Program Quick Facts
Online and On Campus
Take 8-week, hybrid classes and attend on-campus sessions at night.
Hands-On Training
Gain classroom experience through supervised fieldwork.
Deepen Your Faith
Build a strong spiritual foundation through Christ-centered education.
Support and Advocate for Students With Mild/Moderate Disabilities
The Education Specialist Mild/Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) Credential program will equip you with the knowledge and tools to become an effective special education teacher. With the skills you gain in this credential program, you’ll be prepared to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities with compassion, collaboration, and inclusion. Designed for working professionals, this program is offered in an accelerated, hybrid format with most methods courses offered in the evenings with asynchronous online components. The program can be completed in just three semesters, including a full semester of hands-on training in a classroom.
Career Outcomes
With your preliminary teaching credential, you will be authorized to teach, assess, and support students with mild/moderate support needs in grades K-12 and up to age 22. You will be equipped with evidence-based, high-leverage, and inclusive practices, as well as the skills to co-teach and collaborate with general education colleagues in a variety of settings, including:
- Daycare
- Preschool
- Kindergarten
- Elementary school
- Middle school
- High school
In the Education Specialist MMSN Credential program, you will learn to effectively teach and advocate for diverse students with disabilities, as well as collaborate and partner with other professionals to ensure the success of your students — all from a biblical worldview perspective.
Upon completion of the credential program, you will be prepared to:
- Assess and respond to the unique and developmental needs and assets of students with disabilities using multiple measures and data-based decision-making
- Integrate positive behavioral intervention and support strategies and social emotional learning best practices to create a student-centered, inclusive learning environment
- Implement co-teaching and collaboration to partner with teachers, paraeducators, service providers, and families to support student success and to manage the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process
- Use advocacy skills, culturally responsive teaching practices, and cultural reciprocity to improve outcomes for culturally, socially, and linguistically diverse students with disabilities
- Create effective, content-specific, and universally designed instruction and enhance their expertise as lifelong learners through professional engagement
The Education Specialist MMSN Credential program consists of 39 units for the credential-only track and 128 units for the Education Specialist Integrated Teacher Education Program (ITEP).
Below is a course snapshot.
| Education Specialist Credential Sample Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| EDUG-571S Curricular Methods & Adaptations for Students With Mild/Moderate Disabilities | 3 Credits |
| EDUG-573S Assessment and Data-Based Decision Making for Students With Disabilities | 3 Credits |
| EDUG-574S Positive Behavior & Social/Emotional Learning Supports | 3 Credits |
| EDUG-575S Collaboration for IEP Case Management & Transition Planning | 3 Credits |
At Vanguard University, you will experience personalized instruction paired with a strong spiritual foundation that fosters knowledge, cultivates character and deepens faith. Our Christian professor-mentors will prepare you to make meaningful contributions in your profession and community, equipping you to lead a Spirit-empowered life of Christ-centered leadership and service.
Accreditation
