Special Education (Minor)

What is special education?

In the special education minor,you will engage in a critical examination of disability and study fundamental issues of values, purposes and practices in education systems. The concept of disability has a dual nature. It is an object of protection that recruits efforts and resources to develop all individuals’ abilities, and to ensure their meaningful, full participation in society. Disability has also been a conduit for exclusion and inequity, withlong-standing intersections with race, language, class and gender, among others. The minor can be combined with other majors, and provides a pathway to the Education Department's professional graduate preparation programs.

Why study special education at UNH?

We believe that students identified with disabilities, like all students, are entitled to a meaningful and full education. In this minor, you will have opportunities to examine and work within justice-oriented and coalition-building activities that seek to transform the marginalization mechanisms that exist within formal and informal educational settings. Community engagement is central to the mission of the Education Department, and you’ll have an array of opportunities as a result of our strong collaborative relationships with schools and community agencies, regionally and internationally. In addition, the department offers several options for continuing studies in special education through graduate and post-graduate studies.

Potential career areas

Disability law
Early childhood teaching
Educational advocacy
Guidance counselingLobbying/advocacy
Pediatric hospital/clinical education
Post-secondary teaching
Program administration
School board service
Social work
Special education teaching

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Department of Education
Morrill Hall
University of New Hampshire
62 College Road
Durham, NH 03824

education.department@unh.edu
Phone: (603) 862-2310
Fax: (603) 862-2174

Curriculum & Requirements

Program Description

In the special education minor, you will engage in a critical examination of disability and study fundamental issues of values, purposes and practices in education systems. The concept of disability has a dual nature. It is an object of protection that recruits efforts and resources to develop all individuals’ abilities, and to ensure their meaningful, full participation in society. Disability has also been a conduit for exclusion and inequity, with long-standing intersections with race, language, class and gender, among others. The minor can be combined with other majors, and provides a pathway to the Education Department's professional graduate preparation programs.

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.

Requirements for the Program

A minor consists of 20 credits in Education Department courses. The specific courses required for the minor are:

Course List
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
Choose one of the following: ¹		4
EDUC 751A	Inclusive Elementary Education: Literacies and Learning for Diverse Learners
EDUC 751B	Methods of Inclusive Secondary Education: Literacies, Learning, and Transitions
Elective Courses
Choose two of the following:		8
EDUC 556	Peer to Peer Mentoring for Students with Disabilities ²
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
One course taken at UNH in a closely related department, such as a course from the disability studies minor from the Occupational Therapy Department.
Total Credits		20

¹: Selection to be determined by the undergraduate major and future career interests
²: May be taken twice as the content/readings are different each semester

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. A minor in Special Education does NOT lead to a teaching certification.

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Program Objectives

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

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