Online Bachelor of Science in Special Education
Prepare yourself for a career in special education with the University of Cincinnati's online BSEd in Special Education program. Students enrolled in this program will learn strategies to serve and advocate for individuals with special needs in primary and secondary education settings.
Program Overview
The University of Cincinnati's Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education program prepares students to work with individuals with special needs in an education setting. Upon graduation, students enrolled in this program will be eligible to sit for the exams for the following teaching licenses:
- State of Ohio Intervention Specialist Licensure: Mild/Moderate Needs (K-12)
- State of Ohio Intervention Specialist Licensure: Moderate/Intensive Needs (K-12)
Students enrolled in this program will also be required to complete a student teaching experience as part of the licensure process. Although coursework for this program can be completed fully online, the student teaching experience must be completed in person.
Bachelor of Science in Education in Special Education Program Highlights
High Quality Education
By graduation, you'll be prepared to serve a population of students with a variety of special needs across a wide spectrum of ages. As educators, your support and advocacy will provide special needs students with skills that will aid them far beyond the classroom. Your academic experience will involve coursework covering a variety of topics such as:
- Design for learning and assistive technologies
- Assessment and curriculum planning in special education
- Phonological awareness and phonics in middle and special education
- Promotion of positive behaviors
- Instructional and intervention strategies
- Special education law
- Critical issues for serving students with intense disabilities
- Literacy coursework based in the science of reading
Flexibility
- 100% online instruction with in-person student teaching experience
- Financial aid available
- Enroll in the spring, summer, or fall semesters
- Part-time flexibility
Support from Application through Graduation
At UC, you’ll have a full support team behind you:
Enrollment Services Advisor: Your partner through the application process, getting enrolled, and starting your program
Student Success Coordinator: Helping you prepare for classes and stay on track
Access to Resources: Access to university resources that will support you through your program including online learning expectations and resources, health and wellness resources, and academic support
Curriculum
With UC's online Bachelor's of Science in Education in Special Education, you can complete all of your coursework online, providing you with the flexibility to complete a degree without disrupting your career or personal responsibilities.
The courses in this program provide important strategies that prepare teaches to work with individuals with various types of physical, developmental, and learning disabilities. Throughtout this program, students will learn about techniques, technologies, and methods for ensuring that the educational needs of individuals requiring special education are met.
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDST1001 | Historical Foundations in Education Historical Foundations in Education is an undergraduate course that provides knowledge about, and critical analysis of, the development and structure of schooling and teaching in the United States. It explores teaching as a profession; school governance and finance; issues of practice; historical, socio-cultural, philosophical, political, and legal foundations of education; and current educational reform. |
3 |
| SPED1001 | Individuals with Exceptionalities This is a survey course addressing identification, developmental characteristics, and intervention strategies for individuals with exceptionalities across educational and community settings. |
3 |
| EDST1050 | Early Field Experience in Schools and Communities In this course, undergraduate students will experience a range of grade levels, classrooms, and other learning contexts to broaden their understanding of education professions and the system of education in the United States. Students will reflect on their experience in schools to better understand the history of education int he US, the structure of schooling, and the profession of teaching as a whole. A range of experiences will be provided for students to choose from. The course includes five seminar meetings to support deep, guided reflection on school experiences and 20 hours of experience in an education placement. |
0 |
| EDST1055 | Serving Our Schools and Communities In this course, students work in schools and community organizations to experience how educators, schools, and communities work together to serve learners. Experiences range from tutoring and supporting classroom learning to working with local organizations that serve our educational organizations. Students will work directly with schools and community organizations to determine needs, resources, and actions to take to support our educational institutions. A range of school and community experiences will be provided to choose from. The course includes five meetings to support deep, guided reflection on community partnerships and critical service learning. Students will complete 20 hours of experience in their community partnership. |
0 |
| GE Codes: MSL | General Education: Math, Stats, Logic Student must select one course for general education that carries the math, science, logic (MSL) designation. |
3 |
| GE Codes: AH; ENGB, ENGC, ENGL | General Education: Literature Student must select one literature course from the ENGB, ENGC, or ENGL courses for general education that carries the arts & humanities (AH) designation. |
3 |
| Free Elective | Student must select one free elective (CI1001 suggested) | 3 |
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| EDST1002 | Educational Psychology This course covers the major theories of human development and learning, motivation, instructional strategies, assessment, and examines similarities and differences in learners. The role of factors in students' development and learning are considered. |
3 |
| ENGL1001 | English Composition English Composition 1001 is a writing-centered course that emphasizes the careful reading, analytical thinking, and persuasive strategies inherent in researching and writing within an academic community. Students learn that rhetorical knowledge is the basis of composing while learning to write with purpose, audience, context, and conventions in mind. Students develop rigorous academic research practices: how to locate and evaluate primary and secondary sources relevant to their line of inquiry and position their own ideas in conversation with public writing. Students also engage in regular self-reflection: articulating what they know, what they can do, and how to apply their knowledge and skills in various contexts. |
