Michelle Foley November 18, 2020 8 Academic Tips and Info,College Lists

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Special Education Major

Good education, and with it, good teachers, partially form the foundation for a fulfilling life. Those who teach and connect well with others encourage their students to embrace learning for learning’s sake. They push kids to recognize their academic strengths and work on their weaknesses.

Special education teachers have a particularly complex responsibility. Unlike general educators, who apply similar learning methods to a broad base of students, special education teachers work closely with a (typically smaller) group. They adapt to the different needs of children with physical and learning disabilities, emotional and behavior disorders, social challenges, and more.

The special education major focuses on the design and execution of educational services to those with special needs. Students in this field will learn how to support students in becoming their best and strongest selves.

Interested in this major? Here, we’ll break down which colleges offer Special Education programs and what to look for in a school.

Overview of the Special Education Major

While course requirements vary from school to school, students in this major can more or less depend on covering these central concepts:

• Mild, Moderate, and Severe Disabilities
• Assistive Technology
• Behavior Management
• Human Learning and Development
• Cultural and Linguistic Diversity 

Each school will have unique requirements and offer unique opportunities. For example, Vanderbilt University allows its students to specialize in one of multiple subject areas and requires an in-field internship, while the University of Wisconsin-Madison has a dual major program allowing students to become certified as elementary school teachers. 

Successful students are passionate about educational equality and providing extra assistance to those who need it. Since they may eventually be working directly with special-needs students, they should be patient and attentive. Every special-needs student will learn in different ways and at different paces, so educators must be willing to accommodate diverse needs. 

Since you’ll be the grown-up around these kids, it’ll be your job to stay calm and kind, even when your students are upset. Those who are successful in the education field are flexible, with a high tolerance for stress and surprise. They’re adaptable and willing to handle disorder and lengthy paperwork.

Special education majors have fantastic job security, as their skills are in high demand. Many top education programs, like University of Wisconsin-Madison, have nearly 100% rate of post-grad job placement. Additionally, special education teachers are, on average, paid more than the typical general education teacher.

While teaching is a popular path for students in this major, it’s far from the only one. Many graduates become interpreters, translators, or even special education professors. The latter requires an advanced degree, of course, but graduate school overall isn’t universally popular among Special Education B.S./B.A. recipients. About 30% get a master’s degree and about 50% receive a post baccalaureate certificate.

If you’ve got a directorial or advocacy bent, some of these careers may be right up your alley:

• Nonprofit Director
• Program Director
• Board of Education Chairman
• Mental Health Facility Worker
• Speech Pathologist
• Lobbyist 

If you know that you’re passionate about special education, but not the specifics of what you would like to do, don’t stress too much. Luckily, special education is a relatively broad field, and college is a great time to identify your strengths, interests, and priorities.

What to Look for in a College as a Special Education Major

Opportunities for Experience

Sitting in a classroom is one thing; being good at your job is something else entirely. While strong educational resources will prove a vital asset, you should still look into real-world opportunities to supplement your academic knowledge. Look into your potential schools’ internship programs and opportunities. Quite often, special ed programs actually require field experience.

Michigan State University, which offers one of the US’s top ten special ed programs, sends graduates into the world with 1000+ hours of field experience. In keeping with the university’s land grant mission, Michigan State faculty work within local schools and communities, giving students special access to mentorship and opportunities.

Experienced Professors

Of course, you’ll need professors who can convey beyond-theoretical knowledge. Do a bit of deep digging to see if your future mentors have a background on the specializations that interest you. This will be especially useful if you’re likely to be taught by these actual tenured professionals—as opposed to TA’s—and if the class sizes are small enough to make closer professor-student relationships likely. If you pick the right classes and ask the right questions, you can glean some valuable insights from experienced professionals.

Inclusivity

Students with special needs have always come from every background, and the education field is continually adjusting to accommodate them. Is your college doing the same? 

Make sure that cultural and linguistic fluency is a priority, or at least an element, of your undergraduate education. This is especially important if you’re interested in nonprofit work or serving underserved communities. 

Vanderbilt’s Peabody School of Education, for example, offers courses SPED 7100: Cultural Diversity in American Education and SPED 7120: High Poverty Youth: Improving Outcomes. The latter course actually contains a heavy fieldwork component; students work with community agencies in Nashville to to assist low-income youth through tutoring and mentoring high schoolers.

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Special Education Major

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

No matter your major, you must be academically comparable to previous years’ admits to be a competitive college applicant. Most selective schools use the Academic Index, a complex tool based on your grades, test scores, and class rankings, to evaluate academic aptitude and filter out students who don’t meet their standards.

Beyond stats, the qualitative aspects of your application, like your essays and extracurriculars, are your place to show who you are and demonstrate fit with your chosen schools and major. 

In high school, consider volunteering at special education centers and summer camps. You can also pick up valuable experience through volunteering through a Boy or Girl scouts program and babysitting. If you’re interested in teaching, become a tutor for kids at your school. Key skills of teaching and communication will be vital for your career, regardless of whether your students have special needs or not. 

If you’d like an even deeper look into what your future career may be, consider reaching out to education professionals to ask if you can shadow them for a few days. 

Struggling to figure out where you match up to other college applicants? Check out our free Chancing Engine. Unlike other solely stats-based chancing calculators, ours considers much of your entire profile, including both your quantitative stats and qualitative extracurriculars.