The Masters in Early Childhood Special Education ( B – Grade 2) is intended for field/career changers to foster the development of skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to teach diverse populations of young children (birth to grade 2) across the full range of abilities.
The Masters in Early Childhood Special Education ( B – Grade 2) is intended for field/career changers to foster the development of skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to teach diverse populations of young children (birth to grade 2) across the full range of abilities. They are structured to prepare teachers to support the learning and development of students in inclusive general education K – 2 grade, early intervention ( B – pre K), self-contained special education settings. These objectives are achieved by integrating knowledge of the importance of developmentally appropriate practices and play-based activities with an understanding of developmental delays and related disabilities. Specifically; the programs promote teacher knowledge and skills in:
*If you are an international student, you must submit TOEFL or IELTS.
Please view the School of Education Graduate Admission Application Requirements for detailed admission information.
Queens Campus
Graduate Admissions
718-990-2304
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Must be taken in your second to last semester and certification. New York State Required Examinations must be passed prior to enrollment in Student Teaching: EAS, CST-Multi Subject. edTPA is done during this semester. ** ADVISOR CONSULTATION REQUIRED**
*SJU Comprehensive Exam must be passed during the final semester of classes.
Program graduates will be able to assume such positions as:
Graduates of this Master’s Programs will qualify for New York State certification in teaching students with disabilities (B-2 Gr), provided all state-mandated external tests, training modules and teaching experiences are completed.
In this program you will develop the ability of teachers, attitudes, and skills to identify and remediate learning and behavior disorders, ranging from mild to profound, regardless of etiology. This program will support your understanding of child development, its variation, intervention strategies, program planning, and assessment. You will learn to implement evidence-based strategies from current research in various early childhood educational settings.
The program prepares graduates to:
Our students complete 150 hours of supervised special education practicum in various settings including self-contained, inclusive, and mainstreamed classrooms. St. John’s program is unique in that it allows students to develop skills to teach exceptional students in schools, clinics, and early intervention settings. Students are exposed to instructors, current researchers, and leaders in the field of special education who have many years of experience and expertise working directly with children in diverse, multicultural, and high-needs urban and suburban school settings.
Our students participate in many online learning opportunities that allow for current and effective use of online resources for research and practice in special education and preparation for careers in an increasingly global and digital world
Our graduates are successful and highly proficient teachers trained to meet the highest professional standards in special education set by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), through rigorous course work based on evidence-based practices, applied observation and practicum experiences, and engagement in student activities, including academic service learning. We are excited to welcome you to join this cadre of effective teachers and global citizens effecting change in the lives of children and youth through education and service.
Our students engage in several professional and networking events throughout their program developing their competencies to effectively communicate and interact with stakeholders in collaborative and inclusive ways. Please visit our CEC Student Chapter page at weebly.com to learn more about the exciting opportunities for professional preparation and student engagement that we offer to our students as part of their overall experience in our Special Education program.
Our full-time faculty is highly qualified with many years of experience working with individuals with disabilities, and their families, in diverse school and clinical settings, and is also actively engaged in research and professional service. Further, we have a strong supporting Adjunct faculty that brings unique practitioner inputs to our programs. Learn more about our faculty.
Our courses are offered at Queens with ample online course offerings. Online courses allow students to learn at their own pace and participate in interactive and creative online learning opportunities
Programs that offer multiple opportunities for engagement in professional activities, academic service learning, and global education consistent with the University’s Catholic and Vincentian mission. Our school’s mission of “Preparing teachers, counselors, and administrators as transformational leaders who honor the dignity of all people” guides our programs and informs our practice each day.
Programs in Special Education host a College Immersion Program for Youth and Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to increase inclusive opportunities in Higher Education: Funded Grant Project with the Cooke Center for Learning and Development, New York City (2016- present)
Faculty with extensive experience as school and community-based professionals are actively engaged in school-based research and service activities
Faculty regularly present at local, national, and international special education conferences
Faculty have published in highly regarded peer-reviewed education and special education journals including Review of Educational Research, Learning Disability Quarterly, Learning Disability Research & Practice, Behavior Modification, Preventing School Failure, Beyond Behavior, Intervention in School and Clinic, International Review of Research in MR, American Journal of Mental Retardation, Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, International Journal of Inclusive Education, and International Interdisciplinary Journal of Education
Explore opportunities at St. John's with our pathway generator.
