Admission Requirements

1. B.A. or B.S. degree, with minimum G.P.A. of 3.0.
2. Two letters of recommendation.
3. Possession of a New York State Initial or Provisional Teaching Certificate in Early Childhood or Childhood Education (See Note (c) below).
4. Interview with faculty members in Literacy Studies and Special Education.
5. A written Statement of Purpose is required for Special Education.

Note:
(a) Graduate students who enter a program of study on a non-matriculated basis are limited to a maximum of 12 semester hours of course work.
(b) A maximum of 6 semester hours of advanced standing may be accepted for relevant graduate course work taken elsewhere.
(c) Students who have initial/provisional certification in an area of study other than those listed above in #3 should speak to the department adviser.

General Education Core Requirements

In order to ensure that prospective teachers have a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences, all students must have completed undergraduate course work from each of the content areas below.
   1.     Artistic Expression/Humanities, 3 s.h.
   2.     Communication, 3 s.h.
   3.     Information Retrieval, (0-3 s.h.; can be satisfied with passing score on exam)
   4.    Historical and Social Science Concepts, 3 s.h.
   5.     Language other than English, (0-3 s.h.; depending on placement)
   6.     Scientific Processes, 3 s.h.
   7.     Mathematical Processes, 3 s.h.
   8.     Written Analysis and Expression, 6 s.h.

Please note that programs may have general education requirements that exceed the minimum registered with the state. Degrees will not be conferred unless all general education core deficiencies have been met.

Program Requirements

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of a minimum of 26 semester hours in prescribed Literacy Studies courses and a minimum of 25 to 28 semester hours in Special Education with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for all courses.
2. Completion of a minimum of 50 hours of field experiences in Literacy Studies within school, family, or community settings, including at least 30 practicum hours completed at the Saltzman Reading/Writing/Learning Clinic and supervised student teaching in Special Education under advisement of the Director of Special Education.
   
3. Successful presentation of a learning portfolio to faculty and peers in Literacy Studies and successful completion of a comprehensive examination in Special Education.
4. Completion of all program prerequisites.

Teacher Certification

Upon successful completion of a school-based program, students will be eligible to apply for the University’s recommendation for New York state certification. The state requires applicants to have passing scores on each of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE): the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W), and the appropriate Content Specialty Tests (CSTs). The state will not issue certification to individuals not receiving passing scores on all New York examinations. In addition to pedagogical studies, the Commissioner’s Regulations require that all school-based programs provide students with instruction for the purpose of  identification of child abuse and maltreatment; fire and arson prevention; prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse; School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE); and highway and school safety/prevention of child abduction. No degrees will be conferred without the completion of all of these requirements. Please contact the Office of Certification and Educational Support Services for information regarding fingerprinting, examinations and seminars.