Special Education (B.A.)

Program Overview

The B.A. in Special Education is designed to prepare students to attain certification in Exceptional Student Education, K-12 grades, which cover teaching children with emotional and behavioral disorders, developmental disabilities, specific learning disabilities, and physical disabilities. Students are also prepared for ESOL endorsement and Reading endorsement. Field experiences are central to the special education program and commence in the first semester with increasing involvement throughout the program.

FAQs

Field Experience Information

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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Admissions Information for the 2025-2026 Catalog Year
If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website
If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.
Admission Deadlines
Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.
Program Requirements
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Program Requirements for the 2025-2026 Catalog Year
The General Education Program Website is located at https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
Degree-seeking students are classified as pre-majors prior to formal transition into a College of Education (COE) major. In order to transition from a COE pre-major to a major, students must complete the following:
- An overall GPA of 2.5 on all credits attempted.
- Attempt all subsections of the Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE) General Knowledge Test. Please refer to Rule: 6A-4.0021 - Florida Teacher certification Examinations for alternative assessment options.
- Satisfy all General Education requirements.
- Satisfy the College-Level Skills requirements.
- Satisfy common prerequisite requirements.
- Successfully complete a background check.
Students must have passed the FTCE Subject Area Exam prior to beginning Block Four Integrated Field Experience.

Students must complete all coursework and have passed the FTCE Professional Education Exam prior to beginning Block Five Internship.

In addition to the program requirements and to qualify for Florida Teacher Certification, students must:
- Pass the FTCE, General Knowledge Test (or alternative assessment option), the subject area examination and the Professional Education Test.
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits.
- Complete a minimum of 48 of the 120 credits at the upper division (3000-4999 level).
- Satisfy the residency requirement: 30 of the last 60 credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy the College-Level skills and foreign language admission requirements.
- Satisfy the Service-Learning requirement.
- Satisfy the Civic Literacy requirement.
- Complete the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an Application for Graduation by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Program Requirements
1. FGCU General Education Program (https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/)
  
  To prevent or minimize excess hours, select general education courses that satisfy common prerequisite requirements for your intended major.
2. Common Prerequisites
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course.
  
  FGCU Course: EDF 2005 Intro to Teach Prof (3)
  Acceptable Substitute: EDFX005
1. Required Courses in the Major (57 credits)
  A minimum grade of C in each course and a GPA of 2.5 is required
  
  EDF 3251 Classroom Org & Management (3)
  EDF 4112 Child Growth and Development (3)
  EDG 3323 Professional Teaching Practice (3)
  EEX 4050 Theories & Prac in Spec Educ (3)
  EEX 4221 Educ Assess ofExceptional Stud (3)
  EEX 4254 Tching Students w/Mild-Mod Dis (3)
  EEX 4474 Tching Students Mod/Sev Disabil (3)
  EEX 4604 BehavMgmt SpecNeed/AtRisk Stud (3)
  EEX 4940 Internship: Special Ed (9)
  EEX 4942 Integr Field Exper in Spec Ed (3)
  MAE 4310 Math Content & Processes (3)
  RED 4310 Early Literacy Learning (3)
  RED 4350 Literacy Content and Processes (3)
  RED 4942 Pract Assess/Instruc Read (3) Capstone
  TSL 3080 Foundations of ESOL (3)
  TSL 4340 Methods, Cur, and Instr Effect (3)
  TSL 4520 Sec Lang Acquis Comm& Culture (3)
2. Sustainability Course Graduation Requirement (3 credits)
  Select at least 3 credits in sustainability coursework (SCGR Attribute)
3. Additional Electives - as needed to reach total credits required for the degree
  Recommended options include: EME 2040
Total Credits Required: 120
Degree Map
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Course Description
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Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search
Course Schedule
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Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSEATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)
Learning Outcomes
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Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will be able to:
- Deepen and enrich students’ understanding of effective instructional and behavioral strategies for teaching students with disabilities.
Content/Discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the program level by candidates’ creation of a research-based instructional materials portfolio that consists of academic and/or behavioral strategies that have been demonstrated effective for students with mild to moderate disabilities in EEX 4254, Teaching Methods for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities.
Communication Skills
Graduates will be able to:
- Model clear, acceptable oral and written communication skills.
Communication skills are assessed at the program level by four University Supervisor Evaluations and two posted Observation Evaluation Instruments in EEX 4940, Final Internship.
Critical Thinking Skills
Graduates will be able to:
- Employ higher-order questioning techniques.
Critical higher-order thinking skills are assessed at the program level through candidate creation of a “strategy application project” in which candidates identify and gather materials suitable for content area instruction in RED 4350, Literacy Content and Processes.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Student Account Services website.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.
Destination FGCU Transfer Program
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Getting Started

If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit FGCU's Admissions Office Website.

If you are already an FGCU student, and are interested in applying for this program, visit the College of Education's Admission page to find out more information on how to apply.

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