Childhood 1-6/Special Education All Grades (MSEd)

Department Chair:  Marya Grande, PhD and Kelly Harper, PhD

The Special Education Master of Science Degree Program at Canisius is designed for those dedicated to meet the needs of students with disabilities, placing a strong emphasis on theory, research and practicum experience.  The curriculum enables candidates to develop an understanding of etiology, related psychological and social factors and techniques proven effective for teaching students with diverse learning needs.  

This program results in initial New York State Certification in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) and Teaching Students with Disabilities (All Grades - PreK-12).

Grade Requirements

Graduate students enrolled in initial certification programs must achieve a C or above in all course requirements and a B- or above in all graduate program coursework. Failure to meet these requirements will require repeating the course &/or completing additional coursework.

Licensure Disclosure

Canisius University cannot determine whether completion of this program would be sufficient to meet licensure requirements outside of New York State for the intended occupation. We advise you to contact your state licensing board or appropriate licensing entity to determine whether the program meets requirements for Professional Licensure in the state where you are located or the state in which you intend to pursue licensure. Please contact the associate dean of your school if you have further questions.

Residency Program

This program may be completed through a traditional or residency pathway. Both pathways include scaffolded field experiences, but the traditional pathway culminates in two, seven-week student teaching placements while a full year paid residency is the culminating experience for the residency pathway.

Curriculum

Program Requirements

Candidates need to have met these requirements to apply for the All Grades certification.  These courses may be done before or concurrently with the program. Only courses with grades of C or better will count for this requirement.

1. English - 6 credit hours
2. Math - 6 credit hours
3. Science - 6 credit hours
4. Social Studies - 6 credit hours
 

Early Childhood

Candidates wishing to extend their certification to include Birth to Grade 2 should consult their academic adviser for options.

Middle Childhood

Candidates wishing to obtain an extension to teach grades 7-9 (thus enabling candidates to teach in their 30 credit subject area only) must add a middle childhood extension. Consult your advisor to determine if this is possible based on an undergraduate degree audit.

Roadmap

This roadmap is for candidates that want to complete the program as quickly as possible. Students should speak to their faculty advisor if they would like to go part-time because they can also go through the program by taking fewer courses by semester.