Program Overview

Special Education & Literacy II M.S. Degree Program

Program Overview

The Special Education and Literacy 2 MS program was updated effective Summer 2024. The new program requirements are reflected below. Students admitted prior to Summer 2024 will follow the prior degree requirements outlined at the 2023 Special Education & Literacy II M.S. Degree Program page.

Program Requirements

• 59 Credits

Required Courses

• EPsy 519 (3) Child and Adolescent Development
• EPsy 615 (3) Application of Learning Theories to Content Area Instruction
• Ltl 500 (3) Classroom Literacy Instruction
• Ltl 505 (3) Academic Literacy Across Instructional Contexts, 5-12
• Ltl 601 (3) Practicum: Instruction to Prevent Literacy Difficulties
• Ltl 620 (6) Practicum: Differentiated Literacy Instruction and Coaching
• Ltl 623 (3) Practicum: Differentiated Literacy Instruction
• Ltl 619 (3) Practicum: Writing in the Classroom
• Spe 579 (1) Seminar: Pre-Practicum Workshops and Requirements
• Spe 560 (3) Introduction to Human Exceptionality
• Spe 580 (3) Practicum: Teaching Students with Diverse Learning Needs
• Spe 651 (3) Culturally Responsive Literacy Intervention in the Content Areas
• Spe 652 (3) Anti-Racist Math and Scientific Inquiry Instruction
• Spe 653 (3) Fostering Safe and Supportive Educational Environments
• Spe 654 (3) Teaching Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities
• Spe 655 (3) Assessment Practices for Students with Disabilities
• Spe 658 (3) Curriculum and Instruction: Collaboration, Strategies, and Differentiation
• Spe 669 (3) Educating Students with Emotional Disorders and Challenging Behaviors: Advanced Tiers of Support
• E Spe 680C (3) Clinical Internship: Teaching Students with Disabilities
• Spe 681 (1) Clinical Internship Seminar: Teaching Students with Disabilities

Final Culminating Project

• Successful completion of the final culminating project milestone

Additional Program/NYSED Requirements

• School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE) Training
• Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Training
• Needs of Students with Autism Training
• Substance Abuse Prevention Training
• DASA Training

Admission Criteria

• A minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required for admission.

Program Details

• This program is for applicants who DO NOT hold NYS Initial Teacher Certification in Childhood Education.
• It leads to three New York State Certifications: Childhood Education (grades 1-6), Students with Disabilities (All Grades), and Literacy (All Grades).
• This program requires intensive practicum and internship experiences.
• Graduates of our MS in Special Education and Literacy degrees are certified to work with students who encounter the most difficulty with literacy, and to coach and mentor other teachers.
• In order to ensure that these specialists are appropriately qualified to receive literacy specialist certification, students in this degree program must receive a B or better in practicum courses before being allowed to take the capstone classes.
• These practicum courses include: Ltl 601, Ltl 619 and Ltl 623.
• In addition, students must also receive a B or better in the final practicum experiences Ltl 620.
• Students receiving a B- or lower in such courses have the following options: a) retake the course for a better grade; b) request admission to a different degree program.
• This latter option might require taking additional courses.

Professional Responsibilities

• Teaching is a profession.
• Master’s students have professional responsibilities to their students, their peers, their classmates and instructors, and to society at large.
• Students in the master’s program will be working with children and other professionals in educational contexts, including, schools, community centers, and other sites of learning.
• Their professional responsibilities include following through on commitments made to children and schools, being appropriately prepared and on time for all interactions/lessons, maintaining confidentiality and respect, and interacting with all stakeholders/participants in a professional manner.
• Professional interactions include everything from dressing appropriately for the situation to maintaining appropriate language both in talking with and talking about others.
• Failure to meet professional responsibilities can result in a student’s academic dismissal from the program.

Federal Licensure/Certification Disclosure

• Effective July 1, 2024, federal regulation requires institutions of higher education to make a determination whether a Title IV eligible academic program that leads to professional licensure or certification meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the U.S. State where the institution is located and the U.S. States where “distance education” students are located at the time of initial enrollment in the program, as well as U.S. States where the program is advertised as meeting such requirements, and if applicable, the U.S. State where students attest they intend to be licensed/certified.
• The Special Education & Literacy II MS program at the University at Albany is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State.
• Through a good faith effort, and for the purpose of complying with the federal regulation, we have determined that the Special Education & Literacy II MS program at the University at Albany meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the additional following U.S. States: .