Elementary Education/Special Education (BSE)
Celebrate student achievements
There’s a huge demand – and a lifetime of rewards – for talented, empathetic, specialized teachers of students with special needs.
At DSU, we know that special needs educators do more than develop detailed, individualized plans and track the progress of each student. They understand children and understand how a disability can affect cognitive, social, and emotional function; they are able to employ strategies to help children manage their behavior and gain social skills. Special education teachers celebrate successes small and large - and those moments are etched in a teacher's heart.
Our dual degree in elementary and special education offers you the confidence, tools, and skills essential to educate students of every ability. As this dual degree prepares you to be an elementary classroom teacher and a special education teacher, the techniques you learn will help all learners in your care within a regular education classroom or special education setting.
Online or on-campus courses
The elementary special education bachelor’s program is offered 100% online or on campus. Whether you are a traditional student or a working professional aspiring to become a teacher, this flexible program allows you to complete your degree how it works best for you – remote, in-person, or hybrid, and as a full-time or part-time student.
Degree in three
Fast-track your education with the option to complete your bachelor’s in Elementary and Special Education in three years. If you choose the accelerated Degree in Three plan, you’ll take courses as a full-time student, with 12-15 credits each semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer).
Curriculum and experience highlights
Outside the classroom, student clubs and activities like the Teachers of Tomorrow Club can complement your coursework.
With core classes in the fundamentals of hardware and software, you'll adapt with ease as new educational technology emerges.
DSU's heritage means teacher training is in our DNA
Our close-knit, hands-on courses are led by faculty with years of classroom experience. You'll get real-world advice and plenty of support as you find yourself on the “other side of the desk” for the first time.
Outstanding field experiences are a hallmark of our program. Prior to your student teaching residency, you'll get plenty of practicum experience. After, you'll undertake a year-long student teaching residency in public schools as your capstone experience.
To give you greater breadth in teaching, special education student teaching takes place at two different levels (elementary, middle, and/or high school). The elementary education portion of student teaching is at the elementary or middle school level.
Placement Rates
DSU’s programs in the College of Education & Human Performance have 100% placement rates. While many of our graduates are employed in the state of South Dakota, there are graduates working across the U.S.
Smart classrooms, smart kids
DSU’s focus on tech is a game-changer in the classroom.
Our graduates know how and when to use tech to enhance learning. The schools who employ them know DSU-trained first-year teachers are prepared for anything.
All education graduates earn a K-12 educational technology endorsement built into their degree. It’s another DSU advantage: not only can you seamlessly integrate technology into any classroom, but you’re also qualified to teach computer classes at elementary, middle, and high school levels.
An online elementary special education degree is versatile, giving you a number of options for teaching upon graduation.
“The relationships that DSU staff have built with me have encouraged me to go out and build those types of relationships with my own students. ”
Madeline Hegg, Elementary Education (BSE) ’24
