B.S.Ed. Special Education

Major Teaching Endorsement

Concordia Nebraska’s special education program trains you to serve individuals with mild to moderate disabilities, giving you the skills to address their specific differences, strengths and needs. With a degree in special education, you can ensure that students with disabilities will reach their highest potential in inclusive school environments.  

Whether in the classroom or not, with a degree in special education from Concordia, you can find meaningful work within the branch of special education that speaks most specifically to your passions, strengths and long-term employment goals. 

Special Education Courses

120 credit hours
100% career outcome rate1
12:1 Student-to-faculty ratio
 

Find a career that is emotionally fulfilling and personally meaningful with a degree in special education!

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Program Highlights

WHY STUDY SPECIAL EDUCATION AT CONCORDIA? 

The special education program at Concordia University, Nebraska encourages students to be academic and spiritual advocates so that they can use their God-given talents to help children with disabilities develop to their full potentials morally, intellectually, socially and emotionally.  

Certification 
The undergraduate education programs at Concordia are approved by the Nebraska Department of Education and lead to a teaching certificate from the State of Nebraska. 

Field Experience 
To complete your required 100 hours of field experience, you will be intentionally placed in a variety of classrooms and schools throughout your four years here. That way, you get first-hand experience that aligns with what you are learning in your college classroom. 

Student Teaching 
Concordia is one of only a handful of universities that provides education majors with two unique student teaching experiences: 

  • 8 weeks Student teaching in a local school 
  • 8 weeks Student teaching in a different town, state or country 

This approach provides education majors with diverse experience in a school setting with new students and teachers, often in a location they have never been to. 

Elementary Education Program Director 

Special Education Program Director

Photo of Amanda

Dr. Amanda Geidel

Professor of Education, Special Education Program Director, Department of Education Chair

Department of Education

Meet the faculty

Meet our students

Kylahn Freiberg
Nampa, Idaho

The professors care so much, and not only about us, but what we get out of it too. Just seeing how relational they are, it’s the kind of teacher I want to be as well.

Accreditation

Concordia University, Nebraska is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 

All education programs leading to teacher certification or endorsement are approved by the Nebraska Department of Education and the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation. 

Degree Goals

An secondary education graduate from Concordia University, Nebraska will be able to:  

  • Demonstrate foundational knowledge in the research and theories of the characteristics of learners with disabilities. 
  • Use a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods and materials to support learning by students with disabilities and address the moral and ethical values that might affect instruction. 
  • Use a variety of assessment tools and practices to plan and evaluate effective instruction. 
  • Commit to knowing, understanding and applying the highest professional standards of special education. 
  • Create and support an environment that fosters learning and inclusion. 

Optional Teaching Diplomas

Lutheran Teacher Diploma (LTD): For students who wish to be commissioned ministers who teach in schools of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod 

Christian Teacher Diploma (CTD): For students who wish to teach in Christian parochial schools 

International Teaching Diploma (ITD): For students who wish to teach in international schools 

Field Endorsements

  • Agricultural Education 
  • Art (K-12 Certification) 
  • Business, Marketing and Information Technology 
  • English Language Arts 
  • Mathematics 
  • Music Education (PK-12 Certification) 
  • Science 
  • Social Science 

Subject Endorsements

  • Biology 
  • Chemistry 
  • Geography 
  • History 
  • Mandarin/Chinese 
  • Middle Level 
  • Vocal Music (PK-12 Certification) 
  • Physical Education (PK-12 Certification) 
  • English 
  • Physical Education 
  • Physics 
  • Psychology 
  • Spanish 
  • Special Education 
  • Theology: Religious Education 

Supplemental Endorsements

  • American Sign Language 
  • Coaching 
  • English as a Second Language 
  • Information Technology 
  • Journalism and Media Education 
  • Speech 
  • Theatre 

Career Outcomes

Special Education Teacher 

  • Teach students who have a wide variety of learning disabilities and challenges, including intellectual, emotional and physical disabilities 
  • Assess students through multiple and varied means of classroom assessment 
  • Focus on one or two subject areas  

Reading Specialist 

  • Help schools implement quality reading instruction that meets the reading needs of students, including those in need of special education 
  • Teach reading skills alongside a classroom teacher to help them modify their reading curriculum to meet specific students’ needs 
  • You would need to complete a master’s degree in order to become a reading specialist 

Speech Therapist 

  • Work to diagnose language limitations and speech deficits and develop treatment plans 
  • Perform evaluations to test mouth, tongue and throat problems and administer various standardized tests to identify neurological problems which may be interfering with speech or language 
  • Additional schooling is required to become a speech therapist 

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1 Recent graduates attending graduate school or employed within six months of graduation.