Empire State College’s Master of Arts in Teaching in Adolescent (grades 7-12) Special Education program is a 45-credit, Residency or Transitional B certification program available in the New York City and Syracuse areas. 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 this degree program and passing scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations lead to NYS Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist Initial and Professional Certification.

Teacher candidates will complete 100 hours of pre-residency classroom field observations, two residency terms under the supervision of a Special Education critic teacher, 45 credit hours of coursework, and a capstone action research project to meet program requirements leading to Initial certification.

Program Delivery and Tuition Rate

Curriculum delivery is blended using multiple delivery formats including online, face-to-face, video conference, webinars and other technologies. It is billed at the non-MBA rate.

 Admission

• A candidate must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• All graduate-level initial teacher certification programs in New York state require submission of entrance exams as part of the admissions application process. SUNY Empire State College will accept either the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Millers Analogy Test (MAT). Applicants with an advanced degree (e.g., M.A., MSW, Ph.D., Ed.D., JD) from a regionally accredited college or university may request a waiver from the graduate admissions exam along with an official transcript documenting their degree. Waiver requests should be sent to the School for Graduate Studies (Grad@esc.edu).

An ideal candidate will:

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

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 MAT in Adolescent Special Education program: the Transitional B sequence, the Clinically-Rich Residency sequence and the Classroom Academy Residency sequence.

Transitional B Enrollment Sequence

The Adolescent Transitional B certification pathway is a part-time option designed for working adults who would like to become certified teachers of record while simultaneously completing their MAT degree. The blended course delivery (in-person and online) requires that students are computer literate in order to engage in this technology-rich program.

Transitional B certification is a full New York state teaching certification that allows qualified MAT 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 MAT in Special Education coursework
• 50 hours of field experience in NYS schools
• New York State Certification Exams (Multi-subject CST & EAS)
• Child Abuse, School Violence, Autism, & DASA training
• any general-education or 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 MAT coursework while working as a full or part-time 7-12 special education teacher in a New York state school. In this setting, students will be mentored by MAT 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 MAT program, students must pass the final NYS certification exam (Students with Disabilities CST) and the edTPA portfolio assessment in order to qualify for Initial certification.

Clinically-Rich Residency Enrollment Sequence

Upon completion of the New York State teacher certification requirements such as certification exams and workshops, program completers are eligible for New York State Initial teaching certification in Students with Disabilities generalist (grades 7-12). After three additional years of successful teaching, completers are eligible for Professional certification.

Classroom Academy Residency Enrollment Sequence

During the Classroom Academy residency experience, students will complete additional coursework that links theory to classroom practice. Residents receive intensive mentoring by faculty members and field supervisors. The program concludes with the capstone project within the MAT in Special Education program. Upon completion of the New York State teacher certification requirements such as certification exams and workshops, program completers are eligible for New York State Initial teaching certification in Students with Disabilities generalist (grades 7-12). After three additional years of successful teaching, completers are eligible for Professional certification. Completion of the Classroom Academy pathway will give each Resident 1 year to count towards their Professional certification.

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

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.