Special Education

Special education graduates from the College of Charleston are in high demand. This exciting and rewarding field is defined as a critical needs area in all 50 states. Our performance-based program prepares candidates to teach students with emotional, learning, and or mental disabilities, from preschool through grade 12.

College of Charleston Advantages

The special education programs at the College of Charleston are nationally recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Students progress through the program in cohorts of approximately 30, developing a strong sense of community and camaraderie.
Our faculty members are experienced, highly qualified experts in the field of special education.
All of our graduates are eligible for certification by the state of South Carolina in either learning disabilities and emotional disabilities or mental disabilities and emotional disabilities.
All special education students complete two field experiences as well as a full-time clinical practice capstone experience in their primary area of specialization.

Careers

Professional positions in all areas of special education programming are plentiful throughout most of the country.
College of Charleston special education graduates are qualified to serve students with disabilities in many different settings: inclusive models, resource settings, separate classes, special schools, hospital and residential settings, and home-bound services.
Our graduates are also well prepared to compete successfully for positions with community agencies or to enter graduate programs of study.

Active Learning Opportunities

Field experience. All majors complete two field experiences in preparation for clinical practice undertaken during their final semester in the program. Students learn research-based practices from faculty experts and then immediately practice their new skills in supervised educational settings.

Clinical practice. Every student completes a 14-week, full-time clinical practice experience, supervised by a trained cooperating teacher and a member of the special education faculty. This provides an opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions essential for successful provision of special education.

Student Council for Exceptional Children (SCEC). The Council for Exceptional Children is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. The College’s student chapter provides future special education professionals the opportunity to expand pre-professional training through participation at state and national conferences, attendance at monthly chapter meetings on campus, and participating in local service projects.

Student Chapter of the American Association on Mental Retardation. The American Association on Mental Retardation (AAMR ) is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization for those concerned about mental retardation and related disabilities. The mission of our student chapter is to provide service and activities for those with mental retardation. For example, for more than 15 years, the SAAMR has sponsored an evening spring dance for mentally retarded adult citizens of Charleston County.

Special Education College Bowl. Each year at the annual Conferences of the South Carolina Council for Exceptional Children, four special education majors from the college test their knowledge of special education against that of students from other institutions in South Carolina. Of the seven years the event has been conducted, the College of Charleston has emerged victorious six times, including the past three years.

Kappa Delta Pi (international education honor society). The College chapter has more than 100 members in this organization. Junior and senior education majors and minors with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible for membership.

Learning Resources

The School of Education, Health, and Human Performance building is a three-story, 30,000-square-foot structure, with faculty offices, multiple resource centers, a curriculum center, conference rooms and specialized ancillary spaces.
The Charles and Andrea Volpe Center for Teaching and Learning, located across the street from the new education building, features state-of-the-art resources for teacher education faculty and students.
The Office of Certification and Clinical Practice assigns faculty advisors to education majors or minors and places students in clinical practice experiences with teachers in local school districts. The staff can also answer questions related to South Carolina teacher certification requirements, as well as other states’ requirements.

“The professors in the special education program at the College of Charleston are some of the best in the field. I love the way each class is strategically planned and coordinated to give students the knowledge necessary to succeed. Our teachers also challenge us to have an impact on the future of this critically important area of education. I want to be a leader and to excel in this profession. I believe that my education has prepared me to do just that, enabling me to become a more effective advocate for my students.”

Mora Pressley ’07