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.

Applicants must have earned a bachelor’s degree with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5.

Sara Schenirer conveniently features locations in Boro Park, Crown Heights, Five Towns, and Live-Online.

Courses are offered Sundays and weeknights in all locations to allow for students to work while in the program. To accommodate a variety of time zones, morning classes are offered for the live-online program.

Since we have a fully online program, it is possible to finish your degree without any loss of credits. Additionally, for those students who relocate to Eretz Yisroel, our online program has a track that accommodates the time difference. Additionally, since UMSV is an accredited university, credits can be transferred to colleges and universities worldwide.

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!

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.

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:

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. Most scholarships are not available every semester.

To request an application, please submit this form.

When completing the application, you will also be requested to supply:

• Undergraduate Transcript(s)
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Typed Essay describing personal philosophy of education, statement of intent, and rationale for pursuing the degree through UMSV
• Current Resume
• Personal Photograph
• Non-refundable application fee

Even if you do not have these available at the time of application, we recommend submitting your application immediately and the required documentation as they become available.

Once your application is submitted with all the required documents, an interview will be scheduled to continue the admissions process.

Please note: Credits in the following areas are required for NYS Teacher Certification. If you have not fulfilled these requirements at the bachelor’s level, we will guide you on how to fulfill them while completing your master’s courses.

• Communication
•  Mathematics
• Scientific Processes
• Written Analysis & Expression
• Concepts in Historical & Social Science
• Artistic Expression
• Foreign Language
• Information Retrieval
• Humanities

If you wish to teach outside of NYS, you will need to transfer your certification to the state in which you reside. The requirements for each state can be found on the Department of Education website for that state.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to call our office 718-633-8557 ext. 37 or email [email protected], and as always, we will be happy to assist you further.