Adolescence Education/Students with Disabilities (All Grades) Catalog

Adolescence Ed/Students with Disabilities (All Grades) (MSEd)

Department Chair: Marya Grande, PhD

This Master of Science Degree Program at Canisius is designed for those dedicated to meet the needs of adolescent students as well as students with disabilities at all grade levels, placing a strong emphasis on theory, research and practicum experience.  The curriculum enables candidates to develop an understanding of etiology, related psychological and social factors and techniques proven effective for teaching students with diverse learning needs.  

This program prepares candidates for Initial and Professional Certification in Special Education All Grades (PreK-12), and provides and option for candidates to earn a second Initial and Professional Certification in Adolescence Education in a specific content area.

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.

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.

Curriculum

EDAD 502Foundations of Adolescent Literacy3
EDAD 535Learning and Human Development: Adolescence3
EDAD 572Pedagogical Strategies and Methods3
EDCH 540Learning and Development Birth to Grade 63
EDU 505Foundations of Education3
EDU 556Assessment for Diverse Learners3
EDU 595Child Abuse Workshop0
EDU 596Prevention of School Violence Workshop 0
EDU 597Dignity for All Students Workshop0
EDU 615Research Methods3
SPE 541Inclusive Strategies3
SPE 580Classroom Management3
SPE 631Reading and Writing Process for Students with Learning and Behavioral Disorders (25 hour Field Exp )3
SPE 640Learning and Behavioral Disabilities (LBD); Etiology and Research Based Interventions3
SPE 649Transition Issues for Adolescents with Disabilities3
SPE 650Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Etiology & Educational Needs3
SPE 652Functional Curriculum for Students with Severe Disabilities and ASD (25 hour Field Exp)3
SPE 698Seminar in Teaching and Assessment3
Student Teaching:
SPE 692Student Teaching4.5
SPE 694Student Teaching - Placement 24.5
SPE 697Student Teaching Seminar0
Total Credits54

Course Requirements for Students with Disabilities (SWD) for ALL candidates.

  1. Six credit hours in English
  2. Six credit hours in math
  3. Six credit hours in social studies
  4. Six credit hours in science

Prerequisites for Adolescence 7-12 Certification in the Content Area:

  1. English:  30 credit hours are required in English. Topics that need to be covered include linguistics/grammar, American Literature, World Literature, Young Adult Literature, British Literature, and writing/composition (plus electives needed to meet the credit hour requirement)
  2. Math:  30 credit hours are required in Math.  Topics that need to be covered include Calculus I, II, and III, differential equations, abstract math, linear algebra, abstract algebra, geometry, and statistics. (plus electives needed to meet the credit hour requirement)
  3. Biology:  30 credit hours are required in Biology.  Topics that need to be covered include botany, evolution, microbiology, biochemistry, organismal biology, ecology, physiology, cell biology, zoology, genetics, and anatomy. (plus electives needed to meet the credit hour requirement)
  4. Chemistry:  30 credit hours are required in Chemistry.  Topics that need to be covered include inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry. (plus electives needed to meet the credit hour requirement)
  5. Physics:  30 credit hours are required in Physics.  Topics that need to be covered include general physics, classical mechanics, nuclear physics, optics, electricity/magnetism, quantum mechanics, electronics, and statistics & thermal dynamics. (plus electives needed to meet the credit hour requirement)
  6. Social Studies:  30 credit hours are required in Social Studies.  Eighteen (18) credits in history are required.  Three credits are also required in each of the following areas:  geography, political science/government, cultural studies, and economics.  The remaining credits can come from other social sciences including psychology or philosophy.
  7. Spanish:  30 credit hours of study in that language are required *French concentration available to graduate students with 30-credits.

Middle Childhood 

Candidates wishing to obtain an extension to teach grades 5-6 in their content area must add a middle childhood extension. To acquire the middle childhood extension in a content area, candidates can take EMC 552 and 553 in addition to passing the Content Specialty Test in their content area.

Roadmap

First Year
FallSpringSummer
EDU 505EDAD 535EDCH 540
SPE 541EDAD 572SPE 652
SPE 650SPE 631 
EDAD 502SPE 640 
EDU 595SPE 649 
EDU 596  
EDU 597  
Second Year
FallSpring 
EDU 556SPE 593 
SPE 580EDU 598 
EDU 570EDU 615 
Program Credit Total: 54
  

Optional Extension Courses

Middle Childhood Extension- 3 credits each

  • EMC 552 Human Growth and Development
  • EMC 553 Cognition, Learning, Assessment and Diagnostic Teaching

*candidates must have 30 credit hours in academic content area: English, Math, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History or LOTE (Language other than English) as well as 6 credit hours of Math, Science and Social Studies.