The joint degree program is a dual undergraduate and graduate degree program where students complete the requirements of the BA/BS in the appropriate content area at the undergraduate level while taking several undergraduate education courses needed to prepare them for teacher certification at the graduate level. After completion of the 120 undergraduate credits, students will move into the graduate phase where they will complete the requirements that lead to initial teacher certification in Adolescent Students with Disabilities Generalist along with their Adolescence concentration.
This program has been developed to address a need for Adolescence Special Education teachers in the Buffalo Public Schools as well as other school districts throughout New York State. Students with Disabilities is listed as a high-need area for the TEACH grant and the “Teacher Shortage Areas Nationwide List” published by the U.S. Department of Education.
The joint degree program allows students to focus on the academic discipline as undergraduates while supplementing their undergraduate work with foundational courses in education. These education courses in combination with the graduate education courses allow the student to earn the high-needs credential while maintaining a strong focus on the academic subject area.
This Teacher Education Department program will allow students to gain knowledge in the classroom and apply it in the field by teaching others. Additionally, the college mission states that Canisius espouses the Jesuit principles of human excellence, care for the whole person, and service to humanity. This joint degree education program will form teachers who make the commitment to help all children and adolescents learn, especially those with diagnosed learning disabilities.