Empire State University’s Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)  Special Education (All Grades) program is a 45-credit, Residency or Transitional B certification program available in New York State. The program’s philosophy and subsequent courses are based on an inclusive model that prepares teacher candidates for collaboration and co-teaching in the inclusion classroom. Completion of the program (and passing the appropriate certification exams) leads to Students with Disabilities (All Grades) Generalist Initial and Professional Certification.

Program Delivery and Tuition Rate

Curriculum delivery is blended using multiple delivery formats including online, synchronous sessions, webinars and other technologies. It is billed at the non-MBA rate.

Mandatory Professional Licensure Disclosure

New York State takes pride in the high quality of its licensed and certified professionals.  For the protection of its citizens, each license and certificate has requirements that individuals must meet in order to be licensed or certified in New York State.  SUNY’s academic programs leading to licensure or certification are carefully designed to meet and exceed these State requirements. This is a role SUNY plays in protecting the public.  Other states frequently have their own requirements, so if your goal is to practice in another state, this disclosure will help you check to see what that state requires.  The full details regarding this disclosure related to the applicable SUNY Empire degree programs may be found here. 

Admission

Admission to this program is selective. This program enrolls new students in the fall term only. A candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.

An ideal candidate will:

• possess 24 credits in the liberal arts and sciences distribution (6 credits in Math, Science, Social Studies and English); and
• have a cumulative GPA of 3.0, or the equivalent.

An applicant who meets all other admissions requirements and has no more than 6 credits of content area course deficiencies may be admitted to the program. The student must make up the deficiencies by the end of the second term in the program.

Application

Please see the Graduate Admissions pages of this catalog for a complete listing of materials required to complete a graduate application.

Program Curriculum

Three pathways to certification are available to students in the M.A.T. in Special Education (All Grades) program:

• Transitional B 
• Clinically-Rich Residency 
• Classroom Academy Residency

The pathways offer an assortment of enrollment sequences. The enrollment sequence chosen will depend on the required clinical coursework that aligns with a student's chosen track. Regardless of the track chosen, all sequence types contain the same first-year coursework.

Please Note: The clinical supervision courses (i.e., Mentored Teaching or Residency courses) in both tracks must be completed with a B or better. If the course grade results in less than a B, students may repeat the course in accordance with the Graduate Evaluation and Grading Policy found in the Policies and Procedures section of this catalog.

Transitional B certification is a full New York State teaching certification that allows qualified students to seek employment as teachers of record after just one year in the program.  First-year requirements include successful completion of:

• 18 credits of introductory Special Education coursework
• 50 hours of field experience in New York State schools
• Appropriate New York State Certification Exams
• Child Abuse, School Violence, Autism, & DASA training
• any liberal arts and sciences course deficiencies identified at admission

During the second and third years of the Transitional B certification pathway, students may continue their coursework while working as a full or part-time 1-6 special education teacher in a New York State school². In this setting, students will be mentored by faculty members and networked with other Transitional B certification teachers across the state. The program culminates in the Mentored Teaching Capstone course. In addition to completing the 45-credit program, students must pass the Students with Disabilities CST Exam in order to qualify for Initial certification.

Suggested Enrollment Sequence

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credits
SPED 6005	Introduction to History of Special Education Law 1	3
SPED 6010	Child and Adolescent Development 1	3
	Credits	6
Spring
EDUC 6015	Exceptionalities: Individualizing Learning 1	3
SPED 6025	Teaching & Learning Across the Contents: Methods I 1	3
	Credits	6
Summer
SPED 6040	Children with Disabilities: Moderate and Severe 1	3
SPED 6045	Behavioral Management & Intervention 1	3
	Credits	6
Second Year
Fall
SPED 6055	Teaching Exceptional Children in Inclusive Settings	3
SPED 6065	Special Education Mentored Teaching I	3
	Credits	6
Spring
SPED 6060	Psychoeducational Assessment Practices & IEP Development	3
SPED 6080	Special Education Mentored Teaching II	3
	Credits	6
Summer
SPED 6085	Collaboration in Special Education	3
	Credits	3
Third Year
Fall
SPED 7030	Special Education Mentored Teaching III	3
CURI 6050	Literacy Assessment	3
	Credits	6
Spring
EDUC 6130	Literacy Across the Curriculum	3
SPED 7035	Special Education Mentored Teaching Capstone	3
	Credits	6
	Total Credits	45

¹

Each course integrates structured field experiences in New York State schools.

²

Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs (e.g. teacher certification programs) and/or to meet licensure/certification requirements for certain professions (e.g. K-12 teaching). Students who have concerns about such matters are advised to contact the dean's office of their intended academic program. 

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
Fall		Credits
SPED 6005	Introduction to History of Special Education Law (Online) 1	3
EDUC 6010	Middle Childhood & Adolescent Development (Online) 1	3
	Credits	6
Spring
EDUC 6015	Exceptionalities: Individualizing Learning (Online) 1	3
SPED 6025	Teaching & Learning Across the Contents: Methods I (Blended) 1	3
	Credits	6
Summer
SPED 6040	Children with Disabilities: Moderate and Severe (Online) 1	3
SPED 6045	Behavioral Management & Intervention (Online) 1	3
	Credits	6
Second Year
Fall
SPED 6050	Teaching Exceptional Adolescents in Inclusive Settings: Methods II (Blended) 1	3
CURI 6050	Literacy Assessment (Online)	3
	Credits	6
Spring
SPED 6060	Psychoeducational Assessment Practices & IEP Development (Blended) 1	3
EDUC 6130	Literacy Across the Curriculum (Online)	3
	Credits	6
Summer
SPED 6070	Successful Transitioning Through Partnership and Collaboration (Online) 1	3
	Credits	3
Third Year
Fall
SPED 6075	Foundations of Educational Action Research (Online)	3
SPED 7010	Special Education Residency I: New Teachers (Online)	3
	Credits	6
Spring
SPED 7005	Special Education Masters Capstone Final Project (Online)	3
SPED 7015	Special Education Residency II: New Teachers (Online)	3
	Credits	6
	Total Credits	45

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Collaborate with families, related service providers, and other school personnel to design and implement individualized curricula for students with disabilities;
• Develop transition services in consultation with relevant stakeholders;
• Critically evaluate research in special education;
• Articulate the philosophy and classroom application of inclusive education;
• Make instructional and environmental modifications based on students’ learning needs;
• Assess behavior to develop and implement a behavior intervention plan;
• Demonstrate effective classroom management practices involving students with disabilities;
• Assess and interpret data to design and implement individualized instruction;
• Implement evidence-based practices to instruct students with disabilities;
• Conduct formative and summative assessments to inform instruction; and
• Demonstrate reflective professional growth practices.