BSEd Special Education and Inclusive Learning

In WCU’s Special Education and Inclusive Learning program, aspiring teachers interested in special education acquire the knowledge and experience to differentiate instruction and manage classrooms of students who have a broad range of abilities and needs. Part of WCU’s nationally award-winning School of Teaching and Learning, the program prepares future teachers to help students master the special education general curriculum, which prepares them to work with K-12 students with mild to moderate disabilities.  Additionally, candidates will choose a concentration in K-12 special education adapted curriculum, K-12 gifted and creative education, K-6 elementary education, or secondary transition to complement their knowledge foundation. WCU values inclusion and hosts the University Participant (UP) Program, an on-campus living and learning experience for college-aged people with intellectual disabilities.  The UP Program is the first accredited inclusive post-secondary program in the country.

Students who complete the Special Education and Inclusive Learning program are recommended for North Carolina initial teaching licensure in Special Education: General Curriculum for kindergarten through twelfth grade. Based on their chosen concentration, students could be eligible for additional teaching licenses with successful completion of the required licensure exams. North Carolina’s more than 2,500 public schools hire special education teachers, and charter schools and private schools also may employ graduates. Some students also go to graduate school. WCU’s Master of Arts in Education program enables students to earn advanced licensure in Gifted, Creative, and Innovative Education, Mild to Moderate Disabilities, or Severe/Profound Disabilities.