106-107 units

In this program, students earn a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a mild to moderate support needs, or extensive support needs, education specialist credential in a total of four years. The only concentration offered in this program is special education. Full program details and requirements are available on the Integrated Bachelor’s/Credential Program page of this catalog. 

Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
EDLS 210	Learning from A to Z: Launching Your Journey in Education 1	3
EDLS 260	Shapes, Stats, and Stories: Unveiling God's Design in Mathematics 1	3
EDLS 310	Mind Matters: Exploring the Science of Learning 1	3
EDLS 315	Building Future Scientists: Foundations of Physical Science for Children 1	3
EDLS 360	Principles of Inclusive Education: AEIOU 1	3
EDLS 420	Fostering Creativity: Unlocking the Arts for Children 1	3
EDLS 465	Once Upon a Page: Connecting Children's Literature and Literacy 1	3
COMM 111	Public Communication 2	3
ENGL 111	Studies in Literature 3	3
ENGL 403	History and Structure of English	3
MATH 110	College Algebra 4	3
PHYC 125	Earth Science Concepts and Applications	3
HIST 201	World Civilizations and Geography to 1648	3
HIST 202	United States History to 1930 1,5	3
HIST 338	History of California	3
PSYC 290	Human Growth and Development 1,6	3
KIN 450	Physical Education in Elementary Schools 1	3
Select one of the following:		4
BIOL 101	Biology and Society 7
BIOL 151	General Biology I 7
Concentrations
Select one concentration from the list below.		12-13
Total Units		67-68

¹

This is a core liberal studies course; these must be completed with a grade of C or higher and an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.

²

Meets the APU Core: Oral Communication general education requirement.

³

Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Literature general education requirement.

⁴

Meets the APU Core: Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement.

⁵

California Education Code Section 44335 requires all candidates for a teaching credential to demonstrate knowledge of the United States Constitution by completing a college-level course or a college-level examination in the subject; successful completion of either with a grade of C or higher meets this California Education Code requirement.

⁶

Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.

⁷

Meets the APU Core: Natural Science general education requirement.

Students in the liberal studies major are limited to completing only one concentration from those listed below. A concentration course cannot double-count to meet a concentration requirement and a major requirement listed above. 

Art Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
ART 145	Drawing I 1	3
ART 146	Painting I	3
Select one of the following art history courses:		3
ART 354	History of Ancient Art and Architecture 1
ART 356	History of Modern Art and Architecture
ART 357	History of Contemporary Art and Architecture 1
ART 361	History of Early Christian and Medieval Art and Architecture 1
ART 362	History of Renaissance to Rococo Art and Architecture 1
Select one of the following crafts courses:		3
ART 105	Ceramics I 1
ART 111	Printmaking: Serigraph
ART 170	Sculpture I
ART 403	Multicultural Art 1
Total Units		12

¹

Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Fine Arts general education requirement.

English Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
ENGL 222	English Literature to 1789 1	3
ENGL 224	World Literature to the Renaissance 1	3
Select two of the following:		6
ENGL 244	American Literature to 1865 (Select one of the following American literature courses:) 1
ENGL 254	American Literature Since 1865 1
ENGL 364	American Ethnic Literature 2
ENGL 374	African American Literature
ENGL 410	American Novel
Total Units		12

¹

Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Literature general education requirement.

²

Meets the APU Core: Intercultural Competence general education requirement.

Human Development: School Psychology Concentration

 PSYC 290 and MATH 130 are prerequisite courses for the upper-division courses in this concentration.

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
MATH 130	Introduction to Statistics 1	3
PSYC 345	Psychology of Child and Adolescent Development 2	3
PSYC 360	Abnormal Psychology	3
Select one of the following:		3
PSYC 292	Introduction to Brain and Behavior
PSYC 305	Educational Psychology
PSYC 390	Cognition
PSYC 405	Psychology of Learning
PSYC 410	Psychology of Exceptional Children
PSYC 472	Neurological and Behavioral Disorders
Total Units		12

¹

Meets the APU Core: Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement.

²

Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.

Human Development: Special Education Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
EDLS 303	Introduction to Special Populations	3
EDLS 304	Introduction to Teaching Special Populations	3
PSYC 410	Psychology of Exceptional Children	3
PSYC 430	Intervention Strategies with Children	3
Total Units		12

Math Concentration

See the Department of Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and Statistics for updated schedules.

Note: Students must begin their mathematics coursework at the level for which they qualify as determined by their SAT/ACT score, previous university coursework, or the APU mathematics placement assessment. Some students require one or more courses prior to calculus.   

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
MATH 165	Calculus I	4
MATH 280	Discrete Mathematics and Proof	3
MATH 340	Geometry	3
Select one of the following:		3
MATH 130	Introduction to Statistics 1
MATH 361	Introduction to Modeling with Probability
Total Units		13

¹

Meets the APU Core: Quantitative Reasoning general education requirement.

Music Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
MUS 101	Beginning Voice Class	1
MUS 103	Beginning Piano Class 1	1
MUS 121	Music Theory I 2	3
MUS 133	Practical Musicianship I	1
MUS 201	Introduction to World Music 3	3
Select one of the following:		3
MUS 350	History and Literature of Commercial Music
MUS 351	Ancient, Renaissance, and World Music Literature
MUS 352	Baroque, Classical, and Early Romantic Music Literature
MUS 455	Late Romantic and 20th-Century Music Literature 4
Total Units		12

¹

Or 1 unit for each Applied Piano (permission by audition only).

²

Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Fine Arts general education requirement.

