Bachelor course of studies of Special Education

Since the winter semester of 2005/2006, the Leibniz Universität Hannover has been offering the Bachelor course of studies of Special Education as a special education basic course of studies comprising six semesters. With the Bachelor course of studies, basic education in special education is guaranteed, and the final degree as Bachelor of Arts (B.A. Special Education) offers a practical degree qualifying for the profession. The integration of increased practical sections into the course of studies and the orientation of the study contents towards the internships allow a professional, academically established basic education for special education spheres of activity, such as early intervention, preschool speech support, consulting service, integration aid and work with the disabled, elderly people and families.

The course of studies consists of basic subjects of the general and the integrative education of the disabled and of special education psychology, as well as the three special education fields (education for learning difficulties, education for speech difficulties and education for difficulties in social and emotional development).

The course of studies is composed of the subject-specific basics and basic principles of special Education, as well as main emphases divided into profiles which can be chosen within the modules and which are conducive to shaping the profile and qualifying for the profession. In the B.A. the following profiles are offered:

• consulting service
• learning and development
• speech and communication

The course of studies qualifies fundamentally for the fields of special education clinical diagnostics, case analysis and the handling and assessment of supporting concepts on the basis of the acquired expert knowledge. The acquirement or adoption of so-called key qualifications, like the ability to write research papers, communication skills, the ability to work in a team, research et cetera, are integrated into the course of studies of Special Education.

The main emphases divided into profiles allow a specification of the potential special education fields of operation. Thus, the profile of consulting service comprises the basic qualification of negotiation, of conflict management (mediation) and/or of shaping cooperation processes which can be used, for instance, for the consulting service of/with teachers, educators and parents.

The profile of learning and development qualifies for the job as a teacher’s assistant to observe and to attend to learning processes, for example in the fields of writing, mathematics and multilingualism, and to attend to the transfer from school into job as well as to be an extracurricular development attendant.

The profile speech and communication is designed to educate students to mainly work in the field of preschool speech and language support, while supporting and advising institutions involved in development processes. It also qualifies for the application of language screenings to collect data on the linguistic competence of all children starting school, as well as qualifying for general speech support and therapy in the field of communication sciences and disorders. ¹⁾

Since winter semester 2008/2009, a specific admission can be acquired to the course M.Ed. Special Education, in which a deepened examination of the specific question of the individual fields of Special Education happens, if a successful B.A. degree exists. A M.Ed. course of studies with academic focus is eligible (Education Studies for Special Education; M.Ed.) as well as a research-oriented course of studies, which qualifies for the extracurricular field (Special Education and Rehabilitation Science; M.A.).

1) You can find further information about the occupation in line with the compulsory health insurance from the leaflet about the course of studies on the download-homepage.

The average time of studying is six semesters, and 180 Credit Points have to be gained. During the first two semesters, students study modules in their major subject Special Education and their profiles. After having absolved two semesters, a decision concerning the following individual concentration of the studies has must be made by choosing a minor subject. In the third semester, the study of the chosen minor subject begins.

If a master course of studies is planned, already during the bachelor course of studies it has to be considered which minor subject of the intended master course of studies (Education Studies for Special Education (M.Ed.) or Special Education and Rehabilitation Studies where the study focuses on didactic support and educational offer or speech and communication therapy), is being studied. The admission to the M.Ed. course of studies only can be obtained by choosing a minor subject from the list on the “Information on the course M.Ed. (Special Education)” homepage. Further requirements can be consulted at: Admission to Master.

 The Bachelor course of studies comprises the following three fields of study:

• Major Subject: Special Education, with 90 Credit Points (CP) (plus internships, with 10 or 15 CP and the Bachelor thesis, with 15 CP)
• Minor Subject: with 30 CP: German, Protestant and Catholic Theology, Art, Mathematics, Music, General Science and Social Studies, Physical Education. History. Each minor subject must be pursued further in the master course of studies. The minor subject “Music” is offered at “Hochschule für Musik und Theater (HMT). The requirement for admission is an aptitude test. Information about the subject can be found at: http://www.hmt-hannover.de/sys
  
  The minor subject Art requires an aptitude test as well. Information concerning the test can be found at: www.igk.phil.uni.hannover.de/zugangsvoraussetzung.html
• A special branch of science as minor subject can also be chosen. Eligible for election are the minor subject Applied Philology, implying 30 CP, or the minor subject Diversity Education implying 30 CP.
• Professionalisation Field with 30 CP: this field encompasses the subject Applied Education Studies (15 CP) and the compulsory optional subjects Psychology or Sociology (15 CP). One of the two lastly named subjects has to be chosen at the beginning of the study.
• Three Internships: In the Bachelor course of studies, important practicums with a total amount of 15 CP are integrated, which can be academically supported by different activities. Furthermore, an internship completed before the beginning of the Bachelor course of studies Special Education must be proven. Specified information about the internships can be found in the section “Registration prerequisites and application”.
  
  Two internships must be absolved in the major subject Special Education (altogether 10 CP). The third internship (5 CP) can also be absolved in the major subject Special Education as the “First guide lining teaching practice for Special Education” or in the elective subjects of the professionalization field as the “Internship with Reference to Developmental Psychology” or the “Profession-relevant internship in an extracurricular occupational area” (Psychology or Sociology).