Special Education Minor

teacher and childThe Special Education Minor provides undergraduate students with coursework on instructional practices to support  students with disabilities. The SPLED Minor requires 24 credits of coursework (6 Education + 12 SPLED + 6 Disability Related). All courses for a minor must be completed with a grade of “C” or above.

If you will be at the University Park campus in your junior year, and you are interested in pursuing a special education minor, you should plan on the following sequence of Special Education classes. If you will not be on the University Park campus for your junior year, please meet with your advisor at your home campus to review how you can complete the “disability related” credits required for the SPLED minor.

The Special Education minor can also be used as the first step in the 4+1 program , in which students complete a one-year graduate program (after their initial undergraduate program), and earn Special Education certification and a Masters in Special Education. Additional information on the 4+1 program is available here.

In order to receive updated information on the Special Education minor, and especially if you are interested in the 4+1 program, please sign up for our eBlast here. This will be sent 3 times per year with updated information on available courses, special events, etc.

Required Education Coursework (6 Credits)
Freshman or Sophomore

  • EDPSY 014(3)
  • EDPSY 010 GS(3), HD FS 229 GS(3) or HD FS 239 GS(3)

Required Special Education Coursework (12 credits)

Fall –  Junior year

  • SPLED 400 (4 cr) – you should be a junior before you take this class
    * SPLED 400 will be regularly offered in fall and spring semesters, however SPLED 400 must be taken before 403a/b, and 400 and 403a/b cannot be taken in the same semester.

Spring – Junior year

  • SPLED 403a (EL ED)  OR 403b (SEC ED)  (3 cr)
    *SPLED 403a and 403b will be regularly offered in fall and spring semesters, however  400 must be taken before 403a/b, and 400 and 403a/b cannot be taken in the same semester.

Summer – after Junior year   (5 credits of SPLED coursework)

  • SPLED 419 (summer offering): Assistive Technology for the General Education Teacher (2 or 3 credits)
  • SPLED 461 (summer offering): Supporting Students with Autism in the General Education Classroom (3 credits) OR SPLED 525 (summer offering): Teaching Learners with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings (3 credits)

*Students interested in the special education minor should plan on taking these 5 credits of coursework in the summer. This coursework will be offered in a distance format so you will not need to be on the University Park campus.
* only the 2 credit version of SPLED 419 is required for the SPLED minor, however some students in the PK-4 program may choose to take SPLED 419 for 3 credits so it can be used towards the Education Selections requirement. Students who are considering the 4+1 M Ed program  should also take the 3-credit option.
* Students can take either 461 or 525. SPLED 525 is required for students who are considering the 4+1 M Ed program 
*Please note: it is recommended (but not required) that you  complete SPLED 400 and 403a/b before taking this coursework.

– For additional information on the summer coursework and other SPLED classes, please see “Frequently Asked Questions”.

Selected Disability related course-work (6 credits)

You will also need to complete  6 credits of coursework from a menu of courses including

  • CSD 146 (US;IL) Intro to Comm Sciences and Disorders (3)
  • CSD 218 American Sign Language I (3)
  • CSD 269 (US;IL) Deafness and Society (3)
  • CSD 300 (US;IL) Developmental Considerations in Lang Disorders (3)
  • RHS 100 (GS) Introduction to Disability Culture (3)
  •  RHS 402 Children and Families in RHS (3)
  • RPTM 277 (US) Recreation for Persons with Disabilities(3)You can do the  “disability related” classes at any time.

Declaring the SPLED Minor

You can declare the SPLED minor on LionPath by following the steps below

> log in to Lion Path.

>> In Student Center (on the left hand side), there should be a drop down menu.

>>>  Choose “update academics”,

>>select the Continue arrow,

>> select the Add a Minor option

Requesting a Substitution

Please  email Dr. David McNaughton at dbm2@psu.edu to request a course substitution for the SPLED minor. Please note, Penn State University has approved a selected number of courses  for the SPLED minor program, and substitutions will only be considered under exceptional circumstances.

Your email must be sent from your PSU email address, and should contain

  • your name
  • your 9-digit PSU id number
  • a statement clearly explaining your requested substitution
    • For example, “I would like to  count SPLED ______ as a substitute for SPLED ______”
  • Please attach a copy of your audit showing that the class has been completed before submitting a substitution request.

We will process the form, this should be done at least 6 weeks prior to graduation

How to receive more information
Thank you for your interest in the Special Education Minor. I strongly recommend that you sign up for our eBlast at eBlast  , especially if you are interested in the 4+1 option.

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