3 |
| PSYC1001 | Introduction to Psychology This course is designed to give an overview of the field of Psychology and its major sub-fields, including (but not limited to) physiological (biology of behavior, consciousness, perception), cognitive (learning, thought, language), social, organizational, developmental, personality, and psychopathology and its treatment. Students will be equipped to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the various research methods used in the field. Students will be encouraged to critically think about the psychological theories discussed, and be able to apply those and their findings to their lives. |
3 |
| GE Codes: AH, CD | General Education: Arts & Humanities, Civility & Democracy Student must select one course for general education that carries the arts & humanities (AH) and civility & democracy (CD) designation. |
3 |
| GE Codes: NSC | General Education: Natural Sciences Student must select one course for general education that carries the natural science (NSC) designation. |
3 |
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| SPED2008 | Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities Students will learn about mathematics instruction for students with learning disabilities and other learners experiencing difficulties in mathematics. Students will engage in activities and discussions in class, participate in field experiences, and community effectively in writing and during class discussions about mathematics teaching while incorporating principles from the fields of special education, mathematics education, and psychology. |
3 |
| SPED2009 | Transitions Across the Lifespan This course explores the connections between families, self-determination, and the transition process for students with disabilities. It offers strategies and opportunities to assess and teach self-determination skills to students with disabilities at both the elementary and secondary levels. The course emphasizes the importance of outcomes, individualization, and collaboration in transition planning. This course includes 10 hours of field experience. |
3 |
| GE Codes: MSL | General Education: Math, Science, Logic Student must select one course for general education that carries the math, science, logic (MSL) designation. |
3 |
| GE Codes: NSC | General Education: Natural Science with Lab Student must select one course for general education that carries the natural science (NSC) designation with at least 1 credit hour of lab. |
3-4 |
| GE Codes: Any | General Education: Elective Student must select one course for general education from any general education designation. |
3 |
| Course | Title/Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| CI3003 | Teaching and Learning in Diverse Classrooms This course is required for all Middle Childhood Education, Secondary Education, and Special Education majors. The course examines the role that sociocultural identities such as race, class, gender, ableness, sexuality, ethnicity, and language play in shaping schooling experiences for K-12 students. Students explore how power and privilege perpetuate inequalities that lead to inequitable opportunities for minoritized youth. Students in this class also study how their own personal identities and cultural histories of these constructs influence their teaching philosophies, personal beliefs, and values, and how those play out in teacher practice. Students learn to view sociocultural diversity as an asset and examine ways in which teachers can, and must, honor such diversity through their teaching practices. |
3 |
| ENGL2089 | Intermediate Composition Intermediate Composition is a writing-centered course that builds on what students learn in first-year composition and focuses students’ attention on theoretical underpinning of how meaning is made, understood, and communicated within and across various discourse communities and genres. The course emphasizes critical reading and writing, advanced research and analysis skills, and rhetorical sensitivity to differences in academic, professional, and public composing. This course challenges students to engage in substantive projects drawing on primary research and source analysis methods and asks students to document, communicate, and reflect on their research. |
3 |
| LSLS3012 | Foundations of Reading and Writing for Intervention Specialists This course provides a scientific foundation in the cognitive, socio-cultural, linguistic, and motivational influences on literacy and language development. The course presents the key scientifically based reading research foundations needed to understand how reading develops, and effective methods and strategies used to teach literacy skills to young children through young adults. Topics include understanding reading research, cognitive psychology’s contributions to understanding the reading process, language development, the sequence of learning to read, the essential components of reading instruction, and an introduction to the most effective approaches to teaching reading across the grade bands. |
3 |
| MDL4001 | Middle School Natural Science Methods I This course is the first of two in a year-long sequence of methodology designed to prepare middleschool science teachers in pedagogical content knowledge. This first course places an emphasis on the key middle school science content areas, as students will learn content int he context of their future classrooms. Inquiry is the primary instructional mode for this course combined with a theoretical lens using the nature of science |
3 |
| SPED 2001 | Overview and Special Education Law This course provides students with a foundational understanding of the modern practices within special education. Students gain understanding by studying how the field has evolved throughout time. Information presented in this course is contextualized through various means including: understanding of human need, law/policy, and current research. From this course, students gain an initial understanding of the legal and ethical roles and responsibilities of a professional within the field of special education |
3 |
| Free Elective | Student must select one free elective. | 2 |
Admission Requirements
We are excited to welcome incoming first-year students to this program. At this time, the program is limited to students who have not previously enrolled in college-level coursework or earned transfer credit.
