Southern Oregon University offers three Special Education licensure programs and two specialty programs.

Licensure Programs

The Special Education Licensure Program (66 credits) is for candidates seeking to teach students with exceptionalities kindergarten through high school. When completed, the Special Education Licensure Program results in a Master of Arts in Teaching degree and recommendation to TSPC for an Oregon teaching license with a Special Education endorsement. The Special Education Licensure Program is a full‐year, full‐time program, beginning in the summer pre‐session and ending in the following spring term.

Candidates seeking admission to the Special Education Licensure Program must have at least a 3.0 GPA and submit scores from a basic skills exam (e.g. NES‐EAS, CBEST or Praxis I). They must also have taken Foundation of Special Education and Mathematics for Elementary Teachers courses and have documented experience working with children, preferably children with exceptionalities. Candidates must pass “Protecting Student and Civil Rights in the Educational Environment” examination prior to the end of the summer term, and the National Evaluation Series (NES) examination in special education for completion of the program. Preliminary Licensure candidates must complete an Education Teacher Performance Assessment (EdTPA) in accordance with Teacher Standards and Practices Commission requirements.

The Special Education Added Endorsement Program is for candidates who hold, or are eligible to hold, an Oregon teaching license and wish to add the special education endorsement to that license. The Special Education Added Endorsement Program is comprised of 32 credits of coursework and related field experiences.

Special Education Added Endorsement + Master’s Degree Program 

Added endorsements may be earned separately from or in conjunction with a master’s degree.  Candidates seeking to earn a master’s degree may use the Special Education added endorsement coursework to satisfy the area of focus requirements for the Master of Science in Education (MSEd) program.  Candidates seeking this option should complete the Master of Science in Education program application.

Specialty Programs

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Specialist Program is designed for special educators and speech language pathologists holding a communication disorders endorsement to add the ASD Specialist designation to their Oregon teaching license. The complete program of study is 19 credits, including a professional portfolio. Courses in the ASD Program are also available to other educators wishing to gain knowledge and skills about ASD. Individual courses may be taken to upgrade skills and knowledge. Courses are delivered in hybrid format.

The ABA‐ASD Program is a collaborative 45‐credit graduate program between Southern Oregon University (SOU) and Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) leading to the Master’s Degree in Education (MA/MS in Education) with emphases in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The program is designed to meet the growing demand for well‐qualified professionals who provide services for families and individuals with ASD and other social/emotional conditions needing intensive behavioral interventions. The curriculum is comprised of OIT’s 27 credit BCBA® course sequence and 18 credits of SOU’s ASD course sequence. Upon completion, graduates will receive a Master’s Degree in Education from SOU and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from OIT. With the Graduate Certification in ABA and requisite supervised practicum, graduates will meet eligibility requirements to take the national exam to become a certified behavior analyst. NOTE: Courses listed below with “ABA” prefixes are offered by Oregon Institute of Technology; “SPED” prefix courses are offered by Southern Oregon University. NOTE: This program does not require or lead to an Oregon teaching license.