Special Education Learning Disabilities K-12 and Elementary Education PK-3
Western Michigan University's special education learning disabilities K-12 and elementary education PK-3 program, is a five-year program that addresses a critical ongoing shortage of special education teachers nationally as well as locally. The department has the highest job placement rate in teacher education at 51¸£ÀûÉç. Students will have the option to earn a minor in the core content areas.
Upon completion, graduates will be eligible for:
- Michigan teacher certification in Elementary Education K-5.
- Elementary Education K-8 (self-contained).
- Special Education endorsements in Learning Disabilities (K-12).
- Emotional Impairment (K-12).
The Special Education Program offers multiple study abroad experiences at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students can complete their 15-week special education internship with the U.S. Department of Defense Schools throughout Europe. During the Summer I session, students may engage in a three-week study abroad experience, conducting active research by studying the impact of globalization on systems in Senegal, West Africa.
Special education faculty also offer a number of program options at the undergraduate, master and doctoral levels with an emphasis on the application of research-generated practices to improve students’ educational and post-school outcomes. Within each program area, faculty are engaged in research initiatives that enhance both student engagement and learning.
Recent 51¸£ÀûÉç graduates with degrees in special and elementary education are working as:
- Classroom teachers
- Resource room teachers
- Inclusion teachers
- Self-contained special classroom teachers
Among the organizations they work for are:
- Schools
- Kalamazoo