What is special education?
In the special education minor, you will engage in a critical examination of inclusive education and study fundamental issues of values, purposes, and practices in public education systems. The concept of disability in education has a dual nature. It has been represented as a mechanism of protection within schools that recruits efforts and resources to develop all individuals’ abilities and to ensure their meaningful, full participation in society. Disability identification has also been a mechanism for exclusion and inequity, including long-standing intersections with race, language, class, and gender, among others. This minor can be combined with other majors and can provide an accelerated pathway to the Education Department's professional graduate preparation programs, particularly the M.Ed. in special education.
Why study special education at UNH?
We believe that all students, including students identified with a disability, are entitled to a meaningful and full education. Community engagement is central to the mission of the Education Department, and you’ll have an array of opportunities to pursue because of our strong collaborative relationships with schools and community agencies, both regionally and internationally. In addition, the department offers several options for continuing studies in special education through graduate studies. The special education minor is particularly appropriate for undergraduates who may seek admission into the accelerated M.Ed. in special education at UNH.
Potential career areas
- Special and general education teaching
- Early childhood services
- Educational advocacy
- Guidance counseling
- Home and hospital/clinical education
- Post-secondary teaching
- Program administration
- School board service
- Social work
Curriculum & Requirements
In the special education minor, you will engage in a critical examination of inclusive education and study fundamental issues of values, purposes, and practices in public education systems. The concept of disability in education has a dual nature. It has been represented as a mechanism of protection within schools that recruits efforts and resources to develop all individuals’ abilities and to ensure their meaningful, full participation in society. Disability identification has also been a mechanism for exclusion and inequity, including long-standing intersections with race, language, class, and gender, among others. This minor can be combined with other majors and can provide an accelerated pathway to the Education Department's professional graduate preparation programs, particularly the M.Ed. in special education.
A Certification of Completion of Minor form needs to be completed at the beginning of a student’s final undergraduate semester at UNH. Forms are available from the Registrar’s Office or the Department of Education Office.
- The minor consists of completing five Education Department courses (20 credits) as follows below.
- No more than one required course or one elective may be a transfer course. A three-credit course taken transferred from another school will count for three credits at UNH, not four credits.
- The minor in Special Education does not lead to a teaching certification.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDUC 650 | Introduction to Disability in Inclusive Schools and Communities | 4 |
| EDUC 656 | Advocating for Diverse and Inclusive Family-School-Community Partnerships | 4 |
| EDUC 751A | Inclusive Elementary Education: Literacies and Learning for Diverse Learners | 4 |
| or EDUC 751B | Methods of Inclusive Secondary Education: Literacies, Learning, and Transitions | |
| Electives | ||
| Select two courses from the following: 2 | 8 | |
EDUC 556 | Peer to Peer Mentoring for Students with Disabilities 3 | |
EDUC 720 | Educational Technology | |
EDUC #745 | Math with Technology in Early Education | |
EDUC 760 | Introduction to Young Children with Special Needs | |
EDUC 761 | Designing Curriculum for Inclusive, Equitable Settings for Young Children (birth-8) | |
EDUC #762 | Curriculum for Young Children with Special Needs: Evaluation and Program Design | |
| Total Credits | 20 | |
- 1
Selection to be determined by the undergraduate major and future career interests
- 2
Or one course taken at UNH in a relevant department that is closely related to the field of special education and the practice of teaching and learning in schools, such as a course from the Disability Studies Minor, or from the Occupational Therapy Department.
- 3
May be taken twice as the content/readings are different each semester
Explore Program Details
The Special Education Minor provides students with the opportunity to explore special education as a professional career choice. This minor provides a pathway to the Department of Education's professional graduate preparation program. It will also allow students who wish to gain a greater understanding of the diversity of individuals with disabilities to study their characteristics and needs and the institutional response to assisting those individuals with a disability.
Objectives
- To provide an overview of disabilities
- To provide an understanding of inclusive community and public school options
- To enhance the understanding of diversity within our schools
- To provide an understanding of the impact of disabilities on families, schools and communities
