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Inclusive Elementary and Special Education (Grades 1-6), B.S.

The Inclusive Elementary program is being phased out in favor of the new Inclusive Childhood Education major. Information on this page remains for current students and archival purposes.


The B.S. program in Inclusive Elementary and Special Education helps graduates make a difference in the lives of children through a strong inclusive education and content area foundation, making them engaging educators and advocates for their students.

This program provides the tools to assess student and understand needs, develop instruction that incorporates multiple learning styles, understand multicultural perspectives, and ultimately help all children succeed. Graduates are prepared to teach in K-6/K-8 settings, providing both general education and specific content knowledge instruction. This program meets the academic requirements for dual New York State initial teacher certification in Childhood Education (grades 1-6) and Students with Disabilities (grades 1-6).

As a student in the Inclusive Elementary and Special Education program, you will combine studies in inclusion and special education, a liberal arts concentration, and academic requirements from the liberal arts core. Student choose from four liberal arts concentrations, and focus on one subject or a group of specific subjects, chosen in close collaboration with your advisor:

  • Human Thought and Expression: including humanities areas like literature, history, philosophy, religion, gender and ethnic studies, history, and the arts.
  • People, Places and Societies: including social sciences areas like anthropology, sociology, gender and ethnic studies, international relations, economics, geography, history, and political science.
  • Mathematics: including a variety of elementary mathematics techniques and methods.
  • Natural Sciences: including problem solving, biology, chemistry, earth science, physics.

Current student advising resources

Highly motivated students can plan their concentration coursework to also get a minor in that liberal arts area. Coursework in the School of Education explores language acquisition and literacy development, contemporary issues in education, and teaching methods and differentiation. Sample courses in your program may include:

  • Communication in the Classroom
  • Teaching Strategies for Inclusive Education
  • Art/Music in the Classroom
  • Literacy Methods and Curriculum
  • Perspectives on Disability
  • Integrating Technology Into Instruction

Your first semester will include inclusive schooling, mathematics, science, writing, and liberal arts courses, as well as a field practicum experience.