Vanguard University Launches New Special Education Teaching Credential Program

COSTA MESA, Calif. — Vanguard University (VU) will begin offering an Education Specialist Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) teaching credential program beginning in fall 2025. Offered in both a traditional post-baccalaureate student teaching pathway over three semesters, and an integrated undergraduate pathway through the liberal studies program, students can complete their bachelor’s degree and their teaching credential in four years.

The program maximizes flexibility for candidates with eight-week courses offered during the evenings online with in-person options. In all, candidates will complete 39 units of coursework and fieldwork and will be prepared to teach, assess, and support students with mild/moderate support needs in transitional kindergarten, grades K-12, and students up to age 22.

Addressing the need for special education positions in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, the MMSN Credential Program is led by Joanne Van Boxtel, Ph.D., faculty director for Special Education and associate professor at Vanguard University. She has more than 14 years of experience with the Long Beach Unified School District, serving as the district’s special education curriculum leader and professional development specialist and has more than a decade of experience in higher education teacher preparation.

“I am excited to be preparing future special education teachers with evidence-based knowledge combined with practice-based skills and an inclusive mindset,” said Van Boxtel. “Our next generation of teachers will raise learning expectations for students with disabilities, while serving the students and their families with compassion and expertise.”

With an estimated 2,000 teachers needed across Southern California in 2025 and the deepening shortage and lack of adequate special education teachers, according to EdSource, new graduates can expect a welcoming job market and an open path to a rewarding career in education. The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing awarded VU a $249,032 grant for special education, addressing a major need within Orange County’s higher education landscape and enabling expansion of VU’s liberal studies program to offer integrated teacher education programs as education specialists.

“Teaching can be one of the most rewarding professions, requiring expertise and creativity as well as extraordinary patience, empathy, and resilience to help unlock potential where others may see limitations,” said Jeff Hittenberger, dean of Education, Vanguard University. “We are deeply honored to offer this credential program, which will equip our students to bring love and wisdom to their work with every student and contribute meaningfully to the future of inclusive education.”

According to recent data, 70% of public schools in the U.S. report a shortage of special education teachers with reasons attributed to the demanding nature of the job, high teacher burnout rates due to inadequate support systems and a lack of qualified candidates entering the field. Vanguard’s MMSN Credential Program coursework combines the latest science and theories of teaching with hands-on, in-the-classroom practice and aligns with the program themes of ABIDE which includes 22 evidence-based practices developed by the Council of Exceptional Children:
A = Assessment- data-driven approaches
B = Behavior – social and emotional needs
I = Inclusion – collaboration and coteaching with general education teachers
D = Diversity – value culture and family experience
E = Effective and universally designed, research-based instruction

For more than 50 years, Vanguard University has built a strong reputation for providing effective teacher education programs, and demand for its graduate education credential offerings has grown consistently. In the four years since VU launched its Integrated Teacher Education Programs in early childhood education, elementary education, and secondary education in the content areas of English, STEM, and Social Science, enrollment in the accelerated program has tripled in size. Now, with the addition of the special education credential, the university anticipates a similar demand. Interested applicants can learn more and apply by clicking here.