Best Bachelor's in Multiple Disabilities Special Education Programs in 2026

The University of North Carolina Wilmington's Bachelor of Arts in Special Education with Adapted Curriculum licensure, offered through the Watson College of Education, prepares teachers for some of the most specialized work in the field: supporting K-12 learners with significant intellectual and multiple disabilities, including students with complex communication needs. One of two special education options at the college, the Adapted Curriculum track immerses students in practice beginning in the junior year, combining extensive school-based field experiences, faculty-supervised labs in public schools, and one-on-one tutoring in an on-campus Education Lab. By the time they reach a semester-long senior internship, candidates have accumulated more than 500 classroom hours. The cohort-based, on-campus structure keeps students learning alongside the same peers throughout. Completing the program, together with passing the required licensing tests, leads to Adapted Special Education K-12 licensure in North Carolina. This bachelor's-level multiple disabilities special education program prepares graduates for work as special education teachers in North Carolina.

Bradley University offers a Bachelor of Science in special education that leads to the Illinois Professional Educator License with a Learning Behavior Specialist I endorsement, qualifying graduates to teach students with disabilities. The program is housed in the Education Department within the College of Education and Health Sciences. Coursework builds the skills needed to empower and educate students of all ages with diverse learning needs. It is delivered on campus. This bachelor's-level multiple disabilities special education program prepares graduates for work as special education teachers in Illinois.

Lee University's Bachelor of Science in Teaching (B.S.T.) in Special Education, Comprehensive Disabilities prepares candidates for K-12 licensure. Housed in the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education within the Helen DeVos College of Education, the degree qualifies graduates to teach special education with appropriate licensure. This bachelor's-level multiple disabilities special education program prepares graduates for work as special education teachers in Tennessee.

Ball State University's Teaching Major in Exceptional Needs: Intense Interventions (BA/BS) is a 99-credit program in the Department of Special Education, Teachers College. The single major leads to an Indiana K-12 license in Intense Interventions along with a K-6 license in Mild Interventions, preparing teachers to serve students with moderate to profound disabilities. Candidates complete at least 12 combined credits of student teaching across Mild Disabilities and Children and Youth with Severe Disabilities placements. As a bachelor's degree in multiple disabilities special education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as special education teachers in Indiana.

Manhattan University's Dual Childhood and Students with Disabilities degree folds two New York State initial certifications, one in childhood education and one in special education for grades 1 to 6, into a single four-year path. Taught in the Education department of the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences, the 127-credit program expects candidates to build depth in a subject too, requiring a concentration of 30 or more credits in one of eight areas. Classroom preparation moves from field placements in the EDUC 355 and 356 sequence toward full student teaching in EDUC 402, rounded out by the state teacher exams and mandated workshops. The teacher preparation earned AAQEP accreditation in June 2022, and the program is delivered on campus. Graduates of this multiple disabilities special education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as special education teachers.

Ashland University's Intervention Specialist Bachelor of Science in Education is built for students who want to teach learners with disabilities across the K-12 span, and it offers real flexibility in scope. Through the Department of Inclusive Services and Exceptional Learners, candidates can pursue single or dual licensure spanning mild-to-moderate and moderate-to-intensive needs, including students who require alternative assessments, largely within the same 121-credit coursework. Field experience starts as early as the freshman year and runs through a dedicated Intervention Specialist course before culminating in a fourth-year internship, so classroom practice grows steadily rather than arriving all at once. Faculty advisors are themselves trained, licensed, and experienced intervention specialists, giving students mentors who have done the work. Approval from Ohio's Office of Special Education and national recognition from the Council for Exceptional Children affirm the program's standing. This bachelor's-level multiple disabilities special education program prepares graduates for work as special education teachers in Ohio.

Missouri Baptist University's Special Education major in Cross-Categorical Disabilities, Mild to Moderate, prepares candidates to support K-12 students with a wide range of learning needs. Offered through the School of Teacher Education, it is unusually adaptable, available as a BS, BA, or BSE and workable either on its own or combined with early childhood, elementary, or early childhood and elementary education for teachers who want a broader reach. The path to certification is clearly staged, with a Professional Development Folio completed the semester before student teaching, the content assessments required for each certification area, and a summative evaluation through the Missouri Educator Evaluation System. Students can study in online or traditional formats, and a post-baccalaureate certification option opens the door to those who already hold a degree. Graduates of this multiple disabilities special education program at the bachelor's level often go on to work as special education teachers.

Wright State University's Bachelor of Science in Education prepares candidates for the Ohio Intervention Specialist Mild/Moderate license, qualifying them to support K-12 students with a range of learning needs. To keep those teachers strong in academic content as well as intervention, the program has them choose two concentrations from subjects such as language arts, mathematics, and science. What really sets it apart is the depth of practice: the cohort begins in junior year and logs 575 field-experience hours, far beyond the state minimum, spread across at least three semesters and capped by a year-long student teaching internship with a single mentor teacher. Candidates also complete Youth Mental Health First Aid training. Housed in the Teacher Education Department, the program is CAEP accredited and reports a 97% licensure exam pass rate over five years. Earning a bachelor's degree in multiple disabilities special education is a common route toward becoming one of Ohio's special education teachers.

Upper Iowa University's Bachelor of Arts in Special Education prepares students for the Instructional Strategist BD/LD/ID endorsement, a K-12 cross-categorical credential covering behavior disorders, learning disabilities, and intellectual disabilities. Offered through Teacher Education, the program is delivered online with face-to-face options at the Fayette campus and requires student teaching in a face-to-face classroom placement. It is approved by the Iowa State Board of Educational Examiners and designed to meet Iowa teaching-licensure requirements. UIU states that over 90% of its undergraduate teacher-education programs are available online. As a bachelor's degree in multiple disabilities special education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as special education teachers in Iowa.