Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential

Overview
Meet the high demand for special education teachers in California, as well as your calling to serve students with mild to moderate learning needs, through our Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program. Hands-on fieldwork, combined with dynamic online instruction, will prepare you to earn the California Preliminary Education Specialist Instruction (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential. Earning this credential authorizes you to:
- Provide instruction and special education support to individuals who have specific learning disabilities, mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, other health impairments and serious emotional disturbance in grades K-12 and in classes organized primarily for adults through age 22.
- Provide autism instructional services to students within your credential subject area.
- Provide instruction for English language development within your credential subject area.
The main elements of the program are as follows:
- Prerequisite requirement
- Special education coursework
- Fieldwork
- Traditional student teaching or teaching under an intern credential
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Student Program Pathways
Undergraduate Students
You can get a head start by taking special education courses in your concentration that will waive special education credential courses at the graduate level. The Special Education concentration can be taken as a part of the B.A. in Liberal Studies, Multidisciplinary, the B.A. in Liberal Studies, Elementary Education, or through the undergraduate Certificate in Special Education.
- The concentration or certificate requires four courses.
- The remaining four courses are completed at the graduate level, along with student teaching or teaching under an intern credential. See Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program requirements for additional requirements.
Graduate Students
Biola University’s Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program is fully online and can be completed in three to four semesters at the graduate level. You may begin the program in either the fall, spring or summer semester. The Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program is a non-degree program unless pursued simultaneously with the M.A. in Teaching, M.A. in Education, and M.S. in Special Education programs.
Special Education Credential Prerequisite Requirement
Graduate students must meet the prerequisite requirement by one of the three following options:
- Hold a California Multiple or Single Subject Teaching Credential
- Two online graduate courses that can be taken concurrently with Special Education Credential courses:
- SEED 518 (3 credits)
- SEED 530 (3 credits; 30 hours of fieldwork; accommodation will be provided for full time teachers and special education instructional aides)
- The following in-person graduate or undergraduate coursework:
- SEED 519 (2 credits; 15 hours of fieldwork) or LEDU 301
- SEED 526 (3 credits) or LEDU 330
- SEED 541 (3 credits; 20 hours of fieldwork) or LEDU 341
- SEED 520 or SEED 525 (3 credits; 35 hours of fieldwork or 10 hours for full-time teachers), or LEDU 420/425
Special Education Coursework
Undergraduate |
See the catalog for complete details. |
Graduate |
See the catalog for complete details. |
Fieldwork
Listed below are the courses that require fieldwork hours. Biola will arrange placements for you.
Undergraduate |
See the catalog for complete details. |
|
Graduate |
See the catalog for complete details. Most graduate students work full time and, through permission from their employers, utilize personal or vacation time to arrange for their fieldwork hours in the schools. |
Student Teaching or Teaching Under An Intern Credential
At Biola, there are two ways to earn your special education credential at the graduate level.
- Traditional Track
The traditional track involves successful completion of prerequisites, online coursework, fieldwork and a student teaching assignment during the final semester of the program. All fieldwork and student teaching placements will be in WASC-accredited public schools. You will be assigned a Biola supervisor. See Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program requirements for more details.
Details:- Student teaching is the final course in Biola's Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program. If you complete this requirement through the traditional student teaching route, you will enroll in SEED 584 and SEED 585 during your 16-week placement in a single classroom. You will be assigned a master teacher and a Biola supervisor.
- SEED 584: Student Teaching in Special Education (6)
- SEED 585: Student Teaching in Special Education (6)
You may student teach in either public or non-public schools (but not private schools) in California. Biola will find the student teaching placement for you
- Student teaching is the final course in Biola's Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program. If you complete this requirement through the traditional student teaching route, you will enroll in SEED 584 and SEED 585 during your 16-week placement in a single classroom. You will be assigned a master teacher and a Biola supervisor.
- Intern Track
The intern track involves successful completion of prerequisites and additional requirements followed by completion of online coursework while you are employed as a full-time special education teacher under our intern credential. See the Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program requirements for more details.
Details:- Instead of student teaching your final semester of the Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program, you can teach under an intern credential if you are eligible. Each semester you teach under the intern credential, you will enroll in the intern support seminars. By the end of the program, you will need to have taken all four seminar courses (12 total credits). Student teaching (SEED 584/585) will not be required in the intern credential track.
- SEED 611: Intern Support Seminar I (3)
- SEED 612: Intern Support Seminar II (3)
- SEED 613: Intern Support Seminar III (3)
- SEED 614: Intern Support Seminar IV (3)
You have the option to transition from traditional to the intern track at any time if qualifications are met.
- Instead of student teaching your final semester of the Special Education (Mild to Moderate Support Needs) Credential program, you can teach under an intern credential if you are eligible. Each semester you teach under the intern credential, you will enroll in the intern support seminars. By the end of the program, you will need to have taken all four seminar courses (12 total credits). Student teaching (SEED 584/585) will not be required in the intern credential track.
View our other teaching credential programs.