Students who graduate from the Teacher Education Program in Special Education from Siena Heights University will apply for initial certification from the State of Michigan. These students are prepared to teach in both general and special education classrooms. The general education certification is either elementary or secondary, but the special education certification includes kindergarten through twelfth grade in either the area of learning disabilities or cognitive impairments.
The special education settings can include:
• full inclusion
• resource room
• self-contained

Special education careers can also occur outside of the typical school settings, for example:
• post-secondary transition centers
• day-treatment programs
• correction centers
• adult service provider
• early intervention

Students can also pursue a master’s degree at Siena Heights in the area of special education in the areas of learning disabilities and cognitive impairments. Other career opportunities that can occur through continued education are:
• administrators
• special education coordinators
• consultants
• early childhood special educators