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Special Education MS and Advanced Certificate Program Offerings

Choose from our variety of special education graduate programs:

• Early Childhood Special Education program (Birth–Grade 2)
• Students With Disabilities (All Grades) Special Education programs (PreK–12)
• Extensions and annotations are also available in Bilingual Education and in Autism/Severe and Multiple Disabilities.
• Subject area extensions are also available in English, mathematics, science and social studies.

If you are seeking your first teaching certification:

• (40 credits)—This program leads to Students with Disabilities (SWD) All Grades certification. This preservice track is open to candidates who do not hold a NYS teaching certificate.
• (43 credits)—This program leads to New York state certification in Students With Disabilities (Pre-K–12) and one of the content areas (biology, chemistry, earth science, English language arts, mathematics, physics, social studies, Chinese, French, Italian, Spanish). The preservice track is open to candidates who do not hold a New York state teaching certificate.
• (49 credits)—This preservice track leads to a Students With Disabilities (All Grades) certification with bilingual extension. The preservice track is open to candidates who do not hold a New York state teaching certificate.
• (58 credits)—This preservice track is open only to candidates without prior classroom teaching certificates. Leads to initial/professional certification in Childhood (1–6), Students With Disabilities (Pre-K–12), and Bilingual Extension.
• (52 credits)—This program leads to Childhood 1–6 and Students With Disabilities (PreK-12) certification. The preservice track is open to candidates who do not hold a New York state teaching certificate.
• (37 credits)—This program is to prepare school educators to become New York state certified in Students With Disabilities (Pre-K–12). Eligible applicants will have a bachelor’s degree in a related subject area and general education requirements. Applicants for this Transitional B program will not have prior SWD New York state certification.

If you already hold a current teaching certification:

Your current teaching certification will be reviewed at the time of application.

• (42–46 credits)—This program leads to a Students with Disabilities (SWD) All Grades and Bilingual Extension. This in-service track is open to candidates who hold a valid base NYS teaching certificate other than special education or bilingual education.
• (30–49 credits)—This program leads to Students With Disabilities (Pre-K–12) and Childhood Grades 1–6 certification. The in-service track is open to candidates who hold a New York state teaching certificate in an area other than childhood/elementary or students with disabilities.
• (30–36 credits)—This program leads to Students With Disabilities (Pre-K–12) certification. The in-service track is open to candidates who hold a New York state teaching certificate in an area other than special education.

For candidates who do not wish to seek a teaching certificate:

Non-Certification Special Education Program

• (30 credits)—This program will not lead to New York state initial/professional teacher certification.

For candidates who hold current teaching certification and a master’s degree:

Special Education Advanced Certificate Programs

• —A master’s degree and a valid New York state certification in early childhood education are required for entrance into this program.
• —A master’s degree and a valid New York state teacher certification are required for entrance into this program.
• —Students with an undergraduate degree in any subject can apply for admission.
• (12–24 credits)—This program leads to Students With Disabilities (PreK-12) certification. The Advanced Certificate is open to candidates who hold a New York state teaching certificate in an area other than students with disabilities a master’s degree.

Jessica Frith, MS ’20, teaching fourth grade students how to annotate text during her student teaching clinical experience

Exceptional Hands-On Learning

Our special education graduate programs are grounded in courses using field-based methods, which provide our students with critical hands-on teaching experience. These courses in the New York area offer you the opportunity to practice in the classroom before entering the more formal student teaching practicum. In addition to the experience they receive on campus at the Alice Brown Early Learning Center, our students will have the opportunity to intern at one of a variety of places, including:

Program Info

Application Requirements

Applicants for these programs must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA and should submit the following:

• Graduate application and $60 fee
• Online survey completed by two recommenders
• Personal essay (500 words)
• Official transcripts from all prior institutions and proof of bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution
• Proof of master’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA for advanced certificates.
• Course-by-course evaluation: All graduate applicants with undergraduate-level work completed outside of the United States will be required to send a course-by-course evaluation of their academic work prepared by a NACES member organization. Adelphi recommends you use or (discount provided for Adelphi applicants), , or , but any evaluation would be acceptable.

Understanding Your Costs and Ways You Can Save

Learn about the costs you can expect, and discover how scholarships, grants and financial aid packages can put an Adelphi education within reach.