Faculty:
Dr. Keith R. Burich, Dean; Dr. James M. McDonnell, Associate Dean and Certification Officer; Kenneth J. Gubala, Director of Graduate Admissions; B. Paul Hodan, Patricia R. Rosinski, Graduate Admissions Counselors; Tracy L. Meissner, Certification and Technology Specialist.
Degrees
Master of Science (M.S.)
Master of Science in Education (M.S. in Ed.)
The School of Education and Human Services offers graduate level programs leading to the master of science (M.S.) and the master of science in education (M.S. in Ed.) degrees in the following programs:
Adolescence Education (Secondary Grades 7-12)
Childhood Education (Elementary Grades 1-6)
Deaf Education (All Grades)
Literacy Education (Reading) (Birth-Gr. 6, and Grades 5-12)
Middle Childhood (Grades 5-9 Extension Only)
Special Education (Childhood Grades 1-6)
- Concentrations:
Mild Disabilities
Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Severe Disabilities
Autism
Specific details concerning these programs may be found in the sections that follow.
Special Note: Because of changing certification requirements that go into effect in New York State on February 2, 2004, this catalog contains programs that are registered and approved by the New York State Education Department under the current regulations which will expire on February 1, 2004 and new proposed programs that will meet the new certification requirements that go into effect on February 2, 2004. Students who are enrolled in the current programs that lead to provisional teacher certification must complete all requirements for provisional no later than December 2003 in order to be certified under the current regulations. These requirements include all coursework, certification exams and student teaching; seminars on health education, child abuse and the prevention of school violence and fingerprinting clearance. In addition, students must complete their application for certification and have the application endorsed by the college's certification officer no later than February 1, 2004. Students who finish by this time will receive provisional certification and will be given five years to complete all requirements for their permanent certification. Students who do not finish by that date will be required to transfer into one of the new programs which meets the new regulations that go into effect on February 2, 2004. There will be no "grandfathering" based on when a student began a program (with the possible exception of military service in the War against Terrorism that interrupted a student's studies for at least a semester).
Programs affected by the new regulations include teacher certification programs in elementary, secondary, special, physical, reading and deaf education.
New York State has also announced plans to revise certification requirements for programs in School Administration and Supervision (Leadership) and School Counseling. Students should consult their program advisors and directors to keep abreast of any changes that might occur.
Admission
Men and women of character, ability and achievement are welcome in the graduate education programs at Canisius College. Their acceptability as students is judged by the department and is based on achievement, aptitude and character alone. Applicants for admission to graduate work in education may be accepted as matriculants (master's degree candidates) in a particular program, or as non-matriculants (graduate course credit candidates). In each case the admission requirements are the same. Candidates must present evidence of their qualifications to participate successfully in graduate-level academic endeavor. Primarily, this evidence consists of:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning with a grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
- Prior to October 1, 2002: A score of at least 3600 on the formula: (Undergraduate Q.P.A. x 1000) + G.R.E. Total=3600 or more. The G.R.E. total is for the three parts of the Aptitude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (Verbal, Quantitative and Analytical).
- Beginning October 1, 2002, students are required to take the new G.R.E. General Test. This test retains the Verbal and Quantitative sections but changes the third section to Analytical Writing Assessment.
NOTE: Applicants are strongly urged to take the G.R.E. before applying for admission. If they have not done so, they must take the test during their first semester of attendance. In the meantime, the following regulations are in effect:
Candidates whose G.P.A. is below 2.50 will not be admitted to graduate work until the GRE scores are received by the college.
Candidates whose G.P.A. is 2.50 or higher may be admitted provisionally to graduate work in education but they must take the G.R.E. before they will be permitted to register for a second semester of study.
Admissions categories
There are four levels of admissions decisions:
- Full acceptance for candidates who meet the minimum GPA requirement and who achieve the minimum score or higher on the G.R.E.
- Conditional acceptance for candidates who meet the minimum G.P.A. or higher, but who have not yet taken the GRE.
- Probational acceptance for candidates who achieved the minimun GPA or higher but have not yet achieved a minimun or higher score on the GRE. Candidates may re-take the GRE.
- Not accepted for candidates who did not achieve the minimum GPA and/or GRE scores. Candidates may petition a faculty review committee for re-consideration. If the non- acceptance was based on low GRE scores, the candidate must first re-take the test before a petition will be considered. Candidates will be required to submit a written letter of appeal and may be asked to appear before the review committee. With the call for higher standards throughout the teaching profession, candidates must bear the burden of convincing the review committee to make an exception to the stated admissions requirements. It is anticipated that some candidates will present justifiable reasons for admittance into the program.
The decision of the faculty review committee will be final.
Transfer credits
Not more than six credits of graduate coursework will be accepted in transfer from other institutions. The grades must have been at least "B" and must have been earned within the five-year time limit for completion of degree requirements. All transfer credits must coordinate with the student's program of study at Canisius College, as approved by the program director. Any exceptions to the above may only be made with the approval of both the program director and the associate dean.
Undergraduate courses
With the approval of the program director, graduate students may, under certain circumstances, take upper-level Canisius College undergraduate courses (300-499) for graduate credit. In order to receive graduate credit, the student must carry out research assignments above and beyond the normal requirements for the course as prescribed by the instructor. Under no circumstances will more than six such undergraduate credits be accepted toward master's degree requirements. Physical education student teaching may never be taken for graduate credit. Elementary, secondary and special education student teaching receives graduate credit, but this credit may not be used toward a master's degree.
Credit by examination
Students who are applying for admission or who are presently in attendance may obtain credit for previously completed examinations sponsored by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) of the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) or by the New York State College Proficiency Examination Program (CPE). The minimum acceptable grades for these exams are "Pass" for exams graded Pass/Fail and "C" for exams with letter grades. On exams graded on a standard score scale of 20 to 80, the passing score varies from 40 to 50 depending on the subject area.
Students must consult with the appropriate dean for permission to use any credit by examination toward their graduate degree or certification requirements.
Probation and disqualification
Receipt of a grade of "D" will result in probationary status. A second grade of "D" will automatically disqualify a student from the master's degree program. A GPA of 3.00 (4.00 scale), i.e., a "B" average, is required for graduation.
State examinations
Applicants for provisional must pass the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) and the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W). For permanent certification, they must pass a Content Specialty Test (CST) and the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Performance (ATS-P). When the new certification regulations go into effect on February 2, 2004, the CST will also be required for initial certification. Requirements in other areas are explained in the individual program sections.
Note: Students enrolled in graduate teacher certification programs for provisional certification must complete all requirements for certification by December, 2003, and apply for certification prior to February 1, 2004. New regulations go into effect February 2, 2004.
Instruction in child abuse; prevention of school violence; fingerprinting
There is a State regulation that affects all persons applying for a provisional, permanent, initial or professional certificate or license in the areas of administrative or supervisory service, classroom teaching service and school service. The regulation requires these persons to have completed two clock hours of coursework or training regarding the identification and reporting of suspected child abuse or maltreatment.
In addition to the above, all new candidates for certification must attend a mandatory two-hour course on the prevention of school violence and must also submit fingerprints for law enforcement clearance.