Special Education: Childhood (Grades 1-6), M.S. Ed.

Admission Requirements

1. All students applying for admission to degree status are required to: Submit a completed application and the non-refundable fee.
2. Submit a copy of a NYS initial teaching certificate in Childhood Education. (Teaching certificates from other states are considered.)
3. Submit an official transcript of an earned Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college.
4. Have achieved an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 overall and 3.0 in the major field during the last two years of undergraduate work.
5. Submit GRE scores or an equivalent test score.
6. Submit an essay reflecting on your student teaching and/or teaching experiences with students with special needs and identify one area of special needs that you would like to learn more about. Describe some of the issues you would discuss with a parent/guardian. Also describe two teaching adaptations that you might make for a child with special needs. Include references to at least five professional articles or books.
7. Submit three letters of reference.
8. Complete a personal interview.
9. Decisions on admission to the program are based on all of the above plus the admissions committee’s judgment about the applicant’s potential for success in the profession.

Admission is competitive and meeting the minimum admission criteria does not guarantee acceptance. Applications are reviewed upon receipt by the department chair and his/her designees. Applications are due March 1 for the following fall admission.

Dignity for All Students Act

The Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) requires that all public school employees complete 6 hours of training/coursework that addresses harassment, bullying, and discrimination prevention and intervention. Students in this program are responsible for demonstrating that they have satisfied this requirement. For students who have not completed this training during their undergraduate program, the College provides workshops to satisfy this requirement.