Start your journey
Become licensed to teach students with mild to moderate disabilities
Each student with a disability has a unique set of academic, behavioral, social, emotional, communication, and functional needs. The academic and behavioral strategist (ABS) licensure program prepares you to meet the needs of young people—kindergarten through age 21. The program prepares you to be recommended for an ABS license, which qualifies you to work with students in K-12 school systems with a broad array of mild to moderate disabilities in the following areas:
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Developmental disabilities
- Emotional and behavioral disorders
- Learning disabilities
- Other health disparities
Careers
Graduates of the academic and behavioral strategist (ABS) licensure program:
- Teach in K-12 classrooms, resource rooms, or 18-21 transition programs
- Collaborate/consult with general classroom teachers
- Work with students and their families directly as itinerant teachers
- Serve students from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds
Admissions requirements
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.8
- Graduate school application
- Application fee
- Transcripts
Non-native English Speakers: TOEFL, IELTS, etc. test scores
Contact
Tuition
Visit the College of Education and Human Development's Tuition and Financial Aid page for information on tuition.
Funding
Scholarships and awards through school districts for employees
Ask your employer if they have funding to support your education.
Special Education Pipeline Grant is a partnership between educator preparation programs and K-12 schools to recruit and prepare employees to become fully licensed Tier 3 or Tier 4 special education teachers.
Grow Your Own Program is similar to the Pipeline program, but is not limited to special education and often includes a focus on diversifying the teacher workforce.
Come Teach in Minnesota allows school districts to offer hiring and retention bonuses to eligible individuals when they move to Minnesota and enroll in a teacher preparation program.
Grants for eligible, enrolled students
TEACH Grants
TEACH Grants are part of a federal program to provide financial support to students who will teach in a high need area at a low-income school for at least four years. Application information is available from Onestop on their grants and waivers page.
Scholarships, fellowships and awards through the University
- Special education scholarships, fellowships, and awards
- College of Education and Human Development awards
Financial aid
Visit OneStop Student Services for more information on available financial aid.
Coursework
This is a hybrid program, meaning all courses are offered online (with traditional in-person options available if preferred) and all field experiences are in person at a program/school in your community.
The ABS licensure program with a MEd in special education requires completion of 50 credits. For additional licensure candidates (who already hold a teaching license in another area), fewer credits are required. For completion of a MEd only without licensure, 30 credits are required, with opportunities to select courses suited to your interests.
Sample Course Schedule
*Note: This plan is an example only. You’ll work with your advisor to develop a course schedule specific to your needs
- CI 5645 – Methods for Teaching English Learners (3 credits)
- MTHE 5355 – Mathematics for Diverse Learners (3 credits)
- EPSY 5604 – Transitions from Work to School or Community Settings for Persons with Special Needs (3 credits)
- EPSY 5605 – Collaborative Practices for the Special Educator (3 credits)
- EPSY 5613 – Foundations of Special Education (3 credits)
- EPSY 5614 – Assessment and Due Process in Special Education (3 credits)
- EPSY 5616 – Classroom Management and Behavior Analytic Problem Solving (3 credits)
- EPSY 5617 – Academic and Social Interventions for Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities (3 credits)
- EPSY 5618 – Specialized Interventions for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities in Reading and Written Language (3 credits)
- EPSY 5631 – Module 1: Introduction to Augmentative and Alternative Communication (1 credit)
- EPSY 5657 – Interventions for Behavior Problems in School Settings (3 credits)
- EPSY 5704 – Field Experience in a Special Education Classroom #1 (1 credit)
- EPSY 5705 – Field Experience in a Special Education Classroom #2 (1 credit)
- EPSY 5706 - Field Experience in a Special Education Classroom #3 (1 credit)
- EPSY 5741 – Student Teaching: Academic Behavior Strategist (6 credits)
Required for initial licensure and MEd
EPSY 5699 – Experimental Teaching Seminar (2 credits)
OR
Required for additional licensure and MEd or MEd only
EPSY 5991 – MEd Paper/Project Independent Study (2 credits)
- OLPD 5005 – School and Society ( 2 credits)
- OLPD 5009 – Human Relations (1 cr)
- CI 5307 – Technology (2 credits)
- EPSY 5001 – Learning Cognition and Assessment (3 credits)
As a student in the ABS program, you have the option to add an online autism spectrum disorder (ASD) certificate to your licensure and/or degree. The specialized training you’ll receive related to assessment and treatment practices for children with ASD will lead to a certificate in ASD.
As a student in the ABS program, you have the option to add an emotional or behavioral disorder teaching licensure to your licensure and/or degree.
Faculty
Amy Kunkel
Assistant teaching professor, special education licensure coordinator, ABS program lead
Laura Paczkowski
Academic advisor
Kathy Seifert
Teaching associate professor