Photo of Special Education

B.S.Ed. Special Education

Major Minor Teaching Endorsement
120 credit hours
100% career outcome rate1

12:1
Student-to-faculty ratio

90%
Faculty with terminal degree

Our loving God creates all people, and He makes no mistakes. At Concordia University, Nebraska, we believe that we should serve and treat each individual as one with the right to a high quality of life full of possibilities, no matter how severe their needs may be.

That is one of the reasons we believe that a degree in special education is so important. People who feel a calling toward working in special education will find a career that is emotionally fulfilling and personally meaningful. In addition, there is a shortage of qualified special education professionals in the United States, which means that if you decide to major in special education, you will find a wide array of career options to choose from. Most of Concordia Nebraska’s special education graduates go on to work as special education teachers. However, you can also build an exciting and meaningful career outside a typical school setting, if you would rather go that route. A degree in special education can translate into a career as a case manager, state supervisor of nonprofit director. Whether in the classroom or not, with a degree in special education from Concordia, you can find meaningful work within the branch of special education that speaks most specifically to your passions, strengths and long-term employment goals.

Concordia Nebraska’s special education program trains you to serve individuals with mild to moderate disabilities, giving you the skills to address their specific differences, strengths and needs. With a degree in special education, you can ensure that students with disabilities will reach their highest potential in inclusive school environments.

Special Education Courses

Program Differentiators

Core Concepts

The special education program at Concordia University, Nebraska encourages students to be academic and spiritual advocates so that they can use their God-given talents to help children with disabilities develop to their full potentials morally, intellectually, socially and emotionally.

Dr. Amanda Geidel - Education

Education professor Dr. Amanda Geidel wants to help you learn to build an inclusive classroom. Learn more about Dr. Geidel in this Faculty 5 video.

Concordia University - Education Department

Testimonials

 

My colleagues and professors in the special education program truly made it feel like a family.
Garrett Blomstedt '20
Sutherland, Nebraska

Resource Articles

Concordia NebraskaSpecial Education: Learning Objectives

Students in the special education program at Concordia University, Nebraska will learn the foundational concepts of the modern educational system, with emphasis on the sociological, historical and philosophical concepts of American education.

Students will discover characteristics of students with exceptional needs, including how to teach those with specific learning disabilities, autism, intellectual disabilities and more.​​​​

Students will be equipped with the knowledge of the assessment, referral and planning processes required to run an effective special education program.

Students will learn to use appropriate strategies and resources to adapt instruction to the needs of exceptional learners, including continuous monitoring of student learning and assessment of progress.

Concordia NebraskaSpecial Education: Program Goals

check.svg

Students in the special education program at Concordia University, Nebraska will have foundational knowledge in the research and theories of the characteristics of learners with disabilities.

check.svg

Students will be able to use a wide range of instructional practices, approaches, methods and materials to support learning by students with disabilities, and address the moral and ethical values that might affect instruction.

check.svg

Students will be able to use a variety of assessment tools and practices to plan and evaluate effective instruction.

check.svg

Students will commit to knowing, understanding and applying the highest professional standards of special education.

check.svg

Students will create and support an environment that fosters learning and inclusion.

Photo of Amanda

Special Education Faculty

As experts in special education , our faculty and instructors bring years of experience to the classroom.

Meet the faculty

Concordia NebraskaSpecial Education: FAQs

Concordia Nebraska Special Education: Career Outcomes

Reading Specialist

Reading specialists help schools implement quality reading instruction that meets the reading needs of students, including those in need of special education. As a reading specialist, you might teach a whole class, small groups or individuals. Depending on where you work, you might teach reading skills alongside a classroom teacher to help them modify their reading curriculum to meet specific students’ needs. You would need to complete a master’s degree in order to become a reading specialist.

6% Annual Growth Rate2
$42,444 Entry-Level Salary2
$59,852 Mid-Level Salary2
$78,456 Late-Level Salary2

Speech Therapist

Speech therapists work to diagnose language limitations and speech deficits and develop treatment plans. As a speech therapist, you may perform swallow evaluations to test mouth, tongue and throat problems and administer various standardized tests to identify neurological problems which may be interfering with speech or language. You would then help patients by strengthening mouth and throat muscles, helping them improve sounds or pronunciation or teaching them alternative methods of communication such as sign language. Additional schooling is required to become a speech therapist.

27% Annual Growth Rate2
$48,690 Entry-Level Salary2
$77,510 Mid-Level Salary2
$120,060 Late-Level Salary2

Special Education Teacher

Special education teachers teach students who have a wide variety of learning disabilities and challenges, including intellectual, emotional and physical disabilities. As a special education teacher, you would evaluate student progress, prepare lessons, instruct students and collaborate with other teachers, parents, administrators and related service professionals to make sure that each student gets the best education possible.

7.1% Annual Growth Rate2
$39,990 Entry-Level Salary2
$59,510 Mid-Level Salary2
$95,680 Late-Level Salary2

Guidance Counselor

School guidance counselors help guide children through academic, personal, parental and social pressures. As a counselor, you would help the students in your school reach their full potential, acting as an advocate for their mental health and a valuable resource for their educational advancement. Concordia Nebraska’s master’s degree in school counseling can help you on your path to becoming a school counselor.

8% Annual Growth Rate2
$33,610 Entry-Level Salary2
$56,310 Mid-Level Salary2
$94,690 Late-Level Salary2

Concordia NebraskaSpecial Education: Related Programs

#

Behavioral Science

In Concordia’s behavioral science program, you will study a combination of sociology, psychology and other social sciences to examine complex problems of human interaction and behavior. With this degree, you will gain skills that can be applied in many professions that require an understanding of people and their interactions from individual, group and societal levels.

Discover the Behavioral Science Program

#

Elementary Education

As an elementary educator, you are certified to teach children in kindergarten through sixth grade. You will typically spend the day with the same group of students, teaching them foundational skills in a wide variety of subjects. The liberal arts education you will receive at Concordia University, Nebraska, along with subject-specific methodology courses in the education department, will prepare you to be an outstanding elementary school teacher.

Discover the Elementary Education Program

#

Secondary Education

With a degree in secondary education from Concordia University, Nebraska, you will be equipped to teach grades 7-12, encouraging intellectual and emotional growth at a critical time in the lives of your students. You’ll engage in rich coursework, collaborate with faculty and gain invaluable experience first shadowing a professional teacher and then teaching in your own high school classroom.

Discover the Secondary Education Program

#

Psychology

The bachelor’s degree in psychology at Concordia is ideal for students seeking a strong theoretical foundation in the field of psychology. Offering a diverse psychology curriculum, Concordia Nebraska’s psychology professors use approaches that range from the scientific to philosophical and the experimental to the theoretical.

Discover the Psychology Program

1 Recent graduates attending graduate school or employed within six months of graduation.

2 Career salary and wages sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.