum of educational settings for all students regardless of perceived ability. One of the ways this is achieved is through modeling interdisciplinary collaboration and co-teaching to provide a comprehensive program of study. The program is not viewed as a sequence of individual three credit hour courses but rather as a holistic and coherent program of study designed to prepare teachers who can help all students reach their highest potential. Through this carefully planned sequence of coursework, students gain a wealth of classroom experiences and develop effective instructional strategies for all learners. Graduates are eligible for New Mexico licensure in special education (PreK–12) and elementary education (K–8). This dual major program is 127-142 credit hours, depending on the Elementary Education concentration-teaching field chosen.

General Education Requirements

Refer to the Undergraduate Program section of this Catalog for a list of courses that meet General Education curriculum and U.S. Global Diversity and Inclusion requirements. 31 credit hours are required.

Prerequisites

Students must complete the following courses with grades of "B" or higher to be eligible for acceptance into the UNM Dual License program. Students may apply to the program while enrolled in these courses.

		Credit Hours
SPCD 201	Education of the Exceptional Person	3
SPED 2110	Introduction to Students with Exceptionalities	2
	Total	5

Concentration-Teaching Field (9-18 credit hours)

Students must complete 24 credit hours in an Elementary Education concentration-teaching field with grades of "C" (not "C-") or higher. Concentration-teaching fields are developed with advisor approval. Courses from general education and foundation requirements can be used to count toward the concentration-teaching field with advisor approval so the number of hours varies by the concentration-teaching field. Select from: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies.

Recommended Professional Course Sequence

		Credit Hours
	Semester 1 (Pre-Residency)
EDUC 330L	Teaching of Reading to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students I	3
EDUC 353L	Teaching Science K-8	3
EDUC 361L	Teaching Mathematics K-8	3
MSET 365	Technology Integration for Effective Instruction ⁽¹⁾	3
SPCD 420	Introduction to Intellectual Disability ⁽¹⁾	3
	Diversity Requirement I Select one from: LLSS 175, 315, *449, 456, 457, 458, 459, 469, 482; SPCD 459, 460. ⁽¹⁾	3
	Subtotal	18
	Semester 2 (Pre-Residency)
EDPY 303	Human Growth and Development ⁽¹⁾	3
EDUC 331L	Teaching of Reading to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students II	3
EDUC 333L	Teaching Language Arts K-8	3
LLSS 443	Children's Literature (Literatura Infantil) ⁽¹⁾	3
SPCD 303	Methods and Materials for Students with Mild Disabilities	3
SPCD 304	Practicum	3
	Subtotal	18
	Semester 3 (Residency)
EDUC 321L	Teaching Social Studies K-8	3
EDUC 400	Student Teaching in the Elementary School	6
SPCD 319	Classroom Organization and Management	3
SPCD 486	Differentiating Reading Instruction in Inclusive Settings for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Severe Disabilities	3
	Subtotal	15
	Semester 4 (Residency)
SPCD 313	Curriculum for Learners with Disabilities	2
SPCD 462	Student Teaching in Special Education	7
SPCD 464	Classroom Assessment and Program Planning	3
	Diversity Requirement II Select one from: LLSS 1110, 315, *449, 456, 457, 458, 459, 469, 482; SPCD 459, 460. ⁽¹⁾	3
	Subtotal	15
	Total	66

Note: ⁽¹⁾Course can be taken in any term.

Changes in state requirements or state reform initiatives in education may require periodic revisions of the curriculum and admission process.

Major Requirements

B.S.Ed. Special Education Major (35 credit hours): EDPY 303; SPCD 201, 303, 304 (3), 313, 319, 420, 462 (7), 464, 486; SPED 2110; Diversity Requirement I.
B.S.Ed. Elementary Education Major (36 credit hours): EDPY 310; EDUC 321L, 330L, 331L, 333L, 353L, 361L, 400 (6); LLSS 443; MSET 365; Diversity Requirement II.

To complete requirements for the B.S.Ed. dual major program, students are required to earn grades of "B" (not "B-") or higher in the following courses: EDUC 321L, 330L, 331L, 333L, 353L, 361L; SPCD 201, 303, 319, 464, 486; SPED 2110.

Non-Teaching Undergraduate Minor

A 20 credit hour non-teaching undergraduate minor in Special Education is offered. Students should plan to enroll in Special Education courses during the Fall and Spring semesters since courses in this sequence are seldom offered during the Summer session. An appointment to develop a written Minor Program of Study must must be made with an undergraduate Faculty Advisor.

Requirements

		Credit Hours
SPCD 201	Education of the Exceptional Person	3
SPED 2110	Introduction to Students with Exceptionalities	2
	Subtotal	5
	Introduction Electives (select two):
SPCD *302	Introduction to Communicative Disorders	3
SPCD 420	Introduction to Intellectual Disability	3
SPCD 430	Introduction to Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders	3
SPCD 440	Introduction to Learning Disabilities	3
SPCD 459	Teaching Bilingual-Multicultural Special Education	3
SPCD 460	Introduction to Bilingual-Multicultural Special Education	3
SPCD 483	Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorders	3
	Subtotal	6
	Practical Application Electives (select three):
SPCD 402	At Risk for School Failure and Disabilities	3
SPCD 407	Collaboration for Inclusive Education	3
SPCD 411	Social Construction of Disabilities	3
SPCD 419	Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis	3
SPCD 452	Teaching Students with Intellectual Disability and Severe Disabilities	3
SPCD 467	Physical Disabilities and Causes	3
SPCD 484	Research and Teaching-Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders	3
SPCD 486	Differentiating Reading Instruction in Inclusive Settings for Students with Intellectual Disabilities and Severe Disabilities	3
	Subtotal	9
	Total	20