Bachelor of Science in Inclusive and Special Education

University of Illinois Chicago

The Bachelor of Science program in Inclusive and Special Education will launch in the fall of 2026. This program will prepare special educators from diverse cultural backgrounds to better support students with disabilities in under-resourced communities across Illinois. Students in this program will learn to support students with disabilities to:

Assess, plan, and teach students in general education, resource and separate settings

Monitor academic, behavioral, and social-emotional skills

Use collaborative models and strategies in schools and classrooms

Advocate for and teach self-determination skills

Support and work alongside families, organizations, and agencies to streamline life transitions across grades and into adulthood.

During the fall semester of their senior year, students complete a 180-hour internship, where they collaborate with content area teachers in science and social studies to support students with both high-incidence and low-incidence disabilities. This program culminates in the spring semester with student teaching, requiring an additional 380 fieldwork hours at a school. The curriculum of the program fulfills the requirements set by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for the Professional Educator License (PEL), which includes an initial endorsement in Learning Behavior Specialist 1 Special Education. This endorsement allows graduates to teach a diverse range of disabilities for students aged 5 to 22.