Department of Exceptional Student Education
Bachelor’s Degree programs
The Department of Exceptional Student Education offers two Bachelor’s Degree programs:
Program Overview for Bachelor’s Degree in Exceptional Student Education:
Undergraduate ESE students complete a Bachelor of Arts in Education (B.A.E.) or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree* in Exceptional Student Education, which is designed to prepare students to teach individuals with learning and behavioral disabilities. Upon completion of the program, students will be eligible to apply for a Florida teaching certificate in Exceptional Student Education (ESE) with an Endorsement in Teaching English as a Second language (TESOL). ESE certification applies to grades K-12. Individuals certified in ESE and who have teaching certification in either elementary, middle grades, or secondary education, are eligible to teach in classrooms for students with learning disabilities, mental retardation, emotional/behavioral disorders, and physical impairments, as well as in general education classes. Courses leading toward the Bachelor’s Degree program in ESE are currently offered at the FAU Boca Raton, Davie Campus, and Jupiter, campuses.
* In fulfillment of the University's Foreign Language Requirement, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree is awarded contingent upon student's completion of 2 semesters of a foreign language while in college. Students providing evidence of foreign language completion while in high School can work toward a Bachelor of Arts in Education (B.A.E.).
Admissions Requirements for Bachelor’s Degree in Exceptional Student Education:
All applicants seeking admission to the Bachelor’s in Exceptional Student Education must meet the University’s admission requirements. Additionally, three conditions must be met before you will be accepted into the Department of Exceptional Student Education:
- Attain a passing grade on all sections of the General Knowledge Test (GK)
- Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and
- Receive an official letter of acceptance from the College of Education.
Once these conditions have been met, you will be assigned an advisor in the Department of Exceptional Student Education who will officially develop your Program of Study. At that time you and your advisor will review the courses, discuss field experiences, and develop a projected sequence of courses for you; this process is called being programmed. YOU MUST BE PROGRAMMED PRIOR TO REGISTERING FOR THE SPRING SEMESTER OF YOUR JUNIOR YEAR, OR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO TAKE THE SPRING SEQUENCE OF ESE COURSES.
Make an appointment with the faculty member who has been assigned as your advisor. You and your advisor will complete a program form that includes the specific courses you will need in order to graduate. After final approval , a copy of the program is given to you, another is kept on file in the ESE department, and another is sent to the Office of Academic and Student Services. This is your contract with the ESE department. In order to graduate, your transcript must show passing grades in all the courses C or above) in ESE and other related methods courses) included on the program.
The undergraduate ESE program is a limited access, single entry point program. That is, students begin the sequence of ESE courses in the fall semester of their junior year and complete the program at the end of the spring semester of their senior year (5 semesters). Accordingly, undergraduate ESE courses are offered once a year. If you do not follow the sequence of ESE courses listed on page 10 of the Undergraduate Handbook, you will fall behind by one year.
Students in this program are required to have an active LiveText account to track mastery of programs skills, competencies and critical assignments, and to meet program and college accreditation requirements. Information regarding obtaining an account is provided on the College of Education website: http://coe.fau.edu/students/livetext.
Graduation Requirements for Bachelor’s Degree in Exceptional Student Education:
ESE graduation requirements are consistent with FAU and College of Education standards. Each candidate for graduation must:
- Earn a minimum of 120 credits in academic courses acceptable toward the degree;
- Earn a minimum of 45 of these credits at the upper division;
- Earn the last 30 upper-division credits in residence at FAU;
- Earn at least 50 percent of all upper-division courses from the Department of Exceptional Student Education;
- Satisfy Gordon Rule/Writing Across the Curriculum requirements;
- Fulfill all admissions, program and course requirements;
- Earn a C or better in all Education courses, maintaining a 2.5 GPA upon graduation;
- Fulfill the FAU foreign language requirement; and
- Submit a completed Application for Graduation form.
Accreditation Standards for Bachelor’s Degree in Exceptional Student Education:
CEC International Standards for Preparation/Certification of Special Education Teachers (CEC) State of Florida Certification Standards for Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Florida Educators Accomplished Practices (EAP) Florida Subject Area Competencies ESOL (ESOL)
Furthering your Education:
Students completing the B.A. or the B.A.E. in Exceptional Student Education are eligible to apply for a
Master’s Degree Program in the Department of Exceptional Student Education. Our Department offers a M.Ed. in ESE; students choose one of the following areas of concentration:
- Instructional Practices in ESE
- Gifted Education
- Early Childhood
- Reading
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Professional Development
Department Contact for ESE Bachelor’s Degree Programs:
Department contact:
College of Education Advising contact:
Forms and Links for Bachelor’s Degree in Exceptional Student Education:
The BECE is a Joint Degree Program Offered by the Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry (CCEI) and the Department of Exceptional Student Education (ESE).
