MAT Childhood and Special Education

Master of Arts in Teaching in
Childhood Education and Special Education (Grades 1-6) Dual Certification

This 51-credit program is designed for candidates who do not have an education background in their undergraduate studies but wish to teach elementary students with and without disabilities.  This is a joint program in collaboration with Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education (EECE).  Upon completion, candidates are eligible for both general education and special education teaching certification at the childhood level (Grades 1-6).

Contact Information

Program Coordinator:
Dr. Sun A. Kim
Powdermaker Hall, Room 032L
Phone: 718-997-4892
Fax: 718-997-5248​
Sun.Kim@qc.cuny.edu

Administrative Staff:
Jaclyn Arroyo
Powdermaker Hall, Room 033
718-997-5240
jaclyn.arroyo@qc.cuny.edu

Course Sequence

​MAT Dual Certification Program in Childhood and Special Education

​Year ​Semester ​Course Number ​Course Name ​Credits
​Year
1
​FALL EECE 702 Social Foundations of Education ​3
EECE 711 Ecological Perspectives on Development—The Childhood Years ​3
EECE 520 Language Development and Emergent Literacy ​3
ECPSE 700 Foundations of Special Education ​3
​SPRING EECE 545 Social Studies in the Elementary School ​3
ECPSE 710 ​Curriculum and Instruction in Childhood Special Education​ ​3
EECE 525 Language and Literacy Learning in the Elementary Years ​3
ECPSE 702 ​Introduction to Assessment in Childhood Special Education ​3
​Summer ​EECE 762​ ​Schooling in a Diverse Society ​3
Year
2
​FALL EECE 550 Mathematics in the Elementary Schools ​3
EECE 555 ​Science in the Elementary School ​3
​ECPSE 722 ​Applied Behavior Analysis and Positive Behavioral Supports ​3
​ECPSE 742 ​Foundations of Assistive and Instructional Technology ​3
​SPRING EECE 566 ​Student Teaching in Childhood Education ​3
ECPSE 709 Collaboration and Co-teaching in Inclusive Education ​3
​Summer ECPSE 726 ​Practicum in Supporting Students with Significant Disabilities ​3
ECPSE 720 ​Trends and Issues in the Education of Students with Severe Disabilities ​3
TOTAL CREDITS​ ​51

Program Completion

​To graduate, all GPSE candidates are required to meet the following requirements:

  • Maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete all coursework.
  • Perform successfully on all program-level and divisional-level assessments.

Candidates are responsible for ensuring that all requirements have been met for graduation. Incompletes must be resolved and ample time must be allowed for processing the change of grade forms. Candidates must apply for graduation on their CUNYFirst account. It is the candidate’s responsibility to follow up to ensure that all paperwork is processed in time for graduation.

Admission Requirements

​Applicants to the MAT dual certification program in Childhood Education and Special Education must:

  • Have an undergraduate major in Liberal Arts or Science with a minimum of 30 credits.
  • An overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better.
  • Write a well-written essay explaining why the applicant chose to pursue dual certification in elementary and special education.  Indicate the nature of their current and past experiences with people with disabilities.
  • Provide three letters of recommendation from professional sources that demonstrate the applicant’s superior abilities, qualities, and promise as an educator.
  • SPECIAL NOTE – As of 11/15/2021 the GRE in no longer required for admissions
Academic Prerequisites

Additionally applicants for the MAT Dual Certification Program must have had an undergraduate course distribution in the following prerequisites:

  • English Language Arts: Successful completion (i.e., a grade of B or better in each course) of 2 English courses, one must be English Composition.
  • The Arts: Successful completion of 1 Art courses (i.e., a grade of C or better in this courses).
  • Social Sciences: Successful completion (i.e., a grade of C or better in each course) of 2 Social Sciences courses. At least one of these courses must be a U.S. history course.
  • Math, Science and Technology: Successful completion (i.e., a grade of C or better in each course) of 4 courses selected from the areas typically classified as mathematics, science and technology. At least one of these courses must be a lab science course.
  • Foreign Language: Successful completion of two semesters of foreign language at the college level (grade of C or better) or a passing grade on NYS High School in Regents in Foreign Language.