Childhood Special Education (M.S.T., on campus and online)
45 credits
NYSED 25433/25443
The master’s degree program in childhood special education is an integrated dual-certificate program, and leads to endorsement for New York state teacher certification as a childhood teacher (grade 1-6) and as a teacher of children with disabilities in childhood education.
The program includes coursework in child development, instructional practices for children in regular and special-education settings, and professional studies. The field experiences are coordinated with courses to help candidates understand and apply theory in effective practice. Student-teaching experience is gained in both regular and special-education settings. This program is nationally recognized by the Council for Exceptional Children.
CIP Code
13.1017 - Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs.
You can use the CIP code to learn more about career paths associated with this field of study and, for international students, possible post-graduation visa extensions. Learn more about CIP codes and other information resources.
Applicants to all childhood programs must meet the general requirements for admission to the Graduate School of Education and the requirements for admission to initial teacher education programs.
In addition, applicants for any of the childhood programs must have the following:
- An undergraduate degree from an accredited university in one of the liberal arts or sciences. For example, English, American, or comparative literature; mathematics; an area of science; modern languages; media studies; women’s studies; political science; computer science; information science; communications; history; sociology; anthropology; economics; the arts; or psychology.
- College-level study in the following general education core areas: artistic expression, concepts in history and social sciences, a language other than English, scientific processes, mathematical processes, written analysis and expression, and communication
In addition, candidates for the bilingual extension must provide evidence of their competence in a language other than English by fulfilling one of the following three options:
- Taking and obtaining a passing score on the ACTFL Language Test (oral and written) in the target language;
- Documentation in transcripts of having completed undergraduate studies in the target language; or
- Agreeing to complete successfully two courses in the target language
Program of Study
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| UEGE 5102 | Historical, Philosophical, and Multicultural Foundations of American Education | 3 |
| PSGE 5316 | Psychology of Child Development and Learning | 3 |
| One of the following two options | 3 | |
For online students: | ||
| Children's Literature in a Multicultural Society | ||
For on-campus students: | ||
| Teaching and Assessing Mathematics in Elementary Classrooms | ||
| One of the following two options | 3 | |
For online students: | ||
| Teaching Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Children | ||
For on-campus students: | ||
| Educating Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners: Pre K-12 | ||
| CTGE 5534 | Beginning Reading and Writing in Inclusive Classrooms | 3 |
| CTGE 5548 | Literacy Across the Curriculum in Inclusive Classrooms | 3 |
| CTGE 5227 | Teaching Mathematics to Children | 3 |
| CTGE 5242 | Teaching Science and Technology to Children | 3 |
| CTGE 5212 | Teaching the Arts in Childhood Education | 1 |
| CTGE 5065 | Integrating Technology Into Elementary Education | 1 |
| CTGE 5066 | Teaching Social Studies to Children | 3 |
| CTGE 5155 | Special Education Foundations: Past, Present, Future | 3 |
| CTGE 5159 | Assessment of All Children With Disabilities | 3 |
| CTGE 5161 | Differentiating Instruction for All Students | 3 |
| PSGE 6324 | Environments for Managing Challenging Behaviors | 3 |
| CTGE 5551 | Reflective Practice and Field Experience I in an Inclusive Childhood Classroom | 1 |
| CTGE 5552 | Reflective Practice and Field Experience II in an Inclusive Childhood Classroom | 1 |
| CTGE 5553 | Reflective Practice and Student Teaching I in an Inclusive Childhood Classroom | 1 |
| CTGE 5554 | Reflective Practice and Student Teaching II in an Inclusive Childhood Classroom | 1 |
| CTGE 0718 | Childhood Special Education Portfolio | 0 |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
Required Workshops
The workshops listed below are required of all Initial Teaching (M.S.T.) programs as well as certain other programs related to NY state licensure.
- Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Workshop (EDGE 0210)
- Dignity for All Students Training (EDGE 0260)
- Drug, Alcohol, and Tobacco Training (EDGE 0220)
- Schools Against Violence Education Workshop (EDGE 0230)
In addition to the workshops listed above, the following workshops are also required of students in this M.S.T. program:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDGE 0250 | Health and Physical Education Training | 0 |
| EDGE 0270 | Autism Training Module | 0 |