Special Education (Advanced) Catalog
Department Chair: Marya Grande, PhD
The fully online Advanced Special Education Program leads to a MSEd degree and endorsement for Professional Students with Disabilities certification. This program is appropriate for candidates who have completed the requirements for Initial Students with Disabilities 1-6, 7-12, or All Grades Certification and want to continue at the graduate level to seek professional certification in this area. It is meant for candidates seeking to expand their knowledge base to focus on teaching students with mild to severe disabilities. It builds on knowledge developed during the candidate's initial students with disabilities program and prepares them to be experts in their field.
Candidates seeking to expand their certifications to additional grade levels should consult their academic adviser. Starting in the Fall 2022 semester, this program will be fully online. Classes are asynchronous, meaning students can complete it on their own time during the week, instead of a synchronous format where students all have to sign into zoom at the same time. There may be some synchronous times set up between students and faculty, however those will be very limited.
Licensure Disclosure
Canisius University cannot determine whether completion of this program would be sufficient to meet licensure requirements outside of New York State for the intended occupation. We advise you to contact your state licensing board or appropriate licensing entity to determine whether the program meets requirements for Professional Licensure in the state where you are located or the state in which you intend to pursue licensure. Please contact the associate dean of your school if you have further questions.
Grade Requirements
Graduate students enrolled in initial certification programs must achieve a C or above in all course requirements and a B- or above in all graduate program coursework. Failure to meet these requirements will require repeating the course &/or completing additional coursework.
Curriculum
Required Courses for MSEd in Special Education (Advanced)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SPE 639 | Therapeutic Approaches for Disruptive Behavior | 3 |
| SPE 644 | Collaborative Practices on a Transdisciplinary Team | 3 |
| SPE 556 | Assessment for Diverse Learners | 3 |
| SPE 649 | Transition for Adolescents with Disabilities | 3 |
| SPE 650 | Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Etiology & Educational Needs | 3 |
| SPE 653 | Behavior Management and Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis | 3 |
| EDU 615 | Research Methods | 3 |
| SPE 690 | Advanced Seminar in Special Education | 3 |
| Education Elective | 3 | |
| Education Elective | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Early Childhood
If candidates already hold childhood certification (Gr. 1-6) they may desire to use their electives to extend their certification to include Birth to Grade 2 (Early Childhood Education) by taking two classes. Candidates should consult their academic adviser for options.
Middle Childhood
Candidates wishing to obtain an extension to teach grades 7-9 (thus enabling candidates to teach in their 30 credit subject area only) must add a middle childhood extension. Consult your advisor to determine if this is possible based on an undergraduate degree audit. The two courses required by Canisius to endorse candidates for this certification are available in consultations with faculty advisors.
Roadmap
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | Summer |
| SPE 653 | SPE 649 | ELECTIVE |
| SPE 644 | SPE 639 | EDU 556 (Or Elective) |
| SPE 690 | SPE 650 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Summer | ||
| EDU 615 | ||
| ELECTIVE | ||
Students can start this program in any semester but classes are only offered once a year but they can get done in one calendar year (Summer I, Fall, Spring, and Summer I) if so desired. Alternatively they could take 1-2 classes in the fall and spring and finish in two years. Keep in mind that in order to receive financial aid, graduate students must be enrolled in at least 4.5 credits.
Electives can be taken from any of our graduate programs (Literacy, TESOL, Instructional Technology and Curriculum Design), can include EDY courses for the early childhood certificate or EMC courses for the middle childhood extension, or transferred in from a different graduate program. Please consult with your graduate advisor to decide upon the best course of action.