Master of Science in Education Programs:
Program Code: MSED-ED
Major Code: EXS

Exceptional Education Department
Ketchum Hall 204
(716) 878-3038
General Information (voice mail): (716) 878-3038
exceptionaleducation.buffalostate.edu/

Accredited: Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (formerly NCATE)

Enrollment in all teacher education programs follows the guidelines for "Admission to Teacher Education Programs" found in this catalog.  Applicants who do not yet meet all admissions criteria should consult with the department.

Professional Licensure: This program leads to a recommendation for NYS certification; please check for certification requirements in all other states

The special education programs lead to a master of science in education degree and eligibility for New York State certification in special education. The teaching bilingual exceptional individuals program leads to eligibility for a New York State Bilingual Education Extension. The early childhood and childhood special education graduate programs are designed for students with undergraduate majors in early childhood, childhood, or special education.

The Exceptional Education Department offers three specialty master of science in education degree programs in special education: early childhood (B-2), childhood (1-6), and generalist (7-12) secondary. Students who are not provisionally/initially certified in special education must complete up to 18 credit hours of preliminary coursework in addition to the program area requirements. Students in the generalist (7-12) secondary program may require additional New York State content core and/or specific subject area coursework. Required preliminary courses are listed under each program area below. All three programs require the completion of a research component: EXE 684 and EXE 690, which must be taken in sequential order at the end of the program. The Exceptional Education Department also offers a Special Education Bilingual Certificate Program. Successful completion of this program leads to recommendation for New York State certification extension in bilingual education. Students are able to complete this certificate program concurrently with one of the special education masters of science in education programs offered by the department.

Advisement

Because of the variety of options available in the department, it is imperative that majors and premajors seek advisement as early as possible. Students should contact their assigned academic advisers. Each student designs programs of study with his or her adviser according to the student’s goals and background.

Practicum

Practicum assignments link theoretical coursework with the applied demands of a wide variety of internship settings. Practicum sites are available to meet the needs and interests of nearly all students and are selected by the program coordinator.

Premajor Status

Students may not apply for premajor status. They apply to the graduate program, and the department decides if they are accepted to the program as majors or premajors. Premajors may enroll, by advisement, in two EXE courses at the 500 level (e.g., EXE 500, EXE 501) only.

Premajors must reapply for admission as majors by submitting a change of major form to the Graduate Studies Office during or after the completion of two EXE courses. Premajors are not guaranteed admission to the program. At the point of admission to the major, candidates must have a 3.0 GPA and a grade of B or higher in each of the courses completed as a premajor.

About the Students with Disabilities Programs

These programs prepare teachers to work with students with disabilities at the secondary level. The programs are intended to develop highly qualified teachers who possess the knowledge and skills to develop and facilitate effective instruction and programs. Secondary special education teacher candidates are prepared to work collaboratively with general education subject matter specialists, as well as with career education personnel. Graduates of this program become knowledgeable in subject matter content, as well as best practices for transition planning. They also acquire a solid base in the technology of teaching, with knowledge related to direct and interactive instruction (cooperative learning, peer tutoring, differentiated instruction, and responsive instructional strategies).

The programs recognize the unique needs of adolescents with learning problems. A major goal of this program is to prepare teachers to address secondary students’ skill deficits, social adaptation problems, and vocational competence.

The program leads to a master of science in education degree and eligibility for New York State certification in Students with Disabilities (SWD) Generalist 7-12. The additional SWD Generalist 7-12 with subject extension programs lead to a master of science in education degree and eligibility for New York State certification in SWD Generalist 7-12 as well as 7-12 subject area extensions. The 7-12 subject area extensions to the SWD Generalist 7-12 program are: Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Mathematics, English Language Arts, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, and Urdu.

The candidate designs programs of study with his or her adviser according to the candidate's goals and background. The process will require an analysis of candidate's transcripts. Transcript analysis will include a review of previous courses in accordance with part 80 of the Regulations and Requirements from the Office of Teaching Initiatives will be used to determine if this requirement was met. Recommendation will include a review of the teacher candidate’s transcripts to ensure 24 credit hours in the content core requirement have been met. In addition, students pursuing one of the 17 subject area extensions must complete a minimum of 18 semester hours in the chosen subject area. Recommendation will be contingent on upon completion of this requirement. The Student with Disabilities Checklist will be used to document completion of this requirement.

Candidates should consult the Teacher Certification website for current seminars and workshops. https://teachercertification.buffalostate.edu/seminars-and-workshops

To view the program requirement checklist and/or the list of subject area extensions, visit the Graduate Studies Office website.

Admission Requirements

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale). Admission is competitive; not all qualified applicants are admitted.
2. Employment or other experience relevant to the graduate course of study.
3. Proof of completion of a national-normed test/exam (contact the department for additional information).
4. A written statement describing the applicant’s philosophy of education and relevant experiences in the field. This statement must adhere to standard written English.
5. Faculty review.
6. Completion of a special application (included in the online application).
7. The ability to speak English and Spanish, and an oral interview (for bilingual exceptional individuals certificate program applicants only).

In addition, all applicants should review the Admission to a Graduate Program section in this catalog.

Successful completion of the undergraduate program in exceptional education at Buffalo State is not a guarantee of admission to a graduate program. A point system based on the above criteria is used to evaluate applicants. Applicants with the highest point totals are admitted to the program each admission period. Only students admitted to the major (as majors or premajors) may take courses other than .

Program Requirements

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Some or all Content Core Requirements may be met through prior undergraduate or graduate courses by transcript analysis.  

Subject Area Extension Requirements (48-93 credit hours)

In addition to completing the requirements, candidates in a subject area extension program must complete a minimum of 18 semester hours in the chosen subject area. Advisor approved courses from previous undergraduate and graduate studies may be used to fulfill some or all of a subject area's extension requirements. The 7-12 subject area extensions to the SWD Generalist 7-12 program are: Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Mathematics, English Language Arts, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, and Urdu.

Program Overview

The SUNY Buffalo State graduate residency program provides a residency track option for qualified candidates who are selected by the faculty from their demonstrated competence in the first year of their Master’s degree programs. In first year, course sequences are parallel for both non-resident track and resident track candidates to allow faculty and candidates to assess their suitability for the full residency track experience in year two. Rather than the standard 150 hours of field experiences and 100 hours of student teaching located in courses throughout the currently registered programs, residents enjoy 1000 hours of experience in graduated difficulty from field-based co-teaching focused on practicing specific pedagogies to full “teacher of record” responsibilities in the final months of their full year residency experience. The value of this model is in allowing resident applicants to be paid for working full time in schools while they complete their required coursework. The coursework remaining for the residency year complements their work with Mentor teachers and is accomplished in tandem with their classroom experiences.

Admission Requirements

Candidates who wish to pursue the residency option toward a recommendation for certification must be recommended by program faculty either upon first application to the program or during the first year of the curriculum prior to the residency year.

Program Requirements