Educational Foundations & Special Education
Welcome to the Department of Educational Foundations and Special Education! The Department of Educational Foundations and Special Education has curriculum that supports studies in other departments, graduate and undergraduate degrees in Special Education, 2 minors, and 3 certificates.
Cathy Gaylon, John Wheeler, Alison Barton, Brent Leach, Cynthia Chambers, Angela Livingston, Kimberly Hale, Dawn Rowe, Arnold Nyarambi, Luann Ley Davis, Pamela Mims, Scott Jenkinson, Kristie Calvin, Jean Swindle. Not pictured: Karin Bartoszuk.
Educational Foundations
is a program that offers a minor in Leadership which is an interdisciplinary program that can work with any major and a new graduate certificate in Leadership. Additionally, Educational Foundations offers courses on the graduate and undergraduate level that support other education programs in the Clemmer College. Some of the topics include:
- Philosophy in education
- Educational research
- Educational psychology
- Current Educational Issues and Trends
Special Education
is a program that prepares future teachers to instruct students with unique learning needs and disabilities.This program meets the teacher licensure requirements in the state of Tennessee.
Undergraduates
- Bachelor of Science degree in Special education (SPED) leads to initial teaching license in special education. Special education licensure programs in Tennessee are non-categorical covering intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, orthopedic impairments and emotional disturbance. Students planning to teach in those states requiring categorical certification should meet with their advisor(s) to plan their programs according to the certification/licensure requirements of those states.
- Minor in Special Education shows an employer that a student has an understanding of individuals of differing ability and evidence-based learning strategies that can benefit all students/clients. Minors are great for students who are majoring in such fields as: social work, psychology, physical therapy, or early childhood.
Graduates
- Special Education, M.Ed is for candidates seeking licensure in special education enroll in graduate coursework that prepares the candidate for initial teaching licensure in both K-12 Modified Special Education (mild disabilities) and K-12 Comprehensive Special Education (severe disabilities).
- Advanced Practitioner Concentration is for individuals who are not seeking special education licensure, but who are interested in obtaining an advanced degree in special education may elect to earn a master's degree through the Master of Education in Special Education degree, Advanced Practitioner Concentration.
- Advanced Practitioner Concentration is for teachers who currently hold a valid Tennessee teaching license may add on an endorsement in
the following areas
- K-12 Modified Special Education (Mild Disabilities)
- K-12 Comprehensive Special Education (Severe Disabilities)
- Post-baccalaureate Programs are provided for adding a special education endorsement to existing education licenses. Licensure areas in modified (K-12), comprehensive (K-12), and Early Childhood Special Education are available at this level.