Early Childhood Education/Special Education: Early Childhood (MA)

Department Website

Program Description

This program is open to participants who have a bachelor’s degree but who are not yet certified to teach. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will be eligible for New York State certification in both general and special education at the early childhood level (birth–grade 2). Students may complete this program on an accelerated, full-time basis in a little more than a calendar year, commencing early in the summer, followed by fall and spring semesters, and concluding the following summer.

Admissions

Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:

• Résumé/CV
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• Transcripts
• Proficiency in English

See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.

See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
General Pedagogical Core
LITC-GE 2001	Foundations of Literacy Development in Childhood/Early Childhood	3
TCHL-GE 2010	Inquiries Into Teaching & Learning III	3
BILED-GE 2103	Bilingual Exceptional Children	3
Specialized Pedagogical Courses - Early Childhood
ECED-GE 2017	Human Development and Education	3
ECED-GE 2314	Curriculum Development in Science and Social Studies	3
CHDED-GE 2055	Integrated Arts in Childhood & Early Education	3
MTHED-GE 2115	Teaching Elementary School Mathematics: Foundations and Concept Development	3
Specialized Pedagogical Courses - Special Education
SPCED-GE 2124	Historical and Contemporary Issues in Special Educ Policy, Research and Practice	3
SPCED-GE 2127	Disability, Diversity, and Equity in Family, School, and Community	3
SPCED-GE 2160	Methods of Instruction for Children with High Incidence Disabilities	3
SPCED-GE 2136	Assessment for Students with Disabilities	3
SPCED-GE 2052	Methods of Instruction for Children with Low Incidence Disabilities	3
SPCED-GE 2108	Learning Environments, Behavior, and Students with Disabilities	3
Observation, Fieldwork, and Student Teaching
ECED-GE 2901	Student Teaching in Early Childhood Settings	3
SPCED-GE 2902	Student Teaching in Early Childhood Special Education Settings	3
TCHL-GE 2999	Drug, Alcohol Ed/Child Abuse ID/School Violence/DASA:	0
Total Credits		45

Sample Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid

1st Semester/Term		Credits
SPCED-GE 2124	Historical and Contemporary Issues in Special Educ Policy, Research and Practice	3
ECED-GE 2017	Human Development and Education	3
TCHL-GE 2010	Inquiries Into Teaching & Learning III	3
	Credits	9
2nd Semester/Term
ECED-GE 2314	Curriculum Development in Science and Social Studies	3
SPCED-GE 2127	Disability, Diversity, and Equity in Family, School, and Community	3
SPCED-GE 2160	Methods of Instruction for Children with High Incidence Disabilities	3
ECED-GE 2901	Student Teaching in Early Childhood I	3
TCHL-GE 2999	Drug, Alcohol Ed/Child Abuse ID/School Violence/DASA:	0
	Credits	12
3rd Semester/Term
SPCED-GE 2136	Assessment for Students with Disabilities 1	3
	Credits	3
4th Semester/Term
SPCED-GE 2108	Learning Environments, Behavior, and Students with Disabilities	3
LITC-GE 2001	Foundations of Literacy Development in Childhood/Early Childhood	3
MTHED-GE 2115	Teaching Elementary School Mathematics: Foundations and Concept Development	3
SPCED-GE 2902	Student Teaching in Early Childhood Special Education Settings	3
CHDED-GE 2055	Integrated Arts in Childhood & Early Education	3
	Credits	15
5th Semester/Term
BILED-GE 2103	Bilingual Exceptional Children	3
SPCED-GE 2052	Methods of Instruction for Children with Low Incidence Disabilities	3
	Credits	6
	Total Credits	45

¹

This course is taken in January.

Learning Outcomes

1. Build relationships with students and families with the goal of fostering student learning, engagement and well-being.
2. Integrate theory/research with pedagogical and classroom practice.
3. Develop and implement discipline-based curricula, unit plans and lessons that are coherent, use culturally relevant pedagogies, and foster experiential learning.
4. Create and apply classroom strategies that are explicit, innovative, appropriate for a specific context, and use technology to support student learning.
5. Develop a practice that is equitable and inclusive and acquire the skills of a professional educator.

Policies

Fieldwork Placement

Be advised that fieldwork placement facilities that provide training required for your program degree, and agencies that issue licenses for practice in your field of study, each may require you to undergo general and criminal background checks, the results of which the facility or agency must find acceptable before it will allow you to train at its facility or issue you a license. You should inform yourself of offenses or other facts that may prevent obtaining a license to practice in your field of study. NYU Steinhardt will not be responsible if you are unable to complete program requirements or cannot obtain a license to practice in your field because of the results of such background. 

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Steinhardt Academic Policies

Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.