Teaching and Leadership
Preparing Teachers
Master of Science Degree in Inclusive Special Education: Severe / Multiple Disabilities
- a program designed for those who have previously met the requirements for one of the New York State Initial Certificates for teaching Students with Disabilities (Birth – grade 2; 1-6; 5-9; or 7-12 academic subjects), and wish to meet requirements for the New York State annotation in Severe Disabilities, while earning a master’s degree;
- a 31-credit hour program offering students cutting-edge ideas in courses taught by faculty specialists;
- special emphasis on working in inclusive classrooms; serving diverse student populations, using technology including assistive technology, and teachers as researchers of professional practice and builders of practical theory;
- a carefully chosen sequence of courses – most offered in the late afternoon or summer - that may be completed full time in 12-16 months for those beginning in the summer or fall, or on a part-time basis;
- study at a research university with a long-standing reputation as a leader in the field of special education.
Admission to the program:
Program prerequisites:
- Bachelor's Degree
- New York State initial certification in Students with Disabilities (Birth-2, 1-6, 5-9, or 7-12), Those with New York provisional certification in special education, or certification from another state, or those who are in their last semester of completing a New York initial certification program should apply for New York State Students with Disabilities certification before beginning this master’s program.
Admission is competitive, with decisions based on grade point average, recommendations, experience in the field, and the candidate's stated goals. A 3.0 undergraduate average is required, with exceptions considered on a case by case basis. An interview is required; a telephone option is available for those not in Central New York. There are no examinations (e.g., GRE) required for admission.
New York State Teacher Certification Information
In addition to qualifying for the annotation in Severe and Multiple Disabilities, students also may use this master’s degree to meet academic requirements for the next level (“professional”) NYS certificate of their initial certificates. Students apply for the annotation in Severe and Multiple Disabilities through New York State’s Approved Program pathway to certification, i.e., with Syracuse University’s verification of completion of this approved program. Applications for other New York State professional certificates are made by the student directly to the State Education Department through the Certificate Progression Pathway. Some teaching experience is required before the professional certificate is actually awarded. No additional NY State Teacher Examinations are required for the annotation in Severe and Multiple Disabilities.
Education Career Services
The Education Career Services Office assists students through job vacancy listings, information sessions, maintaining credential files and employment resource materials, and co-sponsoring a teacher recruitment fair. Fees are charged for some services.
Applying to this master’s degree program:
Applications for admission are submitted electronically through: https://apply.embark.com/grad/syracuse/
The Syracuse University Graduate Enrollment Management Center sends materials to the program once all required information has been received. Applications are considered on a rolling basis, for either Summer, Fall or Spring admission, although some financial aid awards require specific deadlines. Applicants with questions about the application process should contact the program coordinator, or the School of Education’s Graduate Admissions Recruiters, Liza Rochelson at 315-443-2505, or through gradrcrt@syr.edu.
Financial Aid
- Financial aid programs available to United States citizens are based on financial need.
- Graduate awards administered by Syracuse University and School of Education Scholarships are merit-based and competitive, and have specific admission and scholarship application deadlines of February 1.
- Limited graduate assistantships may be available to full-time students, depending on whether or not the qualifications of the applicant match the needs of the assistantship. Students may also investigate graduate assistantships that may be available outside the School of Education. Assistantships are awarded in the spring for the following year, and typically require an admission application by February 1.
- The Professional Preparation for High Needs Fields Graduate Student Scholarship, offers a 33% tuition discount to students in this program who are either studying full time; or are employees of the Syracuse City School District and are studying part time.
Most financial aid options require a separate application or contact (i.e., checking the “interested in aid?” box on the admissions application is not sufficient to initiate consideration for specialized awards).
For general information about financial aid programs, and applications for student loans and Federal Work-Study for graduate students, consult the Financial Aid Office at 443-1513, or http://gradsch.syr.edu/student/financial.htm. To determine eligibility for Federal Stafford Loans and/or Federal Work-Study, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at http://fafsa.ed.gov.For information about the School of Education’s own scholarships and awards and the appropriate application forms, consult http://soe.syr.edu/admissions/graduate/scholarships.cfm.
| Program requirements: | ||
Core courses: |
3 | |
| SPE 609 | Teaching Children and Adolescents with Autism | 3 |
| SPE 618 | Augmentation of Communication in the Inclusive Classroom | 3 |
| SPE 623 | Families of Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| SPE 634 | Collaboration/Cooperation in Schools | 3 |
| SPE 644 | Significant Disabilities/Shifts in Paradigms and Practices | 3 |
| SPE 649 | Practicum in Significant Disabilities | 1 |
| SPE 705 | Practicum in Psychoeducational Evaluation and Planning for Exceptional Children | 3 |
| (early childhood or school-aged section) | 3 | |
| SPE 653 | Positive Approaches to Challenging Behaviors; or EDU 664 Creating Safe and Peaceful Schools | 3 |
Research related course |
3 | |
| EDU/HED 616 | Understanding Educational Research | |
| EDU 603 | Introduction to Qualitative Research, or other course by advisement. | |
Elective courses (two required) by advisement. |
6 | |
| Examples include: | ||
| CFE 614 | Critical Issues in Disability and Inclusion | |
| CFE 688 | Social Policy and Disability | |
| COU 723 | Psychological, Social, and Cultural Aspects of Disability | |
| COU 687 | Technology Applications in Rehabilitation | |
| EDU 655 | Educational Tests and Measurements | |
| LAW 763 | Disability Law | |
| RED 600 | Literacy, Disability, and Inclusion | |
| RED 626/SPE 627 | Early Intervention for Children’s Reading Problems | |
| SPE 613 | Developmental Therapy for Children with Disabilities | |
| SPE 633 | The High Risk Infant: Medical Treatment & Educational Interventions | |
| SPE 713 | Facilitated Communication | |
Total credits |
31 | |
Course descriptions can be found in the graduate catalog, which is available on line at: http://coursecatalog.syr.edu/Default.aspx
Capstone Project
The required Capstone Project for this program is completed in conjunction with or following the research methods course. The project will involve data collection and the preparation of a research paper of publishable quality that focuses on individuals with severe disabilities, specific to one of three age groups (i.e., Early Childhood, Childhood, or Adolescence), addressing one of the three major proficiency areas in working with students with severe to profound disabilities:
- Content knowledge
- Inclusive and culturally responsive pedagogy
- Assessment of student learning
The research paper, along with data collected over the course of a semester, would subsequently be presented as the Exit Portfolio in satisfying final requirements for the program.