Special Education, B.S.

Admission and Retention Requirements

Admission Requirements—Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education
Students are eligible for admission to the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education with:

1. a minimum of 24 semester hours earned from an accredited institution of higher learning;
2. a minimum of 2.75 combined retention grade point average on all coursework attempted;
3. a declared major in education.

Full Admission Requirements—Teacher Education and Professional Studies Programs
Students are eligible for admission to Teacher Education with:

1. a minimum of 30 semester hours from an accredited institution of higher learning to include the following 24 hours as defined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education with a grade of C or better: English (Composition and Literature)-6 hours; MATH, Gen. Ed. Core I -3 hours; American History-3 hours; American Government-3 hours; Humanities to include Artistic Forms, Western Civilization, Non-Western Culture, World Language, or other advisor-approved Gen. Ed. course -3 hours; Social and Behavioral Sciences-3 hours; Natural Sciences-3 hours.
2. a minimum of 2.75 grade point average (OU retention and combined retention) on all coursework attempted;

3. Meet one of the six performance criteria listed by Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) that students may use to qualify for admission into an Oklahoma teacher education program. Speak with your Education Advisor for more details.

Admission to a teaching program requires submission of an application,essay, background check,and an interview with the admission committee prior to enrollment in the first education course.

Retention Requirements—Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education

1. When a student accepts an offer of admission into a JRCoE department or program, they commit to comply with all its regulations, including those regarding professional conduct and dispositions that are contained in the JRCoE Professional Behavior Policy.
2. Students must maintain a minimum 2.75 grade point average (OU retention and combined retention) in all undergraduate coursework and a minimum 3.00 grade point average in all graduate coursework attempted.
3. Students must maintain a minimum of 2.75 undergraduate grade point average in both professional education courses and in specialized education courses with no grade less than a C and must maintain a minimum of 3.00 grade point average in graduate professional and specialized education courses, with no grade less than a B.
4. Students must earn a C or better in COMM 1113 or COMM 2613.
5. Students whose OU retention or combined retention grade point averages at the undergraduate level fall below 2.75 will be subject to dismissal from the college. At the graduate level, students must meet Graduate College requirements.
6. Students who have not earned OU retention and combined retention grade point averages of 2.75 after the completion of 60 semester hours will be dismissed from the college.
7. Because one college level math course is a requirement for full admission into both the college and the teacher preparation program, declared Education majors must complete at least one college-level Math within the first four semesters of enrollment at OU. Transfer students who have not completed a college level Math course will have two semesters to complete the requirement. Students who fail to meet the requirement within the time limits specified will be subject to dismissal from the college.
8. Course work more than 10 years old in the teaching specialization and professional education may not be credited to ward the completion of a teacher education degree and/or certificate program. However, course work over 10 years old may be reviewed by the appropriate certificate committee for possible credit toward the completion of a teacher education degree and/or certificate program.
9. A student has 6 years to complete a teacher education degree and/or certificate program after full admission. After the 6- year period, a student must seek readmission to that program and meet the catalog requirements in effect at the time of readmission.
10. Students will be withdrawn from courses for failing to observe prerequisites and corequisites. Continued disregard of prerequisites and corequisites is grounds for dismissal from the college.

Major Requirements

Students must maintain a minimum of 2.75 grade point average with no grade less than a C in the Professional Education and the Specialized Education courses for graduation.

Certification: To be fully certified, students must pass Certification Examinations for Oklahoma Educators and apply for a license.

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These courses require field experience. 

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Theses courses are taken together in the final semester. 

Free Electives

General Education and College Requirements

Courses taken to fulfill the University General Education Requirements must be chosen from the University-Wide General Education Approved Course List. The General Education courses below meet minimum University, College and State General Education Requirements.

UNIVERSITY-WIDE GENERAL EDUCATION (MINIMUM 40 HOURS) AND COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

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The novice-high level language requirement may be satisfied by classical, modern, Native or American Sign Language. Courses that demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to address the needs of Emergent Bilingual students are determined by the College of Education. 

Certification and Degree Requirements

Field Experiences: Transfer students without appropriate field experiences may be required to enroll in EDUC 2400.
Pass/No Pass Enrollment: Only general education electives may be taken under the pass/no pass option.
Residence Requirements: Students must complete either the last 30 hours or 45 of the last 60 hours after being fully admitted to a teacher education program to satisfy this requirement.
Requirements to be Completed to be Eligible for Student Teaching Internship: Students must be in good standing and have completed all baccalaureate degree requirements with the exception of the appropriate internship course itself and the courses taken with it in the final semester per their major requirements.
Junior College Transfer Students: Students transferring from a junior college may use the transferred credit to meet certain lower-division course requirements only; that is, freshman and sophomore-level courses.
Degree Completion Responsibility: Although the Dean’s Office checks each student’s records, the responsibility for meeting degree requirements lies with the student and not with the advisor or the Dean. Each student should obtain a copy of his or her requirements for graduation and check it regularly as he or she completes his or her degree program.
Graduation Application: The final step to be completed by the student before graduation is the filing of an official Application for Graduation. The Application for Graduation should be filled out online by May 1 for fall graduation, December 1 for spring graduation, and March 1 for summer graduation. The student’s degree will not be conferred, nor any completion statement entered on their transcript, until the required application is filed.

Admission & Retention Requirements

It is the responsibility of the student to read and be familiar with the requirements for Admission to, and Retention in, the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education. The current Admission and Retention policies can be found in the college's overview page in the OU General Catalog, under the Undergraduate tab here: http://ou-public.courseleaf.com/rainbolt-education/#undergraduatetext.

Suggested Semester Plan of Study

This plan shows one possible grouping of courses that would allow students to graduate in four years. Please refer to the front of the degree checksheet for official requirements. Students must consult with College of Education academic advisors to verify that courses selected each semester fulfill the recommended plan and satisfy university, College of Education, and major requirements.