Early Childhood Special Education (M.S.T., on campus and online)
45 credits
NYSED 25485/25488
The master's degree program in early childhood/early childhood special education is an integrated, dual-certificate program that leads to endorsement for New York State teacher certification as an early childhood teacher and as a teacher of children with disabilities in early childhood education (birth–grade two). This program offers coursework in child development, curriculum and assessment, children's literature, teaching exceptional children, frameworks for educating young children including reading and writing, play, culturally and linguistically diverse learners, multi-language learners, observing and document children's learning, and effective instructional practices for young children, current issues and trends, and field experiences for student teaching. This program provides a beginning teacher with the knowledge and skills needed to be a highly effective early childhood teacher. Student teaching experience is required in regular and special education settings over two semesters. This program is approved by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and NAEYC (National Association for Education of Young Children).
CIP Code
13.1015 - Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood 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 early 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 early childhood programs must have
- an undergraduate degree 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 and mathematical processes, written analysis, and expression and communication.
- at least one college-level course in English or American literature as a foundation for the use of literature in teaching emergent literacy and reading in childhood education.1
- 1
These courses may be part of or in addition to a liberal arts major/concentration.
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 |
| CTGE 5245 | Children's Literature in a Multicultural Society | 3 |
| CTGE 5534 | Beginning Reading and Writing in Inclusive Classrooms | 3 |
| 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 5230 | Framework for Education for All Young Children | 3 |
| CTGE 5232 | Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment | 3 |
| CTGE 5233 | Early Learning Through Play | 3 |
| CTGE 5234 | Family, Community, and All Young Children | 3 |
| CTGE 5850 | Observing and Documenting Children's Learning: Reflective and Effective Early Childhood Practices | 3 |
| CTGE 5411 | Perspectives and Issues in Early Childhood Special Education | 3 |
| PSGE 5301 | Psychological Factors in Young Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| or CTGE 5155 | Special Education Foundations: Past, Present, Future | |
| CTGE 5157 | Assessment Strategies for Young Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| CTGE 5421 | Planning Instruction for Young Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| CTGE 5200 | Field Experience Seminar: Issues in Reflective Practice 1, 2 | 0 |
| CTGE 5201 | Student Teaching Seminar: Issues in Reflective Practice 1 | 3 |
| CTGE 0707 | Early Childhood Education Portfolio 2 | 0 |
| Total Credits | 45 | |
- 1
Student teaching required
- 2
There is a fee associated with this course.
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 workshop is also required of students in this M.S.T. program:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDGE 0270 | Autism Training Module | 0 |