MASTER OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
EDUCATING SCHOOL-AGE STUDENTS WITH MODERATE AND SEVERE DISABILITIES
Coordinator: Gail L. Ensher, Ed.D.Program Goals and Plan of Study
The Master of Science Degree in Special Education is intended for teachers who wish to work with school-age students with moderate and severe learning and behavior disorders including autism, emotional disturbance, and mental retardation. During the course of study in this program, students learn and practice innovative approaches to serving individuals in elementary, middle school, and high school inclusive settings, and learn to develop curricula that prepare young learners for adult life. Graduate students have opportunities to participate extensively in local inclusive classrooms that encompass both contact with families and involvement as active members of assessment/teaching teams.
The program incorporates intensive practica and field-based experiences into all levels of the curriculum. For example, every student participates in a Psychoeducational Evaluation Seminar which involves the assessment of school-age students or adults who have been referred to the Syracuse University Gebbie Clinics. During this experience, graduate students learn about informal and formal evaluation measures, how to interpret the results of diagnostic assessments, and how to write comprehensive reports for use by local educational settings. All students in the program are involved in extensive field-based experiences. In addition, people entering the program without Special Education certification complete a Practicum and 6-credit Student Teaching experience with children or adolescents who have moderate to severe behavioral and/or learning difficulties. In all of these settings and experiences, graduate students have the opportunity to work with children and young adults with a variety of special needs that interfere with learning. The emphasis always is focused on appreciating, understanding and responding to the unique characteristics and needs of each person in his or her home, school, and work environments, and not on the labeled disability.
Who Should Apply
Participation in a program emphasizing teaching, collaboration, and teaming requires a degree of maturity, experiences in the field, and level of commitment which can be demonstrated in part by 2 years or more of prior successful teaching experience. Applicants with little prior experience, or from related fields (e.g., psychology, regular education, communication disorders) also are admitted to the program; in such cases students should be prepared to take additional coursework, practical and student teaching.
For those students having the requisite courses (see attached program), teaching experience, and certification in Special Education, the program consists of 36 graduate credit hours. These students usually can complete their course of study in two semesters of full-time study and two summer sessions. It is the expectation that part-time students will complete the program within 3 years. Those students who enter the program without experience in education and certification in Special Education are required to complete 6 hours of Practicum and 6 hours of Student Teaching. Programs for the latter group will vary, depending upon prior experience and coursework, typically requiring 42 to 45@credit hours.
How to Apply
1. An application for graduate study at Syracuse University must be completed and returned to:
Syracuse University
Graduate Admissions Processing
212 Archbold
Syracuse, New York 132442. All previous college/university transcripts must be included. If a student's undergraduate cumulative grade point average is less than 3.0, the Graduate Record Examination may be requested. Only the aptitude sections are required.
3. Indicate that you are interested in Special Education: Educating School-Age Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities on the application form next to (1) Program of Study, (2) Major Area of Interest, and (3) Special Area within Field to insure that your application is routed to the appropriate person/program within the School of Education.
4. You are responsible for having three letters of recommendation sent to the Graduate Admissions office. These letters should come from professors at institutions where you have completed your most recent coursework and from immediate supervisors who are familiar with your professional experience.
5.The enclosed supplementary information form should be returned to:
Gail L. Ensher, Ed.D.
Coordinator, Special Education Program: Educating
Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities
Syracuse University
Teaching and Leadership Program
Huntington Hall, Room 174
Syracuse, New York 13244-23406. Applications are accepted throughout the course of the academic year and summer. For individual appointments, please call 315-443-9659 (Helen Anderson) or 315-443-9650 (Gail Ensher).
7. Graduate assistantships and School of Education Scholarships may be available for full-time and part-time students. Additional information about financial aid is provided in the Graduate Admissions catalog and application form, which should be secured from Graduate Admissions Processing, 212 Archbold.
8. Prior to matriculation in the program, students may take 9 to 12 credit hours of coursework, depending upon their specific program of study. University policy indicates that classes taken beyond this point may not be accepted as part of the student's master's degree program.
While the nature of any course of study is tailored to the
particular needs of each student, all program plans reflect five(5)basic components:
(A) Prerequisites, (B) Special Education Core/Moderate to Severe Disabilities, (C) Related Field and Clinical Experiences, (D) Skill Area Minor, (E) Supportive Knowledge and Skill Electives.
In order to graduate and receive a Master's degree in Special Education, all students not certified in Special Education must complete a student teaching experience.
Program Completion
Students may satisfy final requirements for the Master's degree by completing one of the following:
a. Portfolio
b. A field-based research project (in conjunction with EDU 655,EDU 603, or CFE 600)
c. A take-home intensive examination
SIX(6) HOURS OF STUDENT TEACHING EXPERIENCETENCE OUTSIDE OF THE STUDENT'S "HOME" CLASSROOM ARE RECQUIRED FOR STUDENTS WHO ENTERTHE PROGRAM WITHOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATION. IN THE ABSENCE OF STUDENT TEACHING, A MASTERIS DEGREE WILL NOT BE AWARDED