Bachelor in Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's)

On the Lisle campus, students can take part in clubs, organizations, intramurals, leadership opportunities, athletics, campus ministry, and community volunteer work. Lisle is one of Benedictine's campus locations, alongside Mesa, Arizona, with additional options in China, Vietnam, and online. Small classes and a low student-faculty ratio support a setting where professors and advisors can know students personally.

Benedictine began as St. Procopius College in 1887 and has grown within the Catholic intellectual tradition. Its educational approach combines personal and spiritual growth with preparation for lives of meaning and purpose, welcoming students of all cultures, racial and ethnic identities, genders, faiths, and no faith. Academic options span the Goodwin College of Business and Liberal Arts, College of Science and Health, and School of Education.

Programs include fields such as accounting, business analytics, computer science, biology, chemistry, engineering science, education, communication arts, criminology, and nursing, with study available in Lisle, Mesa, China, or online depending on the program. The university offers 42 undergraduate majors, 17 graduate degrees, three doctoral programs, and 17 certificate programs. International undergraduates are reviewed for scholarships upon admission and may be eligible for up to $20,000. Applicants with overseas credit need an official course-by-course evaluation, and English proficiency requirements apply. Short-term and exchange students work through formal agreements with their home institutions.

This programme prepares students to become licensed special education teachers for students with learning and behavioral needs in grades K-21. It combines a liberal arts foundation with specialized coursework in teaching students with high and low incidence disabilities. Students complete three preclinical experiences and a full semester of student teaching in real classroom settings. The programme leads to a Professional Educator License with Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I) endorsement.

Focus areas include Learners with Low Incidence Disabilities, Learners with High Incidence Disabilities, Inclusive Learning Environments, Assessment and Diagnosis for Special Education, Reading and Writing Diagnostics, Behavior Management.

The programme requires 60 credit hours in professional education courses and 9 credit hours in cognate requirements. A total of 12 credit hours are dedicated to student teaching with seminar. All coursework must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Graduates work as special education teachers, behavior intervention specialists, and instructional specialists in public and private K-21 school settings.

Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. A minimum overall GPA of 2.75 and a 3.0 GPA in the major are required. Submission of official transcripts and completion of prerequisite courses in writing, speech, and mathematics are required.

The programme totals about 120 credit hours. On-campus, full-time, typically four years. For international students, tuition is around the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 77% of applicants.