Childhood Special Education: Behavior Disorders for NYS Certified Teachers
This program is no longer accepting new applications after Spring 2025. Candidates can now apply for the All Grades Special Education (PreK-12) MSEd program.
Program Overview
This graduate program will prepare you to be an effective teacher of students with special needs. The Behavior Disorders Specialization within Childhood Special Education will allow you to focus not only classroom management, but will also provide you with the tools to work specifically with elementary school students who have emotional behavior disorders, learning disabilities and speech and language disorders. Graduates of this program go on to teach in a variety of educational settings, including inclusive settings or self-contained settings in public, charter, private or parochial schools, as well as hospitals and clinics.
Coursework and Clinical Experiences
Courses are offered in the afternoon and evening. Some courses may be available in an online or hybrid format. Select courses have required hours of classroom experience (fieldwork) in a New York City public school. Students also participate in supervised teaching (student teaching and/or practicum) as the culmination of their course of study. Student teaching and/or practicum requires five full days per week for at least one semester.
Credits
39
Certification
Single Certification in Students with Disabilities (Grades 1 to 6)
Eligibility and Admission Requirements
This program is designed for applicants who hold NYS certification in Childhood Education or PreK-6
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.0;
or
A master’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.5 - NYS initial or professional certification in Childhood Education Grades 1-6 or PreK-grade 6. Those holding permanent certification must either show proof that they have satisfied the New York State requirements regarding wellness, child abuse, drug abuse, fire safety, and violence prevention or take HED 71500, a one-credit course covering these topics.
- Two letters of recommendation
- A statement of purpose
- An official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score report (Waived for Spring 2025 applicants)