Special Education (BA)
What is A Special Education (BA) Degree?
If you were asked, “Who has influenced you most as you have gone through your life?” you might mention a parent/caregiver or a relative. But I bet you’ll also mention a teacher or a coach! You already know about Education because you’ve been involved with it most of your life. People in the Education field are involved in the process of teaching and learning; they help people of all ages develop new skills, learn knew facts, develop attitudes, and refine their beliefs to make their lives better. They all have figured out ways to get ideas across by using lectures, discussions, demonstrations, things like that. Plus, there are many directions you can go with a career in Education. One of those directions is Special Education. Special Education involves the teaching of students with special needs, students who have ability to learn but have an underlying condition that prevents them from learning without the use of special strategies. Special Education teachers may be trained to deal with students suffering from autism, auditory impairments, deaf-blindness, learning disabilities, orthopedic impairments, and other disabilities.
Most BA degree programs in Special Education are competency-based, meaning that you progress through the program demonstrating your skills along the way. Coursework in the BA program will include general education like math, history, English, and health science; education basics like philosophy and psychology of education, assessment, etc.; general science; elementary teaching theories and methods, and special education courses in psychoeducation assessment, behavioral management, instructional models, etc. You will have numerous experiences in which you prepare instructional materials and conduct a classroom session with special needs students to demonstrate your skills. You may also prepare a portfolio of your teaching work and observation assessments to present to future employers. Some BA degree programs in Special Education are designed to prepare you not only for special education work in K-12 but also to be an elementary or secondary school teacher.
