Office of the Registrar

Special Education - Bachelor of Science 2022-23 Degree Map

Requirements (REQ) of a Bachelors Degree

Degree Maps show one way how you can earn a degree in four years. Talk with your advisor regularly to develop a personalized plan that works best for you, especially if you have any earned transferrable academic credit.

To graduate in four years, you need an average of 45 credits per year to reach 180 total credits, including 62 upper division (300/400 level courses) credits. You may need to take electives (courses that are not used to meet specific requirements) to reach those totals. Most courses at PSU are 4 credits each. If you transfer credit to PSU, the number of credits you need per year will vary accordingly. 

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This guide outlines the requirements in the 2022-23 catalog. Catalog year defines the specific set of requirements you need to complete a degree. Requirements occasionally change, so it may benefit you to follow a different catalog. Typically, your catalog year is the year you began at PSU, but if you are a transfer student you may be able to use an earlier catalog. Talk with your advisor about which catalog requirements make sense for you.

PSU Bulletins (2015-present) about this content

First Year

Fall Courses Fall Credits Winter Courses Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits
Freshman Inquiry or Honors 5 Freshman Inquiry or Honors 5 Freshman Inquiry or Honors 5
BS Arts & Letters/Social Science 3-4 BS Arts & Letters/Social Science 3-4 BS Arts & Letters/Social Science 3-4
BS Science with Lab 3-4 BS Science with Lab 3-4 BS Science 4
        General Elective 4
Total Fall Credits 11-13 Total Winter Credits 11-13 Total Spring Credits 16-17

First Year Milestone: Complete PSY 200 & SOC 200.

Second Year

Fall Courses Fall Credits Winter Courses  Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits
Sophomore Inquiry or Honors 4 Sophomore Inquiry or Honors 4 Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement 3-4
MTH 211 4 MTH 212 4 General Elective(Note2) 4
General Elective(Note1) 4 SPED 418 4 General Elective(Note3) 4
General Elective 4 General Elective 4 General Elective 4
Total Fall Credits 16 Total Winter Credits 16 Total Spring Credits 15-16

Second Year Milestones: Apply to major (by end of Winter). Complete all BA courses and MTH 211-212 (by end of Spring).

Second Year Note: Students must be admitted to the major to start major coursework. Admission is not guaranteed.

Third Year

Fall Courses Fall Credits Winter Courses Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits Summer Course Summer Credits
Upper Division Cluster or Honors  4 Upper Division Cluster or Honors  4 Upper Division Cluster or Honors  4 SPED 409 Professional Introduction to the School Year 3
SPED 411 3 SPED 437 4 SPED 412 4    
SPED 415 4 SPED 409 Professional Practices Seminar 1 3 SPED 448 3    
SPED 430 3 SPED 414 3 Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement   3-4    
Total Fall Credits 14 Total Winter Credits 14 Total Spring Credits 14-15 Total Summer Credits 3

Third Year Note: Summer course (SPED 409) required at the end of Year 3.

Fourth Year

Fall Courses Fall Credits Winter Courses Winter Credits Spring Courses Spring Credits
Senior Capstone or Honors Thesis 6 SPED 438 4 SPED 425 - Student Teaching 12
SPED 433 3 SPED 423 3 SPED 426 4
SPED 422 3 SPED 409 Professional Practices Seminar 2 3    
SPED 432 2 General Elective 3    
Total Fall Credits 14 Total Winter Credits 13 Total Spring Credits 16

 

Additional Map Notes:

  • Sophomore Inquiry or Honors: Family & Society SINQ recommended. For University Studies, two Sophomore Inquiry courses are required, but for Honors, three Sophomore courses are required.
  • General Elective(Note1): SPED 417 strongly advised.
  • Race and Ethnic Studies Requirement: Two courses required, each minimum 3 credits: one course must focus on the U.S. experience; the second course must center the experiences of groups under European and U.S. colonialism and imperialism beyond the United States. One must be within the School of Gender, Race and Nations or be cross-listed with one of the SGRN units: Black Studies (BSt), Chicano/Latino Studies (ChLa), Indigenous Nations Studies (NAS), or Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WS). If you choose a RESR course that can be applied towards another requirement, take an elective here instead.
  • General Elective(Note2): SPED 409 Practicum Reading Clinic strongly advised.
  • General Elective(Note3): MTH 213 strongly advised.
  • Upper Division Cluster or Honors: Family & Society Cluster highly recommended, with UNST 321U, SPHR 372U and CFS courses strongly advised.
  • Senior Capstone or Honors Thesis: UNST 421 Learning from Persons with Disabilities recommended.
  • You may need to add additional general elective credits to your plan to reach 180 total credits.

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