Higher Education Entrance Qualification
Admission to the second year requires a one-year study of Special needs education or the first year of a bachelor's programme in Special needs including a minimum of 10 credits in social science methodology.
Admission to year three is two years of a bachelor’s programme in Special needs.
The Bachelor's in Special Education provides graduates with broad competency in planning teaching, development and good living conditions for children, young people and adults with special needs. The principle of lifelong learning in an inclusive society is a major theme throughout the entire programme, which follows a natural progression in which students are first introduced to frameworks and academic bases within the field, emphasizing among other things major theories about learning challenges and learning processes, historical movement from segregated special education services to inclusion, governmental policies and various arenas where special education knowledge is applied. Over time students will develop more specific competency within four selected areas: language and communication difficulties, interaction and behavioral challenges, therapeutic work and habilitation/rehabilitation. The study programme aims at finding a balance between the special education field as both discipline and profession:
Special education is a discipline with established theories and methods in which research and development takes place while it simultaneously is a field constantly changing, where various opinions and manners of comprehension encounter one another. Special education is also a profession with roots in the professional traditions of both healthcare and education.
The courses are directed towards subject-specific competency and are based on a four-part approach of which the following elements are stressed: (a) training in subject thematics (b) training in topic-related charting and assessment (c) training in course-related actions and working methods and (d) working with asking critical question surrounding ethical dilemmas and other challenges that may arise within these areas. Throughout the entire programme there is a focus on being able to see and understand reduced functional ability and learning challenges as an interaction between the individual and contextual conditions. Completing practice teaching allows students the opportunity to observe and participate in relevant working arenas. The study programme's goal is to educate competent special education teachers that can help promote an equal and inclusive society through planning teaching and a good quality of life for children, young people and adults with special needs.
The programme yields competences relevant for the following sustainable development goals:
1. sem | PED128-2 Learning and training 15 sp | PED151-1 Introduction in Special Needs Education 15 sp | ||||||||||
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2. sem | PED152-1 Language and communication difficulties 15 sp | PED163-1 Tverrprofesjonelt arbeid i spesialpedagogisk opplæring og støtte i skole og barnehage 15 sp | ||||||||||
3. sem | EX-100-1 Exam Philosophicum 10 sp | EX-105-1 Examen Facultatum - Educational variant 10 sp | PED239-1 Habilitation and rehabilition 10 sp | |||||||||
4. sem | PED236-1 Milieu therapeutic work 15 sp | PED228-2 Research methods 15 sp | ||||||||||
5. sem | Student Exchange or Subjects 5th Semester | |||||||||||
6. sem | PED320-1 Bachelor's thesis 15 sp | PED324-1 Quality of life and Life Conditions 15 sp |
Upon completion of the programme, students will:
Knowledge
Skills
General competence
The study programme is based on both individual and group work. There are lectures, seminars, group work, assignment writing, independent study and other forms of training. The programme includes two periods of compulsory supervised teaching practice. The language of instruction is mainly Norwegian, but the course literature and certain lectures may be given in English.
The bachelor’s programme introduces international perspectives through lectures, the syllabus and guest lecturers.
Students may study abroad during term 5 and/or 6 by agreement with the department. Information about our options for student exchange is found on the university’s site for student exchange.
Completing a bachelor’s programme in special education qualifies graduates for admission to master’s programmes in special education, education or the equivalent.
The programme does not provide teaching competency for use in schools but rather the opportunity to work in other areas of the school system (f.ex. after-school programmes, support services, alternative schooling options). Graduates may also work in daycare centres. The study programme is also relevant for employment in various positions in the health care and social welfare sector as well as in other employment and welfare agencies (f.ex. working with criminals and/or substance abusers, promoting workplace inclusion, etc.).
Laptop
In accordance with Regulations on studies and examinations at the University of Agder § 12d, all students at UiA are required to have their own laptop for use in teaching and during exams.
Certificate of good conduct
A valid police certificate of conduct must be presented upon application and must be submitted before students can participate in the professional, supervised training.
Suitability assessment
Students in the Master’s Programme in Special Needs Education are subject to the regulations on suitability assessment in higher education (no.859), with legal authority in Act relating to universities and university colleges § 4-10 (6).
Suitability assessment is continuous throughout the programme. If there is doubt about the suitability of a student, a special follow-up should be applied.
180
Full time
Kristiansand
Faculty of Humanities and Education