About the Program

Accredited: Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

Enrollment in all teacher education programs follows the guidelines for "Admission to Teacher Education Programs" found in this catalog. Applicants who do not yet meet all admissions criteria should consult with the department.

Professional Licensure: This program leads to a recommendation for NYS certification; please check for certification requirements in all other states.

This Special Education master’s program is designed for educators who have completed an undergraduate teacher education program in another area and want to expand their expertise and gain certification in special education; graduates will be prepared to meet the diverse needs of P-12 students with disabilities. Completion leads to recommendation for NYS certification in Students with Disabilities: All Grades (PreK-12), with optional subject area extensions for Grades 7-12 in Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Mathematics, English Language Arts, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, and Urdu.

About the SWD (All Grades) Program
This program prepares teachers to work with students with disabilities across the P-12 grades. The program is intended to develop highly qualified and high caliber teachers who possess the knowledge and skills to help students with disabilities maximize their potential and reach ambitious outcomes.

The goal of this program is to prepare special educators who work collaboratively with fellow educators, to provide evidence-based teaching strategies to promote student learning, and to design positive environments that foster learning for students both with and without disabilities.

Real Learning in Real Schools
Students in this graduate special education program gain hands-on experience through fieldwork in real school settings. Practice-based learning is woven throughout the curriculum, including immersive opportunities such as classroom simulations, field practica, and cutting-edge mixed-reality teaching experiences. This applied approach ensures graduates are not only knowledgeable but confident and classroom-ready from day one.

Applied Research
The culminating experience of our graduate programs is a two-course final sequence (EXE 684/690) taken across their final two semesters that guides students through the completion of a master's project rooted in real-world educational challenges. In this capstone experience, students identify a problem of practice, develop and conduct a small-scale study, and present their findings—bridging research and practice in meaningful ways. This powerful process empowers future educators to become reflective problem-solvers who use data-driven insights to inform and improve their teaching.

Candidates should consult the Teacher Certification website for current seminars and workshops. https://teachercertification.buffalostate.edu/

Admission Requirements

1. Awarded a bachelor’s degree in education from an accredited college or university.
2. Earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale).
3. Completed a New York State registered teacher preparation program prior to enrollment and have completed NYS requirements for certification eligibility with pending or issued Initial and/or Professional certification, OR hold National Board certification, OR have at least one year of effective teaching under a valid New York State or out-of-state teaching license or certificate.
4. Completed three credit hour college-level courses in the following areas with grades of C or higher at the undergraduate level and B or higher at the graduate level: (a) introduction to the nature and needs of students with disabilities (e.g., EXE 100 or course equivalent) and (b) managing classroom environment and positive behavior supports for students with disabilities (e.g., EXE 362 or course equivalent). For applicants who have not completed these requirements in their prior course work, they will be required to take or will be required to complete EXE 500 and/or EXE 502, respectively, or course equivalents.
5. Completed six credit hours in literacy instruction related to teaching literacy skills, including for students with disabilities and English Language Learners, with a grade of C or higher at the undergraduate level or B or higher at the graduate level. Those who have not met this requirement will be required to take EXE 521.
6. Provide a written statement describing the applicant’s philosophy of education and relevant experiences in the field, as applicable.
7. Completion of online application.

In addition, all applicants should review the Admission to a Graduate Program section in this catalog.

Program Requirements

Preliminary Courses (6-12 credit hours)
EXE 500 INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS1 0-3
EXE 501 EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION 3
EXE 502 MANAGING CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT AND POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS1 0-3
EXE 503 INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES 3
Required Courses (24-30 credit hours)
EXE 511 WRITING IEPS ACROSS THE P-12 GRADE SPAN 3
EXE 521 FOUNDATIONS OF LITERACY FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (PART I) 1 0-3
EXE 619 ADVANCED LITERACY FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (PART II) 3
EXE 623 ASSESSMENT AND INSTRUCTION IN MATH FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES 3
EXE 638 COLLABORATION AND SOCIAL SKILLS 3
EXE 659 ADAPTING CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TO MEET THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES 3
EXE 679 PRACTICUM—SPECIAL EDUCATION ALL GRADES 3
EXE 684 PRACTICE-BASED RESEARCH IN EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION 3
Master's Project or Master's Thesis (3-6 credit hours)
EXE 690 MASTER’S PROJECT IN EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION 3-6
or EXE 695 MASTER'S THESIS
Total Credit Hours 30-42
1 These courses are only required for those who did not meet the entrance admission criteria.
2 Admission to EXE 684 is by special permission. An application is completed the semester prior to taking the course. See the department office for application deadlines.

Subject Area Extension Requirements (30-54 credit hours)
Candidates pursuing a subject area extension complete a minimum of 12 semester hours in the chosen subject area. Advisor-approved courses from previous undergraduate and graduate studies may be used to fulfill some or all of a subject area's extension requirements. The 7-12 subject area extensions for this program are: Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Mathematics, English Language Arts, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Greek, Hebrew, Japanese, Latin, Mandarin, and Urdu.