Elementary and Special Education (B.S.E.)/Special Education (M.A.) with concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis

Jubilee Hall
CHDCM@shu.edu
shu.edu/academics/bse-ma-with-aba

Program Code: EC_ESAB_BSE
Program Director: Frank Cicero, Ph.D.

Candidates must carefully review the Department of Educational Studies overview section of the Undergraduate and/or Graduate Catalogue(s) for important requirements related to educator preparation programs.  Supplemental details and requirements for each area are listed in this section.

This is a five-year program leading to a Bachelor of Science of Education (B.S.E.) and Master of Arts (M.A.) in Special Education.  The undergraduate program, upon completion of academic and clinical work, leads to eligibility for certification in elementary and special education. At the graduate level, completion of program coursework qualifies the candidate to sit for the national examination to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst®.  Candidates must complete 2,000 supervised experience hours along with the graduate coursework to be eligible to take the exam. The majority of supervised clinical hours are completed independent of the degree program. Both the undergraduate and graduate programs are aligned with state and national standards and accrediting bodies.

The A.B.A. portion of the program is a verified course sequence by the Association for Behavior Analysis International. The undergraduate program consists of:

• A full major in Elementary and Special Education along with the integrated clinical experiences;
• A second major or minimum designated credits in an applicable liberal arts and sciences field; and
• Advanced enrollment in graduate level A.B.A. and special education courses starting in the Summer following Junior year.

Students in this program are offered automatic admission into the Master of Arts in Special Education with concentration in A.B.A. if the following criteria are met:

• Admission into the program prior to the completion of Spring of Junior year
• Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.3 annually from admission into the program
• Grade of 'B-' or better in each A.B.A. course. One retake may be awarded for course grades lower than 'B-'. Courses will not count and students will be dropped from the program if less than a 'B-' is obtained upon retake.
• Acceptable professional writing sample
• Successful interview with A.B.A. Program Director and/or faculty

Clinical Experiences

All candidates are required to complete three pre-clinical experiences in school-based settings during their sophomore and junior years.  The pre-clinical experiences are 60 hours across 10-12 weeks and take place in a K-2, 3-5, and special education setting.  Each internship is supervised by a trained representative from the Department and/or College.

The culminating senior clinical practice requires a passing score on applicable Praxis exam(s) and is two semesters in length: one semester of 175 hours (2 days per week) and a second semester of five-days-a-week, full-time teaching. In addition, candidates are required to complete and pass the Clinical Practice Performance Assessment as part of their senior seminar and certification requirement.  Supervision at this level consists of a minimum of ten (10) visits across the two semesters.

Candidates must complete the following range of placements to be recommended for the two certifications: general education classroom; diverse; and one special education classroom (such as a resource room or a private school setting).

Eligibility for Certification and Endorsement

Upon successful completion of the program and all related requirements, candidates are eligible for recommendation to the State of New Jersey for the Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS). A passing score on all appropriate Praxis examination(s) is also required for the CEAS.  Under current New Jersey regulations, the candidate must then successfully serve as a provisionally-endorsed teacher for two years before the State will grant a permanent certificate.

The mixture of clinical experiences and Praxis exams in the Integrated Elementary and Special Education program can lead to certification as an Elementary Classroom Teacher with a Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement.

Note: The Teacher of Students with Disabilities Endorsement requires the CEAS certification.  Although there are reciprocal certification agreements among many states, these are subject to change. Candidates from states other than New Jersey must check with their state’s Department of Education for specific requirements.

Liberal Arts Major or Minimum Designated Credits in the Liberal Arts

Every student in the Elementary Education-related programs must confirm with their adviser and complete either: (1) a second major from the liberal arts (as defined by the NJ Department of Education); or (2) through advisement, a designated minimum of 60 credits in the liberal arts that will lead to a minor and/or potential additional certification and/or endorsement.

Other areas of study such as communication, theatre, psychology, social and behavioral sciences, sociology, and others may be considered, however, these may not directly lead to further certification and/or endorsement.  The content, however, may be helpful to aspiring educators working with elementary and special education.

The B.S.E. Elementary/Special Education major requires five (5) components, including:

• University Core
• B.S.E. Elementary Core
• Elementary Professional Sequence
• Clinical Experiences
• Liberal Arts Requirement

The M.A. in Special Education (Applied Behavior Analysis concentration) portion of the dual degree includes supplemental requirements.

University Core

Reference the University Core Curriculum entry for specific requirements.

B.S.E. Elementary Core

Reference the CHDCM B.S.E. Core Curriculum entry for specific requirements.

Elementary Professional Sequence

Clinical Experiences

Liberal Arts Requirement

Required liberal arts major or minimum designated credits in the liberal arts as approved by an advisor.  

A.B.A. and M.A. Special Education Requirements

(Completed simultaneously with courses towards earning the B.S.E.)

Requirements for the program are outlined in the "Requirements" tab of this Catalogue.  This Planner tab offers a sample semester-by-semester model schedule which accounts for the Professional and General Education Core requirements and historical course availability.  For timely completion of the program, students must routinely meet with their assigned academic adviser to carefully plan their schedule based on available courses.