Special Education

Vision and Mission

The mission of the Department of Special Education is to prepare highly effective practitioners whose work is grounded in current research, theory and evidence-based practice. This is accomplished through close faculty mentorship, rigorous coursework, and supervised fieldwork. Candidates develop professional skills and dispositions to effect positive change in students with specialized learning needs.

Undergraduate Minor:

Disability Studies Minor  

Undergraduate Major:

Special Education, B.S. with Teacher Licensure  

Undergraduate Programs:

Special Education - Undergraduate Teacher Licensure K-12 
Education, B.A. to M.A. Programs   

Graduate Programs:

  Special Education, M.A.  

  Concentrations:

• Special Education focus
• Special Education with Teacher Licensure
• Special Education with Cross-Endorsement

Graduate Certificate

Autism Spectrum Disorders Graduate Certificate (15 credits) 

Graduate Teacher Licensure Programs

Special Education  

Other Opportunities

Cross-Endorsement

Licensed teachers who wish to add an additional area of endorsement to their teaching credentials have several options. Only the Connecticut State Department of Education can determine required coursework. To pursue cross-endorsement, please contact the Connecticut Department of Education, Bureau of Educator Preparation and Licensure, to obtain a list of required courses for the desired cross-endorsement.

Laboratory Schools

The School of Education benefits from two laboratory schools. The Gengras Center, an on campus school for students with significant disabilities, and the School for Young Children, an early childhood school nearby, offer opportunities for on-site observations, field work, practicum, internships and course-related applications.

Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society

Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education has been active at USJ since 2009. The society has a long-standing commitment to “recognizing excellence and fostering mutual cooperative, support, and professional growth for educational professionals.” Letters of invitation are sent in February to students eligible for membership informing them of a March orientation meeting and an initiation ceremony in the spring.

Partnerships

The School of Education has partnerships with several school districts and agencies, which provide candidates the opportunity to interact with K-12 students under faculty supervision. Longstanding partnerships include: Bloomfield School District, Connecticut Department of Children and Family Services, and West Hartford Schools. Candidates are provided authentic opportunities to assess, teach and collaborate with others.

Internships

Literacy Internship

This internship is for licensed teachers. Selected interns, with a minimum GPA of 3.25, receive 15-30 credits of coursework plus a stipend for working in a school district as a reading tutor for up to two years. The program places an emphasis on developing candidates’ reading intervention skills. This program is directed by the teacher licensure officer. Also see Education - Literacy Internship, M.A.  for details.

Internship in Pre K-12 Schools

The University of Saint Joseph provides opportunities for students completing graduate studies or licensure courses to serve as interns in public school classrooms during the school year. The participating schools provide 18 graduate credits that the intern may apply to tuition costs at the University of Saint Joseph. In addition, a small stipend is provided for books and materials each semester. Contact the director of student teaching and clinical experiences for more information.