First-Year Student Admission Requirements:
- Official high school transcripts with a minimum GPA of 2.7 (unweighted) or 2.9 (weighted).
Complete the online application and submit the application fee.
Standard Application Fees:
- $50.00 for domestic applicants to most degree programs
- $100.00 for international applicants to most degree programs
Fee waivers are automatically applied for applicants who:
- Are currently serving in the United States Armed Forces
- Are veterans of the United States Armed Forces
Application fees for UC Online programs are waived through Spring 2027 for all applicants.
After submitting your application form, all applicants are required to have official transcripts sent directly to University of Cincinnati in order to be eligible for admissions review.
- First-Year Applicants:
- Order official transcripts from your high school for delivery directly to University of Cincinnati.
Please review the section below for guidance on how to submit your transcripts.
Online transcript request systems are the preferred method to deliver official transcripts electronically. To see if your transcript(s) can be ordered electronically, visit the links below and search for your previous school(s).
- Parchment
- Please select “University of Cincinnati – Main Campus” as the recipient of your transcript.
- National Student Clearinghouse
- Please have your transcript sent directly to admissions@uc.edu.
If you do not see your past school(s) listed on either site, please contact the school(s) directly to determine their ordering process.
If a physical copy must be sent, DO NOT request it be delivered to you. It must be sent directly from your prior school to the following address:
University of Cincinnati
Office of Admissions
PO Box 210091
Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0091
Official transcripts should be sent to us by your school official via email or in the mail. These must be in English. If your transcripts need translated into English, we recommend sending them to an official translation service that will then send them to UC for a small fee.
International students are required to provide original, official transcripts and the course-by-course evaluation completed from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or SpanTran. They offer discounted prices for University of Cincinnati applicants and have a fast turnaround time of 5-10 days.
For International students, an English proficiency test:
- TOEFL minimum Internet-based 80
- Paper-based 520
- Computer-based 190
- IELTS minimum 6.5
Application Deadlines
| Term | Application Deadline | Classes Start |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | July 15, 2026 |
August 24, 2026
|
Graduation Requirements
A student must complete the University of Cincinnati residency requirement to be eligible for a degree or certificate, even if all other requirements for that degree or certificate are satisfied. Minimum academic residency:
- 20 semester credit hours for associate degrees.
- 30 semester credit hours for baccalaureate degrees.
Considerations: students approved for an Academic Fresh Start must have a minimum of 30 credit hours remaining to complete the degree program before graduation.
Tuition & Fees
The University of Cincinnati's online course fees differ depending on the program. On average, students will accrue fewer fees than students attending on-campus classes.
The one fee applied across all UC Online programs is the distance learning fee. Students living outside the state of Ohio must also pay an additional “non-resident” fee to enroll in courses at UC Online. This fee is lower than the out-of-state fee for traditional on-campus programs.
To view tuition information and program costs, visit the Online Program Fees page.
Accreditation
The University of Cincinnati and all of its regional campuses are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Additionally, UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice & Human Rights (CECH) is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Licensure
Before being granted their teaching license(s), graduates will be required to take professional licensing exams.
This program's curriculum prepares graduates to take the Ohio Assessments for Educators in the following areas:
- Foundations of Reading (190)
- Special Education (043)
- Assessment of Professional Knowledge: Multi-Age (PK-12) (004)*
*Note: Students who pass their Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) are exempt from this assessment.
Federal regulations require the University of Cincinnati to publicly disclose whether completion of certain programs that lead or may lead to professional licensure or certification would meet a given state’s educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation (regardless of whether the program is on-ground, online, or hybrid). To learn whether a University program meets a given state’s educational requirements, please visit the University of Cincinnati State Authorization webpage.
Ready to get started?
We offer over 130 degrees from undergraduate to doctoral programs. Each program is supported by a team of Enrollment Services Advisors (ESAs) who are here to help answer any questions you have.