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Disability Studies: Special Education

  • Minor

Lead with Compassion, Change Lives

A logo for the "Best Colleges of Distinction" award for Education, covering the years 2025-2026.Make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities while expanding your professional skill set and earning a PK-12 special education certification. The disability studies: special education minor equips you with the knowledge and tools to foster inclusive learning environments and support individuals with diverse learning needs.

Ideal for students pursuing early childhood, middle grades, and secondary education, this minor enhances your qualifications with a dual certification that is highly valued by schools committed to inclusive education. It’s also a powerful complement for majors—such as psychology, criminology, theology, and sociology—preparing you for impactful careers in social services, rehabilitation, and community outreach, where understanding disability is essential.

Learn more about our education program here.

Undergraduate Programs

Program Highlights

Students working at desks in the Bearcat B.E.S.T. classroom, focused on writing assignments.

Bearcat B.E.S.T. Program

As a future educator at Saint Vincent College, you’ll engage with the Bearcat B.E.S.T. (Building Excellence for Skills Training) program—a campus initiative supporting young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through mentoring, classroom collaboration, and peer support, you’ll gain firsthand experience in inclusive education while developing empathy, adaptability, and practical teaching skills to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Three individuals posing playfully in front of a green backdrop with props like a toy microphone, clown wig, and inflatable guitar.

Bearcat Buddies Club

The Bearcat Buddies Club connects Saint Vincent College students with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities through fun, inclusive activities. It’s a great way to build friendships, promote understanding, and make a positive impact in the community.

Person standing in front of a display board presenting their workplace experiences from the Bearcat B.E.S.T. program, including roles in facilities management, library assistance, and media broadcasting.

Job Coaching Experiences

As a job coach in the Bearcat BEST program, you’ll work directly with young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, supporting them as they learn real-world job skills in campus and community settings. It’s a rewarding opportunity for education students to gain hands-on experience, build mentoring skills, and make a meaningful impact on future learners’ independence and success.

A male education major volunteers for Sports Friendship day

Hands-On Service

The education department prioritizes service, encouraging students to engage meaningfully with the community. Through various opportunities, students develop empathy, leadership, and practical skills. They can earn a service medal for commencement. A notable initiative is Sports Friendship Day when we invite our special needs community to enjoy a day of planned activities alongside an SVC buddy.

Careers and Outcomes

Education majors can benefit from dual certification in general and special education, which prepares them to support diverse learners and increases job opportunities. Through coursework and fieldwork, they gain skills to assist students with academic, behavioral, emotional, and physical needs.

Non-education majors can enhance their careers with a special education minor, which complements fields like psychology, criminology, theology, and therapy. It provides foundational knowledge of disabilities for roles in social services, healthcare, and community work, though it does not lead to teacher certification.

Alumni will go on to successful careers as:

  • Special education teacher
  • Behavioral support specialist
  • Instructional coach
  • Intervention specialist
  • Case manager (youth or family services)
  • Residential counselor or program coordinator
  • Early intervention specialist
  • Youth program director
  • Foster care or adoption services coordinator

 Our students have secured jobs at a variety of places including:

  • Special education schools across the Commonwealth and U.S.
  • Intermediate units
  • Western Psychiatric Hospital (UPMC)
  • Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services (SPHS)
  • Adelphoi Village

Curriculum Requirements

  • Required Courses

    Foundational Courses (9 credits)

    • ED 100 Foundations of Education
    • ED 115 Educational Psychology
    • ED 250 Reading and Writing for Early and Special Learners

     

    Disability Studies Courses (18 credits)

    • ED 290 Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children
    • PY XXX One of the following: PY 100, 212, 214, 219, 243, 251, 252, 260, 308, 309, 322, 331)
    • ED 355 Instructional Interventions for Students with High Incident Disabilities
    • ED 360 Strategies and Assessment for Students with Significant and Multiple Disabilities
    • ED 362 Classroom Approaches for Students with Behavior and Autism Spectrum Disorders
    • ED 412 Special Education Consultation Transition and Law

  • Key Courses

    Psychology and Education of Exceptional Children: In this dynamic course, you’ll explore what makes exceptional learners unique—and how to support them in inclusive classrooms. From gifted students to those needing early intervention, you’ll dive into strategies, tech tools, and real-world resources that help every student shine. Along the way, you’ll learn about the laws that shape special education, how to adapt lessons for diverse needs, and how educators and families can team up to make a difference.

    Instructional Interventions for Students with High Incident Disabilities: This interactive course equips you with practical strategies to support students with high-incidence disabilities in reading, writing, math, and beyond. You’ll explore lesson adaptations, life skills, and self-advocacy techniques while gaining hands-on experience through teaching practice and fieldwork. Get ready to collaborate, create, and make learning inclusive for all!

Facilities and Resources

Makerspace in Latimer Library

The Makerspace at Saint Vincent College is a dynamic, hands-on learning environment essential to education programs. Equipped with tools for 3D printing, robotics, coding, and more, it helps students explore creative teaching strategies that integrate STEM and arts. Whether designing interactive science experiments, creating art projects with new technology, or developing games that support mathematical concepts, education majors gain practical experience in designing engaging hands-on activities for 21st-century classrooms.

Click here for a virtual tour of Makerspaces

Fred Rogers Institute

The Fred Rogers Institute and the Education Department at Saint Vincent College have partnered to enrich education for students and faculty. This collaboration, rooted in fostering child development, early learning, and the values championed by Fred Rogers himself, gives students access to the Institute’s resources, workshops, and expert staff.

Click here for a virtual tour of the Fred Rogers Institute.

Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve

The Education Department at Saint Vincent College partners with the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve (WPNR) to create immersive learning experiences emphasizing environmental education. Situated on campus, the Reserve offers over 50 acres of preserved land, filled with native plants, diverse ecosystems, and scenic trails, serving as an outdoor classroom.

Education students gain hands-on teaching experience in environmental and sustainability education through interactive field experiences. The partnership also involves curriculum development, integrating environmental literacy with core subjects like math, language arts, and social studies.

Click here for a virtual tour of the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve and the surrounding area

Program Distinctives

Pennsylvania Department of Education Accreditation

Saint Vincent College’s teacher preparation programs are fully accredited by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), ensuring that our curriculum, faculty, and field experiences meet the highest standards of educational excellence. This accreditation means that our programs have been rigorously evaluated and aligned with state requirements, preparing graduates to be highly qualified, effective educators ready to enter the teaching profession. Through PDE accreditation, students in our education programs are eligible for certification in Pennsylvania upon graduation, enabling them to teach in their specific areas of study. The accreditation process also reflects our commitment to continuous improvement, as we regularly assess and enhance our programs to stay current with educational best practices and evolving standards in the field.

NASDTEC Interstate Agreement

Through the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement, Pennsylvania allows individuals who have completed a teacher preparation program or are already certified teachers in other states to receive Pennsylvania teaching certification through reciprocity. Pennsylvania-certified teachers can also transfer their certification to other states. Each state may have different testing and application requirements, so candidates should check the NASDTEC website for specific information on transferring their certification.

Undergraduate Programs
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