Special Education Endorsement

The Special Education endorsement program at Aurora University Online is designed for teachers who already hold an existing Illinois teaching certificate/license (type 03 or 09). The endorsement will enable you to seek employment in Illinois as a special educator at the same grade level as your original certificate/license. Special education is a highly marketable area in today’s education environment. The program will prepare you to identify and intervene with students who exhibit a wide range of disabilities, including learning disabilities, cognitive disabilities, autism, social/emotional disabilities, physical disabilities and other health impairments, and to facilitate collaboration with students, families, colleagues and the community.

Program Requirements
The special education endorsement requires 19 semester hours. The endorsement classes are based on four broad areas of knowledge required by the Illinois State Board of Education. These courses also meet the requirements for the first half of the full certification/licensure program, which AU offers in a traditional setting at its Aurora, Illinois campus. The endorsement does not require student teaching.

Admission Requirements
Applicants should hold a current Illinois teaching certificate/license and an undergraduate degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher from a regionally accredited institution. If your undergraduate GPA is less than 3.0, you may be admitted on a probationary status and will be required to earn a 3.0 or higher in your first three courses. Prior undergraduate coursework must include a course in human development, spanning the P-12 grade years, and a course in educational psychology. The application also requires three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your professional potential related to the special education field, and all transcripts from previously attended institutions. All applicants must have passing grades on the Illinois Basic Skills Test or the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) and must pass a National Background Check after admission.

Opportunities
The U.S. Department of Labor projects that the demand for special education teachers will increase by 17 percent in the next decade. The special education endorsement program will prepare you to fill this need as an effective special educator and helps you take the next step toward earning a Master of Arts in Special Education. Check out more information about the different careers in education.

Course Details
SPED5510 Characteristics and Identification of Disabilities and the Law (4 hours)
SPED5520 Cognitive Development and Disabilities (2 hours)
SPED5550 Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Development: Promoting Prosocial Behavior (2 hours)
SPED5551 Intervention Strategies for Problematic Behavior (2 hours)
SPED5560 Strategies and Assistive Technology for Students with Low Incidence and Multiple Disabilities (2 hours)
SPED5570 Trends: Collaboration, Differentiating Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom, and Transition (3 hours)
SPED6510 Psychoeducational Assessment of Students with Disabilities (4 hours)