BRADFORD, Pa. — The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will launch a new four-year major in PreK–12 special education next fall to help address Pennsylvania’s critical shortage of certified special education teachers.

The new major — Pitt-Bradford’s ninth in education — was developed in response to growing student interest and increased demand in school districts across the Commonwealth.

“Pennsylvania is really suffering from a lack of teachers, especially special education teachers,” said Dr. Jonathan Chitiyo, director of the education program. “That shortage is even more pronounced in rural areas, where it can be difficult to recruit teachers unless they are from the region.”

Chitiyo noted that special education is evolving nationally as more districts adopt co-teaching models in which special education professionals work closely with general education teachers. This shift has increased the need for certified special education teachers at a time when shortages are already acute.

Students in the new major will begin with foundational education coursework such as child development, family and community relationships, and instructional design before moving into eight specialized courses created for the major. These classes will focus on behavior management, differentiating instruction for diverse learners and supporting students with common disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. An entire course will be dedicated to Autism Spectrum Disorders, which Chitiyo said is the fastest-growing category of diagnoses.

Education students at Pitt-Bradford also benefit from small class sizes and close connections with regional educators and service providers. Graduates of the program will be prepared to teach students with exceptional learning needs in PreK–12 settings or pursue careers supporting people with disabilities in nonprofit organizations, workplaces and higher education.

For more information about the new special education major, visit www.upb.pitt.edu/academics/special-education-pk-12-bs or contact Chitiyo at chitiyoj@pitt.edu.

Other education majors at Pitt-Bradford are biology education 7-12; business, computer and information technology preK-12; chemistry education 7-12; early level education preK-4; English education 7-12; health and physical education preK-12; mathematics education 7-12; and social studies education 7-12.