Become a Special Education Teacher - NEW Grant-Funded Graduate Program

The M.S. Adolescence: Special Education Generalist is a two-year graduate program (67 credits) which will lead to initial and professional certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities Generalist (grades 7-12), Teaching Students with Disabilities (grades 1-6), and Childhood Education (grades 1-6), as well as coursework for a Literacy credential.

This program requires a full year clinically rich residency at Amsterdam High School, a high needs school. During this residency year, each admitted student will receive a $30,000 stipend as well as up to $10,000 in tuition. Admission to the program will be competitive, as we expect to be able to admit only 12-18 students to this program in Spring 2012 to begin study in June 2012.

Admissions Criteria:

1. An undergraduate major or concentration of 30 semester hours in one of the following areas is required for admission: English/Language Arts, History/Social Studies, Science or Mathematics. See full list of acceptable concentrations. Note that Psychology does not qualify.
2. Six semester hours in each of the following: English Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Language other than English, and Math. It might be possible to take one class after admission to meet this requirement.
3. GPA of 3.0 or better.
4. Commitment to full time studies for Summer 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013, Fall 2013, Spring 2014, as well as completing ERDG 620 in summer 2014. Funding is available for the residency only in Fall 2013 and Spring 2014.
5. Completion of written commitment statement to seek work for 4 years in a high needs school in New York State if employment is available. If you apply, and none are available, then you have still fulfilled this commitment. Learn more about districts that qualify as high needs.

A personal interview may be required with both the UAlbany and Amsterdam faculty and administration which will focus on the applicant’s knowledge, commitment to working with diverse students, and academic content.

What are the acceptable majors/concentrations necessary to be eligible for admission to the program?

Actuarial & Mathematical Science, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Communication & Rhetoric, English, Journalism, International Studies (also regional studies such as Latin American and Caribbean Studies, East Asian Studies, Globalization Studies, Africana Studies, Russian & Eastern European Studies), Anthropology, Geography, Economics, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Sociology, Geology, Neuroscience, Atmospheric Science, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Earth & Atmospheric Science, Human Biology, Physics

What districts qualify as high needs?

In the Capital District, these include high schools in Albany, Schenectady and Amsterdam. Schools must meet the definition of a high needs school according to New York State’s Accountability website. “A ‘high needs school’ is defined as one of the schools designated as either Schools Under Registration Review, schools identified as Persistently Lowest Achieving, and those schools designated as Schools in Improvement Status, in which there is a shortage of certified teachers in the previous school year and there is a projected shortage of certified teachers in the current year.”

What if I can’t find a job in one of these districts or am laid off?

“Candidates must provide a written commitment to seek employment as a teacher in a high needs school in New York State before admission into the program.” The obligation is on the candidate to ‘seek employment’ in a high needs school. We acknowledge that the ability to secure employment is dependent upon factors outside of the control of the candidate.

For more information on this opportunity, or if you are interested in applying (DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 15, 2012), please contact us right away at the following email addresses.

Dr. Jane Domaracki at jdomaracki@albany.edu  
Dr. Deborah May at dmay@albany.edu

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School of Education
Department of Educational & Counseling Psychology
Division of Special Education
University at Albany, State University of New York
Albany, New York 12222

Program dependent on New York State grant funding.