Department of Educational Studies

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Department of Educational Studies

Special Education

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES

You must submit:

For the Master of Science in Early Childhood Special Education you need evidence of:

  • Initial (provisional) or pending certification in Early Childhood Education (birth - second grade)

For the Master of Science in Childhood Special Education you need evidence of:

  • Initial (provisional) or pending certification in one of the following:
    • Childhood Education (1 - 6)
    • Students with Disabilities (1 - 6)

The Adolescent Special Education Program consists of at least 36 credit hours and leads to the Students with Disabilities Generalist 7-12 certificate. This NYS certificate requires that candidates have 6 credit hours in each of the following content areas: English, social studies, science, and math. Students who are deficient in any of these credits must fulfill them before graduation from the Adolescence Special Education master's program.

For the Master of Science in Adolescence Special Education you need evidence of:

  • Students who enter the Adolescence Special Education Program with initial certification in a content area will also be recommended for an extension on their Students with Disabilities Generalist 7-12 certification in that content area. Extensions for the following areas are available:

    SWD- Earth Science (grades 7-12)

    SWD- Biology (grades 7-12)

    SWD- Chemistry (grades 7-12)

    SWD- Physics (grades 7-12)

    SWD- Social Studies (grades 7-12)

    SWD- Mathematics (grades 7-12)

    SWD- English Language Arts (grades 7-12)

    SWD- Languages other than English (grades 7-12)

    American Sign Language

    Cantonese

    Chinese

    French

    German

    Greek

    Hebrew

    Italian

    Japanese

    Latin

    Mandarin

    Russian

    Spanish

  • One official transcript of all your undergraduate and graduate work providing evidence of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
  • A typed statement that describes your educational aspirations, your experiences in working with students in educational settings, and how the training in the Master's Program in Early Childhood Special Education, Childhood Special Education or Adolescence Special Education will help you achieve your personal and professional goals. The response should be 300-400 words in length. The special education faculty will examine the writing sample with respect to content, clarity and organization of ideas, grammar, and style.
  • Three letters of professional recommendation written on professional letterhead. All letters must:
    1. be dated and current.
    2. address how long the writer has known you and in what capacity.
    3. address your suitability for graduate work in special education, referring to your academic abilities, ability to work with students and others, and your professional commitment.
    4. Two letters should be written by faculty with whom you have taken a college level class. These letters of reference should address your academic performance and your ability to successfully complete a rigorous graduate program in Special Education. We prefer that these letters come from full-time faculty at a college or university.
    5. One letter should be written by one of the following individuals: a student teaching supervisor, a cooperating teacher, an administrator in a school, or a supervisor in an agency that is related to education. This letter of reference should address your ability to work with children or adolescents.

Although the Miller Analogies Test or the Graduate Record Exam is not required, applicants who think that their scores on these tests will enhance their application may include this information with their application or provide the Office of Special Education with this information. In these cases, the special education faculty will consider this information as another indicator of your suitability for graduate work in special education. Program faculty review each application and decisions about acceptance are based on an evaluation of your whole application.

Complete your application online or send your completed application to:

The Graduate School
SUNY New Paltz
800 Hawk Drive
New Paltz, New York 12561-2443

This application package must include:

  1. The completed graduate admissions application.
  2. One official transcript of all your undergraduate and graduate work providing evidence of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution.
  3. Typed description of your objectives for graduate study.
  4. Proof of certification(s) held.
  5. Three letters of professional recommendation as specified under "Entrance Requirements and Procedures."
  6. Non-refundable application fee.

The Graduate School will not process incomplete applications.

Graduate Application Deadlines

Summer / Fall--April 1

Spring--Nov. 1

Early Childhood Special Education - 060E

Special Education Childhood - 060C

Special Education Adolescent - 060A

Summer/ Fall -- March 15

Spring-- Nov. 1

Special Education and Literacy Childhood-059C

Special Education and Literacy Adolescent-059A