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Special Education


SpecialEducation

Meet special needs with expertise and compassion.

Are you an aspiring teacher with a heart to help all students learn, especially those with special needs in education? Here you can earn a special education degree that combines early childhood and special education courses, enriched by hands-on experience, intentional professors, and advanced career counseling. As a special education major at Grove City College—nationally recognized as one of the best schools for early childhood education—you will be specially equipped to recognize all students’ strengths and help young children, adolescents, and young adults reach their potential in social, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development through education.

Program Highlights
  • 98 major credit hours of undergraduate coursework to earn a bachelor’s degree in special education and elementary education—spanning courses in math, history, music, and art, as well as pedagogy, instruction, behavioral disorders and interventions, learning disabilities, and more. For detailed course descriptions and information regarding state-specific teacher certification requirements, refer to the College Catalog. Grove City College is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to offer a certification program in special education.
  • Early Education Center on campus where you can gain hands-on experience in a preschool setting and develop classroom management skills.
  • Real-world field experiences in a wide range of classroom environments to help you solidify your calling early on. These begin your freshman year and culminate in a semester of student teaching during your senior year.
  • Personal access to accomplished faculty mentors, all of whom have experience teaching in K-12 settings.
  • Education Career Services (ECS) offering exceptional career development and networking opportunities for you as both a student and alumnus of Grove City College. The ECS fosters relationships with private, public, charter, and international schools, as well as other education employers.
  • Impressive and dynamic Curriculum Library that gives you access to a wealth of education materials and expert guidance. Curated by a certified teacher in our program, this hub for education majors serves as an ideal space to collaborate with fellow students and tackle lesson planning well.
  • Active on-campus student groups including the Council for Exceptional Children and our award-winning chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi education honorary.
  • Vocation-enriching humanities core classes woven into your academic schedule that will strengthen your critical thinking skills while cultivating empathy and a well-rounded understanding of the world.

Career Outcomes
  • If you’re like 96% of Grove City College graduates, you will be prepared to compete for full-time jobs, seats in top graduate programs across the country, and even non-teaching positions in a variety of health-based and therapeutic settings.
    • Many of our special ed majors become certified and licensed teachers around the country at public schools and private schools, while others take unique leadership positions in mission work and other fields. Because special education teachers are in such high demand in schools, therapeutic settings, and other areas, you are bound to find a job that fits your specific strengths and passions.
    • Some of our students go on to pursue graduate degrees in education and related health or service fields.
  • Prepare to pass the Praxis exam on your first try, like nearly all of our graduates.
  • Wherever you take your bachelors in special education, you will stand out as a skilled educator and professional whose Christ-like ethic of care speaks volumes to every child in your classroom.