³

Meets the APU Core: Intercultural Competence general education requirement.

⁴

Meets the APU Core: Humanities: History general education requirement.

Science Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
BIOL 151	General Biology I 1	4
BIOL 152	General Biology II	4
CHEM 123	General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry for the Health Sciences 1	4
Optional Elective
PHYC 155	Physics for Life Sciences I 1
Total Units		12

¹

Meets the APU Core: Natural Science general education requirement.

Social Science Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
POLI 150	American Government 1	3
Select one of the following world history/political science courses:		3
HIST 320	Modern Africa
HIST 360	History of the Middle East I: Early and Medieval Islam
HIST 361	History of the Middle East II: Modern Middle East
HIST 392	Colonial Latin America
HIST 393	Ritual and Re-enactment in Modern Latin America
HIST 484	Historical Themes 2
POLI 390	History and Politics of the Non-Western World
Select two of the following social science courses:		6
HIST 210	World Geography 3
ECON 250	Principles of Macroeconomics 4
ECON 251	Principles of Microeconomics
POLI 220	State and Local Government
POLI 320	Comparative Politics
SOC 225	Contemporary Social Problems
SOC 361	Education and Society
Total Units		12

¹

California Education Code Section 44335 requires all candidates for a Teaching Credential to demonstrate knowledge of the United States Constitution by completing a college-level course or a college-level examination in the subject; successful completion of either with a grade of C or higher meets this California Education Code requirement.

²

Selected theme must be non-U.S. and non-European.

³

Recommended for students who wish to include a Supplementary Authorization in Social Science on a future California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.

⁴

Meets the APU Core: Social Science general education requirement.

Spanish Concentration

Course List

Code	Title	Units
Required Courses
SPAN 201	Intermediate Spanish I	3
SPAN 202	Intermediate Spanish II	3
SPAN 301	Spanish Conversation and Community 1, 2	3
Select one of the following:		3
SPAN 332	Literary Masters 3
SPAN 421	Survey of Spanish Literature
SPAN 422	Survey of Latin American Literature
SPAN 460	Survey of the Literature of the Spanish-Speaking World
Total Units		12

¹

SPAN 101, SPAN 102, SPAN 201, and SPAN 202 are prerequisites for 300-level SPAN courses.

²

Meets the APU Core: Intercultural Competence general education requirement.

³

Meets the APU Core: Humanities: Literature general education requirement.

Mild to Moderate Support Needs Education Specialist Credential Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
TESP 501	Art of Teaching I: Foundations of Teaching	3
TESP 502	Science of Teaching I: How Students Learn	3
TESP 507	Multilingual Learners and Literacy Development	3
TESP 508	Literacy and the Humanities, TK-8	3
SPED 517	Art of Teaching II: Pedagogy and Instructional Design for Education Specialists	3
SPED 518	Science of Teaching II: Effective Assessment Strategies for Learners with Special Needs	3
SPED 526	Specialized Academic Instruction: Reading, Writing, and Math	3
SPED 528	Assessment and IEP Development: Mild to Extensive Support Needs	3
SPED 529	Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Exceptional Needs	3
TESP 553	Schools and Educational Systems	2
SPED 567	Clinical Practice: Mild to Moderate Support Needs 1	8
TESP 557	Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) and Literacy Performance Assessment (LPA) Support Course	2
Total Units		39

¹

Refer to the Clinical Practice Clearance requirements.

Extensive Support Needs Education Specialist Credential Requirements

Course List

Code	Title	Units
TESP 501	Art of Teaching I: Foundations of Teaching	3
TESP 502	Science of Teaching I: How Students Learn	3
TESP 507	Multilingual Learners and Literacy Development	3
TESP 508	Literacy and the Humanities, TK-8	3
SPED 517	Art of Teaching II: Pedagogy and Instructional Design for Education Specialists	3
SPED 518	Science of Teaching II: Effective Assessment Strategies for Learners with Special Needs	3
SPED 527	Teaching Students with Extensive Support Needs	3
SPED 528	Assessment and IEP Development: Mild to Extensive Support Needs	3
SPED 529	Positive Behavior Supports for Students with Exceptional Needs	3
TESP 553	Schools and Educational Systems	2
SPED 577	Clinical Practice: Extensive Support Needs 1	8
TESP 557	Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) and Literacy Performance Assessment (LPA) Support Course	2
Total Units		39

¹

Refer to the Clinical Practice Clearance requirements.

Liberal Studies Major

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of subject matter (Language Arts, Math, Science, Art, Physical Education, Human Development, History) with research-based pedagogical practices to design and implement effective learning experiences for diverse learners.
2. Apply principles of child development and learning theories to create differentiated and engaging learning environments that foster critical thinking, creativity, and social-emotional growth.
3. Communicate effectively in speech and in writing to analyze educational challenges, advocate, and collaborate with stakeholders.
4. Integrate biblical principles and ethical considerations into professional practice, demonstrating a commitment to the well-being and equitable treatment of all students.
5. Engage in reflective practice to deepen subject matter knowledge and cultivate a disposition towards continuous learning to remain responsive to the evolving needs of learners and the educational landscape.
6. Analyze curriculum to promote literacy, critical thinking, and an understanding of diverse voices and human experiences with an emphasis on developing intercultural competence.

Integrated Credential 

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:

1. Engage and support all students in learning.
2. Create and maintain effective environments for student learning.
3. Understand and organize subject matter for student learning.
4. Plan instruction and design learning experiences for all students.
5. Assess student learning.
6. Develop as a professional educator.