Special Education, B.S.

Program Requirements

Pre-Internship Requirement (27 credits)

The pre-internship phase of the major is the first three years of the program prior to advanced coursework and the student-teaching internship. Students must complete all courses with a B- or better. Required pre-internship coursework is as follows:

• EDU 305 - Foundations of Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Credits: 3 *
• SED 235 - Students with Exceptionalities in General Education Credits: 3
• SED 282 - Special Education Regulations, Procedures, and the IEP Team Credits: 3
• SED 318 - Targeted and Individualized Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities Credits: 3
• SED 387 - Technology for Learning and Communication Credits: 3
• SED 415 - Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Credits: 3 *
• SED 453 - Assessment of Academic Achievement Credits: 3 *

• * Students will participate in a service-learning practicum or field experience.

Field Experience

Each of the courses with a * includes required service learning or practicum hours in a school or community setting to give pre-interns hands-on experience with K-12 students and create connections between theory and practice. These formal placements are linked to each course and are arranged by the Field Experience Coordinator in the Office of Educator Preparation. Other education courses may require observation experiences in field settings that students arrange on their own. Students are required to be fingerprinted prior to starting a course that includes a field experience placement. For more information on the fingerprinting process see: https://usm.maine.edu/office-educator-preparation/chrc-approval-process/

Professional Internship

Internship takes place in the student’s final year at USM, following successful completion of the pre-internship requirements. During the fall and spring semesters of internship, students are placed in a K-8 or 7-12 student-teaching placement with a partner district where they complete student teaching requirements. For details about placement and success in internship, refer to the Special Education Internship Handbook.

Please see USM’s Professional Licensure and Certification Notice located on the Office of Registration Services website for more information.

Coursework taken during Professional Internship includes:

Required (12 credits):

• SED 425 - Multi-Tier Mathematics Instruction and Assessment Credits: 3
• SED 427 - Multi-Tier Reading Instruction and Assessment Credits: 3
• SED 488 - Internship in Special Education for Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities Credits: 6 (two semesters for a total of six credits)

Online Data Management System for Educator Preparation Programs and Pathways

All undergraduate and graduate students who matriculate into an Educator Preparation program at USM and are accepted as a candidate for their internship/student teaching year are required to subscribe to an online data management system. Students upload assignments and other artifacts to this system as evidence that they have mastered state and professional standards for their profession. There is a one-time subscription fee related to the administration and assessment of the program that must be paid by each student before their internship begins. For loan purposes, this system is eligible for consideration as part of educational costs. Subscription instructions (including the current fee) are posted on the Office of Educator Preparation page on MyUSM at https://mycampus.maine.edu/group/usm/office-of-educator-preparation.

Please note Professional Education Council Policy: In order for USM’s Educator Preparation Unit program completers to be recommended by the institution to the Maine Department of Education for certification or licensure, the candidate must provide evidence of meeting all certification requirements including proficiency on the standards relevant to their state-approved professional program. This evidence must be compiled and assessed within the context of the Unit’s data management system.

Recommendation for Certification

Graduates who successfully complete all the Special Education major requirements are eligible for recommendation for the 282 special education (mild to moderate needs) teacher certification in Maine. In order to be recommended for certification, students must complete the Recommendation for Certification form. Students who fail to meet the academic or professional requirements of the Special Education major will work with their advisor to determine an alternative to the Special Education degree.

NOTE–Course requirements are subject to change based upon changes in teacher certification regulations.

USM Core Requirements

The USM Core Curriculum is a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal education that enables our graduates to be world-minded, intentional, life-long learners and captures your general education degree requirements. 

Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fulfilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor.  For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.