Current Winthrop students majoring in Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education are eligible to apply for the 4+1 program. After completing their degree and receiving initial licensure, 4+1 students continue at Winthrop for one additional year to earn their Master of Arts in Educational Studies: Special Education. Upon completion of required undergraduate and graduate courses and successful Praxis examination, graduates will be eligible for the South Carolina Special Education: Multi-Categorical (PK-12) add-on certification.
Students interested in the 4+1 program take two special education courses during their undergraduate program. As soon as they are interested, they should fill out the interest form and speak with their advisor. They can enroll in SPED 281 as early as their first semester at Winthrop and SPED 507 as soon as they have junior status (i.e., 75 hours earned) and have completed the Intent to Pursue Accelerated Graduate Program form. According to the current course catalog, it is recommended that ECED majors take SPED 281 in their freshman spring and SPED 507 in their senior fall. ELEM majors are recommended to take SPED 281 in their sophomore spring and SPED 507 in their senior fall. However, all students should work with their advisors to identify the best time to take each class. Students will also take SPED 510 during Internship I instead of EDCO 350.
ECED and ELEM students may take READ 570 and/or READ 580 for graduate credit their junior year instead of READ 370 and 380. They should speak with their advisor to determine eligibility.
Ideally, undergraduates should complete the interest form by the end of their freshman year. The latest they can “declare” by completing the interest form is when they apply to the Teacher Education program (typically summer after sophomore year).
Option A: Students must have accrued 75 credit hours prior completing the Intent to Pursue Accelerated Graduate Program form. Those who have completed 75 hours by junior fall will take READ 570 and READ 580 for graduate credit (as opposed to READ 370 and READ 380) as well as SPED 510 and SPED 507.
Option B: For students who have not yet accrued 75 credit hours prior to their junior/third year, they will take READ 370 in their fall semester. ECED majors will take SPED 507 fall of junior year but will not take it for graduate credit, only undergraduate. In Junior spring, they will complete the Intent to Pursue Accelerated Graduate Program form and will take READ 580 for graduate credit in their junior spring. To earn a total of 30 credit hours in their graduate program, students will need to take SPED 515 in their fifth year during the spring. It’s important to note that this class meets in-person for the full semester, so this pathway is not recommended for students who are teaching full-time.
Option C: For students who have not yet accrued 75 credit hours prior to their junior/third year, they will take READ 370 and READ 380 and SPED 507 as an undergraduate. They will complete the Intent to Pursue Accelerated Graduate Program form at the end of the fall semester of their junior year. Students will need to select two 500 level elective classes to take in their junior spring/summer/senior fall. (Recommended classes include EDCI 594, EDCI 595)
Completers are eligible for the South Carolina Special Education: Multi-categorical add-on certification (PK-12) in addition to their certification in Early Childhood Education (PK-3) and/or Elementary Education (2-6).
ECED and ELEM majors will take SPED 507 and SPED 510, as well as one or two other 500 level courses (READ 570 and/or READ 580 recommended) (Up to 9 total credit hours) for graduate credit during their undergraduate program.
Instead of taking SPED 681 and SPED 610 at the graduate level (requirements for the M.Ed. and licensure), students will take SPED 281 and SPED 510 at the undergraduate level. To substitute for the missing credit hours from SPED 681 (as 30 graduate credits are required), students will take READ 570 and/or READ 580 in place of READ 370 and READ 380 (or two other 500 elective level courses if they are not eligible to take READ 570/580).
Undergraduate degree from WU in Elementary or Early Childhood Education, completion of SPED 281, SPED 507, SPED 510 plus one additional 500 level course (READ 570 or READ 580 instead of READ 370/380 recommended if eligible) as an undergraduate. Students must have earned a 3.0 GPA in undergraduate.
Graduate Summer: SPED 591 & READ 620
Graduate Fall: SPED 585
Graduate Spring: EDCO 683 & SPED 691
Students take a practicum (SPED 691) in the second half of their graduate spring semester. It can be completed at the school in which they work. If students are not working at a school, they will be placed in a practicum setting in consultation with the Rex Institute.
Yes, all courses in Year 5 are in asynchronous online format, which allows flexibility often needed for working professionals.
Students can teach full-time in their 5th year and still complete this program. Students may alternatively consider delaying the start of their first year of teaching to complete year 5 of the program. They may be eligible to pursue a graduate assistantship. Students will take 6 hours in summer, 3-6 graduate credit hours in the fall and 6 graduate credit hours in the spring.
No, students must have earned initial licensure in Elementary or Early Childhood Education prior to beginning the program.
Teaching Fellows can defer their service obligation repayment until completion of the graduate program.
To earn licensure in Special Education: Multicategorical for South Carolina, students must take the Special Education: Foundational Knowledge Praxis assessment (5355). Students may take the Praxis at any time, but we recommend waiting until at least after taking SPED 585.
For Elementary licensure, students must take the subject Praxis before Internship II during undergraduate. Students may take either Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001) or Elementary Education: Content Knowledge (7811).
For Early Childhood licensure, students must take either Early Childhood Education: Foundational Knowledge and Content (5534) or Early Childhood Education (5025) before Internship II during undergraduate.
Questions about the M.A.Ed.: Minnie Mize, M.A.Ed. Program Director
Questions about Special Education: April Mustian, SPED Program Director
Questions about Elementary Education: Joy Stapleton, ELEM Program Director
Questions about Early Childhood Education: Crystal Glover, ECED Program Director