Program Overview:
Professional Special Education is a 30 credit program 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,
- Adolescence special needs,
- 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. Students wishing to pursue NYSED certification in Literacy (24 credit program) should enroll simultaneously in the Special Education program and the Literacy program so that literacy courses are counted towards both programs. Consult the Graduate Catalog for more information on Certification in Literacy, an Extension in Bilingual Education and Grade Level Extensions for 5-6 or 7-9.
Program Contacts:
Dr. Frances Ihle
Literacy & Special Education Department Co-Chair
Email: ihlef@strose.edu
Program Webpage:
Special Education Professional M.S.E.D.
Program Requirements:
a. Educational Research (6-9 Credits)
| SED 506 | Found/Issues/Resrch in Spec Ed | 3 |
| SED 590 | Res Seminar Sp Ed | 3 |
| | or | |
| | 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)
| SIE 566 | Assess Content Instruc & Indiv | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 568 | Assess/Intruction Practices | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 550 | Dev Asses Young Child | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 549 | Assess & Tch Yng Chld w/Disabi | 3 |
c. Technology Course Work related to Disabilities (3 Credits)
e. Specialized Areas of Study (6 Credits)
| LRC 525 | Theories/Tchg Writing | 3 |
| SED 518 | Child Methods in Math,Sci,Tech | 3 |
| SED 519 | Inst Prac Divers Learn Eng Soc | 3 |
| SED 522 | Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| SED 529 | Transition Asses Pln Std w/Dis | 3 |
| SED 530 | Inst Pract Diverse Learn; MST | 3 |
| SED 544 | Soc Interv Autism Spec Disor | 3 |
| SED 567 | AdvThry/Prac Tch Childw/EBD | 3 |
| SED 580 | Topics in Special Education | 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)
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 special education 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. 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 | Res Seminar Sp Ed | 3 |
| | or | |
| | or | |
| SED 599 | Thesis in Special Education | 3 or 6 |
Graduate students in the Professional Special Education program will meet the requirements for the degree by completing all course work at the satisfactory level (minimum of B grade). As part of the final evaluation, students will conduct and present an action research project that satisfactorily demonstrates the integration of course work and best practices. This research project is completed as part of the course requirements for SED 590 Research Seminar in Special Education or EPY 540 Program Evaluation.
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 and the Council for the Accreditation Educator Preparation (CAEP).
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:
- Submission of a completed application, a resume, and Statement of Purpose of approximately 300 words detailing the applicant’s goals for graduate study.
- Evidence of the possession of a U.S. baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution through submission of official transcripts from all post-secondary education.
- Academic and professional qualifications for graduate study, as indicated by two letters of recommendation. The Communication Sciences & Disorders and School Psychology programs requirethree letters of recommendation.
- A grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), overall and in the undergraduate major.
- Other admission criteria specified by academic programs such as submission 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 can access the online application and application instructions at www.strose.edu/gradapply.
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.
Additional Admission Requirements for Professional Special Education:
- Certification requirement: Initial certification in teaching students with disabilities. A copy of the initial certification or certificate of qualification must be included with the application.
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