Special Education
Women
Master of Science in Education & Special Education
Program Overview
The University of Mount St. Vincent’s Master of Science in Early Childhood Education & Special Education degree is the first choice for anyone considering a career in the field of education/special education. This 46-credit degree culminates in a recommendation for NYS Teacher Certification, Birth-Grade 2. Students are eligible for Internship Certification after completing 50% of the program. Graduates can easily extend their certification to Grades 1-6 General Education and All Grades (PreK-Grade 12) Students with Disabilities.
Certified early childhood and childhood special education teachers are in high demand in agencies, elementary schools, care facilities, and other organizations nationwide. The U.S. Department of Education regularly includes special education on its annual state-by-state Teacher Shortage Areas list.
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Prerequisites
Conferred Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution
Admission
Undergraduate Transcript (minimum 3.5 GPA)
Resume
Two Letters of Recommendation
MSV Writing Sample
Personal Photograph
Non-refundable Application Fee
Courses
Possible Career Paths
Faculty & Instructors
Anita Batt
MAT
Debra N. Kapnick
MSEd
Dr. Rachel Klipper
PsyD
Dr. Tovie (Rachel) Zakutinsky
Ed.D.
Etti Siegel
MSEd
Lieba Gutfreund
MSEd, DIR CL1
Tuition & Financial Aid
The cost for this degree is $22,950.
**Graduates of Sara Schenirer’s BA in Psychology – Education & Special Education Track save $2,850 off this total. This reduces tuition to just $20,145!
At the graduate level, financial aid is available in the form of loans that can cover the full cost of the degree.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be completed online at this link. Be sure to complete the correct year’s application. UMSV’s FAFSA school code is 002703.
Additionally, there are a number of scholarships open to Jewish graduate students for which we encourage you to apply:
Helen B and Lewis E Goldstein Scholarship Fund – The Helen B and Lewis E Goldstein Scholarship Fund is open to Jewish full-time students enrolled in an accredited undergraduate or graduate school in the United States.
Rose Biller Scholarship Fund – The Rose Biller Scholarship Fund is open to Jewish residents of NYC’s five boroughs, Westchester, and Long Island with financial need. It provides scholarships to Jewish men and women with significant economic need attending undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools.
Samuel Lemberg Scholarship Loan Fund – The Samuel Lemberg Scholarship Loan Fund provides interest-free loans to aid Jewish undergraduate and graduate college students who exhibit exceptional academic achievement and face financial difficulties pursuing a higher education. These loans must be repaid within ten years of graduation or termination of studies.
To get more information on these scholarships, please reach out to each organization directly. Please check scholarship websites for availability and deadlines. Scholarships are not available every semester.
Please note: The listed tuition costs are accurate as of the time of writing, but are not guaranteed. Please ask our advisor for updated pricing.
FAQs
What is an M.S. in Education?
The University of Mount Saint Vincent’s Master of Science in Education: Early Childhood Education & Special Education, Birth-Grade 2, is an accelerated 46-credit program that culminates in a recommendation for NYS Teacher Certification Birth-Grade 2. Graduates can easily extend their certification to Grades 1-6 General Education and All Grades (PreK-Grade 12) Students with Disabilities. Graduates are certified to teach general and special education across a variety of program settings including home, center-based programs, inclusive schools, private and public-school classes, and programs. Students are eligible for Internship Certification after completing two semesters.
Which university have you partnered with to offer this degree?
We are proud to have partnered with The University of Mount Saint Vincent (UMSV), a highly ranked university featuring an outstanding Education department. Among the five oldest universities in New York City, UMSV offers more than 70 nationally recognized programs, including a full array of majors and minors in education.
How long will it take to earn the degree?
The degree can be completed in just four semesters (16 months).
Will the environment and education be suitable for a Bais Yaakov student?
UMSV prides itself on offering superior education along with outstanding student support in a culturally sensitive environment. They are understanding of the unique requirements and religious sensitivities of the students recruited by Sara Schenirer and have worked diligently to accommodate our requests to ensure an environment suitable for a Bais Yaakov graduate. UMSV employs dedicated instructors to ensure that our unique requirements are met.
Does this degree offer value even if I do not plan on teaching?
Classroom instruction is only one of the many career opportunities that this degree offers. Most graduates use the degree toward a career in special education, which offers a wide array of opportunities. Options include working as a SEIT, P-3 provider, behavioral therapist, social skills therapist, special education coach & consultant, curriculum developer, and much more.
Is the special education job market flooded? Will I find a job once I graduate?
According to government statistics, special education is one of the fastest-growing education career fields nationwide, and our experience and research confirm that. A recent poll showed that more than 95% of graduates found jobs in the field within one year of graduation. Five years later, more than 70% were still employed in the field, many of them mothers of young children. The field is ideal for women who wish to work full or part-time and earn a respectable income while still caring for their families.
What are the fieldwork requirements?
Fieldwork experience must be within our certification area only, which is Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 2. Thus, the classroom must be learning at an academic level of grade 2 or below*.
Fieldwork required in a Special Education setting may be fulfilled by observing in a self-contained classroom, a 1:1 school setting, or an inclusion classroom (i.e., a General Education setting that contains students with IEPs) where you focus on the child/ren with disabilities.
According to the NYS Department of Education, each student’s fieldwork portfolio must exhibit “diversity”. This means that you cannot do all your fieldwork experiences in the same school. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that fieldwork experience is varied.
For a student who takes 4 courses a semester, fieldwork/student teaching requirements would be similar to this:
1st semester - 10 hours total of Fieldwork:
10 hours must be in a Special Education or Inclusion classroom
2nd semester - 70 hours total of Fieldwork:
50 hours must be in a General Education or Inclusion classroom
20 hours in a Special Education or Inclusion classroom
3rd Semester – 10 hours of Fieldwork:
10 hours in a Special Education or Inclusion classroom
AND 35 days of Student Teaching in a General Education or Inclusion Classroom
4th Semester - 10 hours of Fieldwork:
10 hours in a Special Education or Inclusion classroom
AND 35 days of Student Teaching in a Special Education or Inclusion Classroom
*Student Teaching courses, typically taken in the 3rd and 4th semesters, must be done at actual grade level, meaning students cannot be older than 7 years of age.
What makes Sara Schenirer different?
We pride ourselves on the high-quality education, accelerated degrees, uncompromised environment, and the stellar professors that our degree-granting partners offer. Most of all, we delight in the warm and supportive attention every single student receives throughout her years as a Sara Schenirer student. For students and parents alike, the world of college and degrees is confusing, costly, and difficult to navigate. We work extra hard to offer personal guidance to every student to ensure their success and timely graduation.
What are the admission requirements?
Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5.
Can credits be transferred from another program?
Yes. Up to six graduate-level credits earned in a master’s education or special education program may be accepted.
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Questions & Guidance
Bonni Herman
Women's Student Advisor