About the Program

Special Education is one of the programs that have been newly developed in the College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences at Al Ain University to become an independent program in the college. This Bachelor’s Degree Program was developed upon a request from Abu Dhabi Department of Education & Knowledge(ADEK) and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. This reflects the needs for this specialty in the UAE as it is also needed in the Arab world as a whole. However, this program aims to train teachers to teach students with special needs in regular classrooms, resource rooms, or in special education classes. 

Vision

The special Education Program at Al Ain University is aspiring to be a pioneering program in preparation of special education teachers who will be committed to meet the educational needs of all students with special educational needs. It also aspires to prepare special education professionals who strive to improve the quality of life of individuals with special needs.

Mission

The Special Education Program seeks to prepare candidates and qualify them to be special education teachers who are able to develop the services of this field by focusing on the principles and philosophy of inclusive education and integrating special education and regular education services under one roof and teaching all students regardless their abilities and needs in the same classroom, using various teaching modifications and adaptations to meet the educational needs of all students in class.

Program Goals

1. Clarify the relationship between disability, development and learning and make use of this relationship in providing teaching experiences that are challenging to individuals with disabilities.
2. Create safe and comprehensive teaching and learning environments that respond to cultural diversity, and make individuals with special needs active and effective learners characterized by positive social and emotional maturation.
3. Employ the knowledge of regular and special education curricula for individualizing teaching process to students with special needs.
4. Use multiple assessment methods and a variety of data sources in making educational decisions.
5. Adapt and modify instructional strategies to fit the characteristics and capabilities of students with special needs to enhance their learning process.
6. Employ knowledge, skills and ethical and professional principles in teaching students with special needs.
7. Collaborate and communicate with families, educators and service providers for the benefit of individuals with special needs.
8. Develop the relationship between individuals with special needs and the various institutions in the community in a manner that is culturally responsive to meet their needs across a range of teaching and learning experiences.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

Job Opportunities 

• Teacher in regular classes, resource rooms, or in special education classes to help students with special needs learn. 

• UAE Secondary School Certificate (Science/Advance, Or General, Or Elite) or its equivalent approved by the UAE Ministry of Education, with a minimum average of 60%.
• Students who have obtained a Secondary School Certificate with (less than 60%) may be accepted, provided they enroll in (3) remedial courses for one semester from outside the program curriculum, which will not be counted in the cumulative GPA. The selection of these courses is based on the specialization and relevant grades in high school and includes subjects such as; (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Arabic Language, and English Language).

To obtain a Bachelor degree in Special Education, a student must successfully complete 126 credit hours, with a minimum (CGPA) of 2 out of 4.

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Director of Special Education program

College of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences 
Al Ain University

P.O.Box: 64141
Al Ain - UAE

Phone No: +971 3 7024888
Fax No: +971 3 7024777

E-mail(Al Ain): Special.Education@aau.ac.ae
E-mail(Abu Dhabi): Special.Education_ad@aau.ac.ae