Department Information

Special Education & Communication Sciences and Disorders | David Winters, Ph.D., Department Head | 128 Porter, 734.487.3300, david.winters@emich.edu

Advisor Information

Jennifer Desiderio, Ed.S., 125 Porter, 734.487.3302, jdesider@emich.edu 

John Palladino, Ph.D., 105 Porter, 734.487.2764, jpalladi@emich.edu

Teacher Certification

Successful completion of this course of study, in the context of other program requirements, qualifies the student for recommendation to the Michigan Department of Education for the K-12 endorsement as a Teacher of Students with Emotional Impairment. This program of study meets all requirements of the Council for Exceptional Children. The Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) covering this field is #059, “Emotional Impairment.”

In Michigan, an endorsement must be attached to either an elementary or secondary teaching certificate. Students selecting Elementary Certification must complete a second major in Liberal Arts for Elementary Education. In addition, those selecting Elementary Certification must pass the MTTC “Elementary Education” certification test, #103.

Initial Teacher Preparation Program Admission

To pursue the sequence of courses necessary to complete eligibility for a recommendation for certification, one must apply for and be admitted to the teacher preparation program.

Admission to the teacher preparation program is not automatic. Only those persons who have formally applied are considered for admission. Not all persons who apply become eligible for admission.

Teaching majors and minors are unofficial until program admission. Students pursuing teacher certification should follow the catalog that exists at the time of program admission. Students must apply to the teacher preparation program as soon as they have earned 56 credit hours.

Admission to Initial Teacher Preparation Program Candidacy

Students must meet all of the following requirements

• Completion of 56 credit hours
• Appropriate cumulative GPA. One of:
  • An overall EMU GPA of 2.5 or higher based on a minimum of 12 credit hours taken at EMU. An EMU GPA of 2.5 or higher in your major, based on at least one course in your major. The Elementary Education Majors are comprehensive; therefore, the major GPA is based on the liberal arts curriculum and content course work.
  • Transferred 56 credits with a cumulative 3.0 GPA from all previous institutions.
• A grade of “C” or higher in the following courses (if taken): WRTG 121 , COMM 124 , MATH 180 , MATH 280 , PSCI 100 , ESSC 202 , PSY 101 , and all of the professional education courses
• ICHAT criminal background check and Statement of Civil/Criminal Convictions. If you answered yes to any of the civil/criminal conviction questions on the application, you would need to provide:
  • A copy of the Judgment of Sentence, Registrar of Actions, or Certification of Conviction.
  • A written explanation of the offense(s). Application of students with civil/criminal convictions will be carefully reviewed and may take longer to process.
• Attendance at Group Advising Session required. Your major may require additional advising sessions.

Continuance Criteria

Criteria for continuance in a special education program of study in the Department of Special Education & Communication Sciences and Disorders is dependent upon:

1. Maintenance of a 2.5 GPA.
2. Maintenance of a 2.5 GPA in major courses in the program of study.
3. Completion of all courses in the major with a grade of C or better. Students will be required to retake any major course in which they earn a grade below C.
4. Demonstration of behaviors, which indicate stability, maturity, understanding, and aptitude, as judged necessary for predicted success in the professional field of special education. Such qualitative judgments will be made by the department faculty.

The continuance or termination decision will be made by the faculty in the program area. Students may request a meeting with the faculty of a program area to apprise faculty of any extenuating circumstances that may aid faculty in arriving at a fair and equitable decision. The faculty decision will be final and transmitted to the student in writing by the department head.

Nothing in this department’s procedures will negate University or College of Education action for students on academic, administrative, or social probation.

Termination from the Department

Students who fail to comply with the continuation criteria stated above will be notified in writing of their termination from the program. Students so notified have the right to appeal such termination through normal University channels. In some cases, a student will be required to meet with program area faculty to discuss academic performance and continuation in the program.

General Education Requirements:

For specific requirements, see General Education  or print a worksheet .  

Major Requirements: 78 hours

Completion of all courses in the major with a grade of C or better is required. Students will be required to retake any major course in which they earn a grade below C.

Professional Elementary Education Sequence: 53 hours

• Pre-Admission Phase - The Learner and the Community: 11 hours

• CTAR 220 - Learning Through Theatre and Movement [GEKA] 3 hrs
• EDPS 225 - Life Span Human Growth and Development 4 hrs
• HLED 320 - Health Education in the Elementary Grades 2 hrs
• PHED 257 - Physical Education for the Classroom Teacher 2 hrs

•  

  Phase I - Curriculum, Assessment, and the Social Context: 12 hours

  Completion of the pre-admission phase is required, before taking the following courses. Admission to Initial Teacher Preparation Candidacy is required, before the first day of the semester to take CURR 304, EDPS 340, and PRCT 304L4.

• CURR 304 - Curriculum and Methods: Elementary 3 hrs
• GEOG 348 - Teaching Social Studies in Elementary Schools 3 hrs
• RDNG 300 - Early Literacy 3 hrs
• SFCE 328W - Schools for a Diverse and Democratic Society [GEWI] 3 hrs

•  

  Phase II - Content, Methods, and Teaching: 12 hours

  Completion of the previous phases is required, before taking the following courses.

• BIOT 303 - Life Science for Elementary Teachers 3 hrs
• MATH 381 - Teaching Mathematics in Elementary School 3 hrs
• PRCT 310L4 - Practicum II: Elementary [GELB] 3 hrs
• RDNG 310 - Literacy Across the Curriculum in the Intermediate Grades 3 hrs

•  

  Phase III - Capstone Experience: 18 hours

  Completion of the previous phases is required, before taking the following courses. 

• EDUC 499L4 - Student Teaching [GELB] 6 hrs
• SPGN 491 - Special Education Student Teaching and Seminar 12 hrs

Pre-Student Teaching Experience Requirements

One hundred and fifty (150) hours of pre-student teaching are required.

• Fifty (50) hours will be completed in general education K-5 classrooms.
• Fifty (50) hours will be completed in elementary special education settings.
• Fifty (50) hours will be completed in secondary special education settings.

Some of these hours will be completed in conjunction with education courses. All hours should be documented per department procedure.

Student Teaching

Two (2) semesters of student teaching will be completed, one in a general education elementary classroom and one in a special education setting.

Minor Requirement:

This major does not require a minor.

Program Total:

Students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

Beginning in Fall 2022, all baccalaureate degree programs for all undergraduates (regardless of catalog year) will require a minimum of 120 credit hours for completion.

Critical Graduation Information

Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

• Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
• Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
• Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) Course in your major.
• Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
• Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
• Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
• Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check the requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
• Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
• Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
  • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
  • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
• Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
• Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.