College of Education and Human Development

Department of Educational Psychology

Special education licensure program - Requirements for international students

Credit Requirements:

As an international student on an F-1 visa, you must maintain enrollment in the required minimum number of credits throughout each semester, as required by the federal government. Please see minimum credit requirements below.

  • Undergraduate students: at least 12 credits per semester

  • Non-degree seeking students: at least 12 credits per semester

  • Graduate school students: at least 6 credits per semester

  • Professional school students: between 6 and 12 credits, depending on your program

In-Person Credit Requirements:

International students are required to enroll in a specific number of in-person credits each semester, as required by the federal government. As such, there are limitations on the number of online credits you can count towards your credit requirements listed above. Please see minimum in-person credit requirements below.

  • Undergraduate students: at least 9 in-person credits per semester

  • Graduate students: at least 3 in-person credits per semester

***Important note: Within the special education licensure program, the maximum amount of guaranteed in-person credits per semester is 1 credit (EPSY 5704, EPSY 5705, and EPSY 5706), with one exception being your final semester in the program when you complete 6 in-person credits of student teaching. There are sometimes opportunities to take an additional required course in person each semester, but it is not a guarantee. As such, you will likely need to enroll in additional in-person credits (not required in our program) at some point throughout your time in our licensure programs in order to meet the federal in-person credit requirements for F-1 visa holders.

Minnesota-Based In-Person Field Experience Requirements:

Students in the special education licensure program are required to spend at least 35 hours in an assigned special education setting each semester. During your final semester in the program, you will complete a full-time student teaching experience (40 hours per week for 12-15 weeks) in an assigned special education setting. These field experience hours need to be completed in one of our partner school districts in Minnesota, thus program completion requires residency in the state of Minnesota.