Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12)

Build the Skills to Support Diverse Learners

Prepare to become a licensed special education teacher and help students with diverse learning needs thrive. Bay Path University's Bachelor of Arts in Education: Moderate Disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12) combines hands-on experience, evidence-based teaching practices, and personalized support to prepare you for a meaningful career in special education. Approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), this program prepares graduates for initial licensure in Moderate Disabilities (PreK–8 or 5–12).

Why Earn a Degree in Moderate Disabilities Education?

Students with learning differences deserve educators who understand their unique strengths and challenges. Bay Path University's Moderate Disabilities Education program prepares you to support learners with a range of academic, behavioral, and developmental needs through inclusive, student-centered teaching practices.

You'll gain the skills to assess student learning, develop individualized education programs (IEPs), collaborate with families and school professionals, and create supportive classroom environments where all students can succeed. Through classroom instruction and real-world field experiences, you'll graduate ready to make a lasting impact in schools and communities.

What You’ll Learn in the Moderate Disabilities Education Program

Throughout the program, you’ll develop the knowledge and practical skills needed to support students with moderate disabilities in inclusive and specialized educational settings. Areas of study include:

• Assessment and progress monitoring
• Individualized Education Program (IEP) development
• Literacy coursework grounded in the Science of Reading
• Evidence-based instructional strategies, with a deep understanding of high quality instructional materials
• Inclusive classroom practices
• Behavior support and intervention
• Collaboration with families and educational teams
• Field-based experiences in schools that connects to coursework

By graduation, you’ll be prepared to create learning environments that empower students to reach their full potential.

Program Outcomes:

1. Curriculum, Planning, & Assessment - Promotes the learning and growth of all students by providing high-quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an on-going basis, and continuously refining learning objectives.
2. Teaching All Students - Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency.
3. Family & Community Engagement - Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
4. Professional Culture - Promotes the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice.

Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTELs) Prep Model