The doctoral degree in educational administration and supervision is an opportunity for educational leaders to enhance their knowledge and skills in research and current trends in education.
The program is designed to foster the ability of teachers to develop the skills, attitudes, and abilities needed to identify and remediate major learning and behavior disorders, ranging from mild to profound, regardless of etiology.
Leads to initial certification to teach a specific content area in grades 7 through 12 in New York State.
The Master of Science programs in Adolescent Education (Career Change) enable prospective teachers to acquire the skills they need in such areas as language acquisition and literacy, curriculum development, instructional planning, and more.
The CRITI TESOL/Bilingual education program is an innovative “in-service” NYS Education Department funded partnership tuition-assistance project with St. John’s Graduate TESOL & Bilingual Education Programs.
The department offers a 15-graduate credit course sequence leading to bilingual education extension.
The Childhood and Childhood Special Education, Master of Science in Education (Career Change) program is an accelerated program for college graduates seeking to become special education teachers.
Leads to initial certification to teach grades 1 through 6 in New York State.
The Master’s Degree Program in Childhood Education and TESOL is a unique, robust, specially designed 36 credit program intended for graduates from “non-education” programs who want to change their career path and fulfill their desire to become multiculturalist professional NY State certified TESOL teachers of English learners (PreK-12), or general classroom teachers in grades (K-6) with expertise and certification in TESOL, that is now required of all classroom teachers.
The Master of Science program in Childhood Education (Career Change) advances the knowledge and experience of graduates in teaching elementary education. The program includes a range of relevant pedagogical methods for teaching and learning and strategies for devising, implementing and assessing learning experiences for all learners.
Our new program — an MS.Ed in Childhood Special Education and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) — is a 39-credit program designed for candidates with an initial certification in childhood education and is the only one of its kind in New York State.
Students who have completed a CACREP master’s degree in another counseling specialization, such as school counseling, can earn an Advanced Certificate in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC).
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is a 60-credit program leading to a Master of Science in Education degree.
St. John's University participates in the State of New York Clinically Rich Program, wherein teachers with an initial certification can earn an advanced certificate in TESOL or Bilingual Education while continuing to teach.
The Field Change and Career Change programs are intended to foster the development of skills, attitudes and knowledge needed to teach diverse populations of young children (birth to grade 2) across the full range of abilities.
Enhance your knowledge and skills in research and current trends in education with an M.B.A. concentrating on Educational Leadership from St. John's University.
The graduate program in Gifted Education at St. John’s University is designed to provide educators with a solid background of expertise in gifted education, enabling them to work effectively with a diverse population of exceptionally capable learners, and to take leadership roles in the field.
The advanced degree programs in instructional leadership have been designed to provide students with an intellectual environment that enables them to take leadership positions in the areas of curriculum, learning and instruction.
Students will refine existing knowledge and develop new knowledge, practices, and skills in the areas of administration, curriculum, diversity, higher education, and instructional technology to take leadership roles in facilitating the growth and development of other educators.
The Intensive Teaching Institute (ITI) in Bilingual Education, funded by New York State Education Department (NYSED) in partnership with St. John’s University, Graduate Programs in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, provides partial tuition assistance for special education- certified public school teachers currently working with substantial populations of English learners. This scholarship will provide tuition assistance for eligible candidates leading to certification in TESOL or Bilingual Education.
The program prepares literacy specialists to ensure all students achieve their maximum potentials as readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and practitioners of 21st Century literacies based on International Literacy Association.
This degree enables the initially certified teacher to acquire the skills to teach reading, writing, and related language arts to students from early childhood to high school levels.
Our vision in the PhD Literacy program is to create an academic community of literacy practitioners and leaders who intend to address real-life social problems through scholarship. The program is designed to develop research skills applied in the field of literacy to learn about the role of reading and writing in schools and everyday life.
Responding to the most current middle school needs, teachers who are certified to teach adolescent or childhood education may expand their career opportunities by earning our new Middle School Extension Advanced Certificate. You will not only be eligible to teach a wider range of grades, you will also gain knowledge of current best practices related to middle level education. These practices prepare you to create teaching and learning experiences based on the unique characteristics of middle school children.
