Program Overview:
Professional Special Education is designed for students with initial Special Education certification who are seeking to deepen their knowledge of special education content by completing a Master’s Degree in Special Education. Candidates have the opportunity to work with their advisors to define their program around a specialized area of interest that may include working with children and youth in any of the following areas of concentration:
- Behavioral and social-emotional challenges,
- high incidence disabilities,
- autism spectrum disorders,
- low incidence disabilities,
- early childhood special needs, and
- inclusive education roles and responsibilities.
The combination of electives and required courses in the areas of assessment, technology, collaborative roles in education and specialized interests will provide candidates with an 18-credit area of concentrated study. This area of concentrated study will also determine the focus of the candidate’s final research project in EPY 540 or SED 590 or SED 599. A minimum of 15 of the 30 credits within the program must be completed in the area of Special Education.
Candidates must meet the New York State Education Department requirements for 12-credits of study in content areas related to the disciplines of math, science, technology, social studies and English language arts. The courses that meet the requirements for the concentrated area of study may simultaneously meet the content area requirements. These requirements should be discussed with an advisor early in the program.
Candidates in professional programs are required to have field experience hours documented in working with families, working in Special Education, teaching English Language Learners, and working in schools that are high needs. These requirements should be discussed with an advisor upon entering the program and documentation will be required prior to graduation. Fingerprinting clearance from The New York State Department of Education is required prior to doing any field experiences. Fingerprinting information/processing is available at the New York State Department of Education “TEACH” website.
Program Contacts:
To email the chairperson of Special Education,
Dr. Theresa Ward, Special Education
Program Webpage,
Special Education Professional M.S.E.D.
Program Requirements:
a. Educational Research (6-9 Credits)
| SED 506 | Foundations, Issues and Research in Special Education | 3 |
| SED 590 | Research Seminar in Special Education | 3 |
| | or | |
| EPY 540 | Introduction to Program Evaluation | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 599 | Thesis in Special Education | 3 or 6 |
EPY 540: fall
Thesis may increase the total credit hours for the program from 30 to 33. Candidates may register for 3 credits of Thesis to stay at 30 credits.
b. Special Education Assessment Course Work (3 Credits)
| SED 566 | Assessment for Content Instruction and Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 568 | Assessment and Instructional Practices for Students with Moderate/Severe Disabilities | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 550 | Developmental Assessment of Young Children | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 549 | Assessing and Teaching Young Children with Significant Disabilities | 3 |
c. Technology Course Work related to Disabilities (3 Credits)
| CSD 548 | AAC & Clinical Applications of Technology | 3 |
| | or | |
| TED 503 | Assistive Technology: Integrating Technology for Students with Special Needs | 3 |
e. Specialized Areas of Study (6 Credits)
| LRC 525 | Theories and Teaching of Writing | 3 |
| SED 518 | Methods in Math, Science, and Technology for Diverse Learners K-8 | 3 |
| SED 519 | Instructional Practices for Diverse Learners: English and Social Studies | 3 |
| SED 522 | Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| SED 529 | Transition Assessment and Planning for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| SED 530 | Instructional Practices for Students with Learning Disabilities | 3 |
| SED 544 | Social Interventions for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| SED 554 | Universal Curriculum Design | 3 |
| SED 555 | Assessment and Teaching of Young Children at Risk for Social-Emotional and Behavioral Disorders | 3 |
| SED 556 | Curriculum and Instructional Procedures for Teaching English/Language Arts to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities | 3 |
| SED 567 | Teaching Student with Emotional/Behavioral Problems | 3 |
| SED 580 | Topics in Special Education | 3 |
| CSD 524 | Lang Disorders: Infants/Preschoolers/People with Developmental Disabilities 3 | 3 |
| LRC 525 | Theories and Teaching of Writing | 3 |
Other courses may be considered if the course is appropriate to the area of interest declared by the student and receives advisor approval.
f. Advisor-Approved Literacy Course Work (6 Credits)
Note: These literacy courses are in addition to literacy courses that may be chosen from category e.
g. Additional Requirements (0 Credits)
| EDU 602 | Violence Prevention | 0 |
| EDU 603 | Child Abuse Prevention | 0 |
| EDU 606 | HIV/Aids and Communicable Diseases Workshop | 0 |
| EPY 637 | Substance Abuse Workshop | 0 |
Additional requirements are waived for candidates who met this requirement as part of their provisional elementary education or initial childhood education certification requirements
Internship/Field Experience/Service:
Internship Opportunity in Special Education
A full-year paid internship opportunity is available to those applicants who possess provisional or initial certification in early childhood (birth-grade 2), childhood (grades 1-6), or adolescence (grades 7-12), and are enrolled in a Special Education graduate program at The College of Saint Rose. Interns are placed in inclusive classrooms for the district school year under the supervision of special education teachers. Interested applicants should contact the Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions office for the internship application. Interns must complete a minimum of 18 credits of their required course work prior to beginning their internship placements. Internship placements begin in September of each school year. An interview may be required with the internship coordinator.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Required Course:
| SED 590 | Research Seminar in Special Education | 3 |
| | or | |
| EPY 540 | Introduction to Program Evaluation | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 599 | Thesis in Special Education | 3 or 6 |
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs are fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The specialized accrediting agencies noted below are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
General Admission Information
Eligibility for admission to The College of Saint Rose graduate programs is typically based upon the following minimum requirements:
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Submission of a completed application and a Statement of Purpose of approximately 300 words detailing the applicant’s goals for graduate study.
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Evidence of the possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution through submission of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
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Academic and professional qualifications for graduate study, as indicated by two letters of recommendation.
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A grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), overall and in the undergraduate major.
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Other admission criteria specified by academic programs such as submission of resumes, writing samples, portfolios, test scores, and participation in interviews or admissions workshops.
Applicants to The College of Saint Rose are responsible for completing their applications by submitting all required components. Prospective students may wish to visit our website for online application options and downloadable forms.
See Graduate Admissions section for more information.
Financial Aid
The College of Saint Rose has long been committed to the premise that a quality education should be within the reach of qualified students. To this end, the College serves its student body through a comprehensive program of federal, state, and institutional financial aid. While the basic responsibility for financing education lies with the students and their families, scholarships, loans, and/or assistantships can supplement insufficient family resources. The amount of aid available through the College is limited and is awarded on the basis of academic merit. All financial assistance from the College is subject to adjustment if the recipients are later granted aid from other sources. Financial aid awards are contingent upon students’ maintaining good academic standing and satisfactory academic progress.
See Financial Aid section for more information.
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