Coordinator: Margaret Owuor, Ph.D.
Office: VHA 155 Phone: (845) 257-2869
The School of Education at the State University of New York at New Paltz offers students holding a baccalaureate degree the opportunity to earn a:
» Master of Science in Literacy Education: Birth-Grade 6 (030A)
» Master of Science in Literacy Education: Grades 5-12 (030B)
» Master of Science in Literacy Education: Birth-Grade 6 AND Childhood Special Education Certification (029A)
» Master of Science in Literacy Education: Grades 5-12 AND Adolescence Special Education(029B)
Teachers may apply for 030A (Literacy B-6) or 030B (Literacy 5-12) if they are certified in any area of Elementary Education or Secondary Education (Grades 7-12 or Adolescent/ Middle Grades Education, all subjects), or in Special Education, Speech & Hearing Handicapped, Music Education, or Art Education. Three years of teaching experience as a certified literacy teacher are required for professional certification.
Applicants with initial certification in Elementary Education B-2, Childhood Education, or Adolescence Education in specific content areas may apply for 029A (LiteracyEducation B-6 & Certification in Childhood Special Education) or 029B (Literacy Education 5-12 and Certification in Adolescence Special Education). Three years of teaching experience as a certified literacy teacher are required for professional certification.
Since the 029A and 029B programs have different entrance requirements from 030A and 030B, the Department of Elementary Education will not accept transfers from other graduate programs/concentrations. Students matriculated in other graduate programs/concentrations must submit a new application for 029A or 029B by the April 1 deadline to be considered for admission.
Content areas accepted for 029A/B are 7-12 Biology, Cantonese, Chemistry, Chinese, Earth Science, English Language Arts, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, Mathematics, Physics, Russian, Social Studies, Spanish.
Admission Requirements
Candidates for admission are required to submit the following documents/information to The Graduate School, HAB 804B.
- Complete an admission application available from The Graduate School.
- Provide two official transcripts of all previous college/university coursework from regionally accredited institutions.
- Have earned an undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher for 030A and 030B.
- Have earned an undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher for 029A and 029B.
- Provide a copy of a provisional or permanent teaching certificate in elementary education (B-2, PreK-6, Grades 1-6), or Secondary Education (Grades 7-12 or Adolescent/Middle Grades Education, all subjects), or in Special Education, Speech & Hearing Handicapped, Physical Education, Music Education, or Art Education.
- Submit three recent (within two years), appropriate letters of recommendation (at least one from a professor/instructor), on professional letter head supporting the applicant's potential to undertake graduate study.
Program Requirements
Candidates are required to:
- Develop a plan of study with an advisor upon filing for matriculation.
- Complete no more than 6 credits of course work toward the degree before matriculation.
- Complete prescribed course work and other requirements within the time assigned by the New York State Certification Office.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA average of 3.0 or better with no more than two grades below B-.
Program of Study (030A)
Birth-Grade 6 (36 credits)
All courses must be taken under advisement.
Foundations - 3 credits
- EDI774 Theoretical Foundations of Reading
Diversity - 3 credits
- EDS581 Racism and Sexism OR
- EDS537 Issues in Multicultural Education
Content Core (taken in sequence) - 15 credits
- EED744 Workshop in Understanding Reading Problems
- EED745 Workshop in the Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties
- EED746 Workshop for the Remediation of Reading Difficulties
- EED747 Clinical Practices in Reading
- EDI775 Graduate Seminar in Reading
Content Electives (Literature) - 6 credits
- Two courses chosen with advisement
Special Education (if required) - 3 credits
- SPE565 Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms OR
- One course chosen with advisement
Literacy/Liberal Arts Electives - 3-6 credits
- One or two courses chosen with advisement
Research - 3 credits
- EDI798 Principles of Research OR
- SED712 Recent Research in Education
Program of Study (030B)
Grades 5-12 (36 credits)
All courses must be taken under advisement.
Foundations - 3 credits
- EDI774 Theoretical Foundations of Reading
Diversity - 3 credits
- EDS581 Racism and Sexism OR
- EDS537 Issues in Multicultural Education
Content Core (Taken in sequence) - 15 credits
- EED744 Workshop in Understanding Reading Problems
- EED745 Workshop in the Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties
- EED746 Workshop for the Remediation of Reading Difficulties
- EED747 Clinical Practices in Reading
- EDI775 Graduate Seminar in Reading
Content Electives (Literature) - 6 credits
- Two courses chosen with advisement
Special Education (if required) - 3 credits
- SPE565 Teaching in Inclusive Classrooms OR
- One course chosen with advisement
Content Related Electives - 3-6 credits
- One or two courses chosen with advisement
Research - 3 credits
- EDI798 Principles of Research OR
- SED712 Recent Research in Education
Program of Study (029A)
Grades B-6 and Childhood Special Education Certification (49 Credits)
All courses must be taken under advisement.
Literacy Education - 21 credits
- EDI774 Theoretical Foundations of Reading
- EED593 Content Area Literacy
- EED744 Workshop on Understanding Reading Problems
- EED745 Workshop in the Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties
- EED746 Workshop for the Remediation of Reading Difficulties
- EED747 Clinical Practices in Reading
- EDI775 Graduate Reading Seminar
Childhood Special Education - 19 credits
- SPE700 Education Special Learners
- SPE701 Educational Assessment of Learners with Disabilities
- SPE732 Learning Environments for Childhood Learners with Disabilities
- SPE733 Practicum in Childhood Special Education
Electives: Select one from each of the following categories - 9 credits
Reading
- EDS512 Children's Literature
- EED516 Teaching Reading/Language Arts in Elementary School
- EED520 Teaching Literature Language Development, Birth through Kindergarten
- EED524 Teaching Reading in the Middle School
Diversity
- SPE572 Teaching Learners from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds
- EDS537 Issues in Multicultural Education
- EDS581 Issues in Racism and Sexism
Research
- EDI798 Principles in Research
- SED712 Recent Research in Education
- SPE703 Research and Current Issues in Special Education
Program of Study (029B)
Grades 5-12 and Adolescence Special Education (49 Credits)
All courses must be taken under advisement.
Literacy Education - 21 credits
- EDI774 Theoretical Foundations of Reading
- EED593 Content Area Literacy OR Teaching Literacy Across the Disciplines (SED549)
- EED744 Workshop on Understanding Reading Problems
- EED745 Workshop in the Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties
- EED746 Workshop in the Remediation of Reading Difficulties
- EED747 Clinical Practices in Reading
- EDI775 Graduate Reading Seminar
Adolescence Special Education - 19 credits
- SPE700 Education Special Learners
- SPE701 Educational Assessment of Learners with Disabilities
- SPE742 Learning Environments for Adolescent Learners with Disabilities
- SPE743 Practicum in Adolescent Special Education
Electives: Select one from each of the following categories - 9 credits
Reading
- EDS549 Issues in Literacy
- SED745 Teaching Literature in the Middle School
- SED748 Teaching Literature in the High School
Diversity
- SPE572 Teaching Learners from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds
- EDS537 Issues in Multicultural Education
- EDS581 Issues in Racism and Sexism
Research
- EDI798 Principles of Research
- SED712 Recent Research in Education
- SPE703 Research and Current Issues in Special Education
For Program Information Contact
Department of Elementary Education
State University of New York at New Paltz
800 Hawk Dr.
New Paltz, NY 12561-2442
(845) 257-2869
For Admissions Information Contact
The Graduate School
State University of New York at New Paltz
1 Hawk Dr.
New Paltz, NY 12561-2443
(845) 257-3285/Toll free: (800) 248-8856