Responding to the most current middle school needs, teachers who are certified to teach adolescent or childhood education may expand their career opportunities by earning our new Middle School Extension Advanced Certificate. You will not only be eligible to teach a wider range of grades, you will also gain knowledge of current best practices related to middle level education. These practices prepare you to create teaching and learning experiences based on the unique characteristics of middle school children.
Extensions are available for Adolescent Education certificate holders and Childhood Education certificate holders.
The Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction is a 45-credit post-Master’s degree program comprised of four strands: Teaching, Learning, and Knowing; Early Childhood; Global Education; and STEM Education.
We have designed the Master and Advanced Certificate in Administration to comply with New York State regulations, keeping in mind the technological, cultural, political, social and economic changes that our students face in their school communities.
The graduate programs in Educational Administration enable educators to acquire scholarly knowledge, technical skills, intellectual curiosity and legal and ethical awareness in order to make a positive contribution in the organization and administration of public and nonpublic schools. The programs seek to produce informed leaders whose expertise will be well grounded in theory to support their efforts to deal with varied issues and problems in the school setting and to make innovative contributions to the reform and restructuring of current educational practice.
The Dual Advanced Certificate Program for School Building Leader (SBL) and School District Leader (SDL) is a nationally accredited program that provides students with an intellectual environment that enables them to refine existing knowledge and develop new knowledge, practices, and skills in the areas of administration, assessment, and curriculum.
The School Counseling and School Counseling with Bilingual Extension Programs consist of a 60-credit Master of Science in Education degree, which prepares counselors-in-training for fulfilling the roles of the urban school counselors serving elementary, middle, and high school students in grades K-12 in the areas of academic, personal/social, and career development, according to the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA’s) new vision.
The Advanced Certificate program in School District Leader (SDL) provides students with an intellectual environment that enables them to refine existing knowledge and develop new knowledge, practices, and skills in the areas of administration, assessment, and curriculum.
Earn a doctoral degree in School Psychology from St. John's University in New York City!
The program prepares teachers to develop a strong command of content and pedagogical knowledge, multicultural perspectives, and instructional skills appropriate in addressing the social, cultural and educational needs of their students.
The Adolescent Education Master’s Degree Program at St. John’s University qualifies students for a full-time salaried teaching position in Grades 7-12.
The Adolescent Education Advanced Certificate Program at St. John’s University qualifies students to teach students with disabilities in Grades 7-12.
The program prepares teachers to develop a strong command of content and pedagogical knowledge, multicultural perspectives, and instructional skills appropriate in addressing the social, cultural and educational needs of their students.
This program is designed to foster teachers’ ability to develop the skills, attitudes, and abilities needed to identify and remediate major learning and behavior disorders, ranging from mild to profound, regardless of etiology.
Students in this program further develop the attitudes and abilities needed to identify and remediate major learning and behavior disorders, ranging from mild to profound, regardless of etiology.
This degree will give teachers the opportunity to enrich their classroom pedagogy with specialization in Literacy instruction and instruction for the English Language Learner.
This degree will give teachers the opportunity to enrich their classroom pedagogy with specialization in Literacy instruction and instruction for the English Language Learner.
To be eligible for the Advanced Certificate in Literacy, you must have completed a Master’s Degree in Education possessing initial teaching certification.
The programs with a specialization in Teaching Literacy B-6, Teaching Literacy 5-12 and Teaching Literacy B-12 give the initially certified teacher the skills to teach reading, writing, and related language arts to students from early childhood to high school levels.
The Advanced Certificate in TESOL Program subsumes creativity and critical pedagogy and provides the holder of it with a powerful array of advanced approaches for a variety of positions.
This 33 credits research and standards-based graduate program is intended for those educators who wish to obtain a Master’s of Science Degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). This program addresses the needs of educators interested in working with linguistically and culturally diverse learners. The focus is on creative and critical pedagogy and best teaching practices with socially just awareness as well as multi-modal curriculum design and planning for ENL (English as a New Language) students.
The Office of Student Financial Services is committed to providing students and their families with the information they need to navigate and understand the financial aid and payment process.
St. John’s offers a free online application for all 100+ undergraduate programs, and graduate applications carry a low cost for most programs.