Program Overview for Bachelor’s Degree in Early Care and Education:
The Bachelor in Early Care and Education (BECE) degree is designed to prepare teachers and related personnel for employment in the fields of child care and children’s services, working with young children from birth to age five.
The BECE program is currently offered at the FAU Boca Raton Campus.
Admissions Requirements for Bachelor’s Degree in Early Care and Education:
Students enrolling in the BECE may exhibit a range of prior levels of preparation. Generally, all students are required to have completed 60 credits of lower division coursework. This could include the A.S. degree in Early Childhood Education determined by articulation agreements with community colleges. All students seeking admission to the BECE must meet the
University’s admission requirements. In addition each applicant must:
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale on lower division undergraduate coursework for a total of 60 credits;
- Present passing scores on all sections of the CLAST (or earn the appropriate exemptions); to continue in the BECE core course rotation, students must meet the CLAST requirements by the end of their first fall semester.
- Be programmed for admission to the BECE by a faculty advisor from the Department of Exceptional Student Education or the Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry.
Course Requirements Bachelor’s Degree in Early Care and Education:
As a joint program of two FAU departments, the BECE is made up of coursework, field experiences, and advisement from both departments. In addition, a careful review of student transcripts will guide advising decisions. All students are required to take: All students must complete General Education requirements (36 credits) either from an Associate Degree program, or as Non-Restricted Elective Courses in the BECE. General Education courses include six credits in each of the following areas: Math, English Composition, Science, Social Studies, Humanities, and General Education (electives). Gordon Rule/WAC courses, Math and English composition, are included in the General Education Requirements. If Foreign Language courses have not been completed previously, they must be taken as part of the Non-Restricted Electives. 7 Early Childhood Core Courses (21 credits) 2 Reading Courses (6 credits) 18-21 or more credits of Upper Division Elective Courses in education and related disciplines, which will be determined in consultation with an advisor. A list of Recommended Electives will be provided by students’ advisors.
A summary of the 120 credit program follows:
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Transfer Credits – 60 credits
Determined through Articulation Agreements with Community Colleges. Early Childhood and General Education Courses can transfer as a 60 credit block for students having completed the A.S. Degrees in Early Childhood from PBCC.
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FAU Early Childhood Core Courses – 21 credits
- EEX 3201 Typical/Atypical Child Development, Birth – Age 8 (3)
- EEX 3226 Assessment of All Young Children (3)
- EEC 3214 Designing and Implementing a Blended Curriculum: Birth to Age Eight (3)
- EEX 4112 Language Development and Intervention in Young Children (3)
- EEX 3754 Building Family, Community and School Partnerships (2)
- EEX 3606 Positive Behavior Supports in Inclusive Early Childhood Settings (3)
- EEC 4313 Blended Early Childhood Methods: Birth -5 (4)
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FAU Reading and COE Courses – 9 credits
- LAE 4353 Language Arts and Literature Birth – Grade 8 (3)
- RED 4308 Reading Development I: Birth – Grade 3 (3)
- EDF 3430 Educational Measurement and Evaluation (3)
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FAU Non-Restricted Elective Courses – 12-18 credits
Foreign language course requirements if not completed previously; All General Education course requirements must be completed, including Gordon Rule/WAC Math and English courses.
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FAU Upper Division Elective Courses – 18-21 credits
Recommended electives will be selected with academic advisement.
Graduation Requirements
BECE graduation requirements are consistent with FAU and College Education standards. Each candidate for graduation must:
- Earn a minimum of 120 credits in academic courses acceptable toward the degree;
- Earn a minimum of 45 of these credits at the upper division;
- Earn the last 30 upper-division credits in residence at FAU;
- Earn at least 50 percent of all upper-division courses from the Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry and/or Exceptional Student Education;
- Satisfy Gordon Rule/Writing Across the Curriculum requirements;
- Fulfill all admissions, program and course requirements;
- Earn a C or better in all Education courses, maintaining a 2.5 GPA upon graduation;
- Fulfill the FAU foreign language requirement; and
- Submit a completed Application for Graduation form.
Program Completion: Course Rotation
- Suggested BECE course completion for Full time students.
- Suggested BECE course completion for Part-time students.
Accreditation Standards for the Bachelor’s Degree in Early Care and Education:
The BECE represents the highest professional standards promulgated by:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children,
- The Council for Exceptional Children Division of Early Childhood.
- Florida Department of Education’s Educator Accomplished Practices, and the FAU College of Education’s corresponding Behavioral Indicators.
Furthering your Education:
Students completing the Bachelor’s in Early Care and Education are eligible to apply for a Master’s Degree Program in the Department of Exceptional Student Education. Our Department offers a M.Ed. in ESE; students choose one of the following areas of concentration: Instructional Practices in ESE; Gifted Education; Early Childhood; Reading; Applied Behavior Analysis; and, Professional Development.
Bachelor’s Degree in Early Care and Education Department Program Advisors:
College of Education Advising contact:
Forms and Links for BECE Program:
