Elementary and Special Education (B.S.E.)/Special Education (M.A.) with concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis
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 Master of Arts in Special Education with graduate coursework qualifying the candidate to sit for the examination to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® after completing 2,000 supervised experience hours (the majority of which is completed independent of the degree program).
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 applicable major from an applicable liberal arts and sciences field;
- Eligibility for dual certification in Elementary and Special Education, with full completion of coursework and a passing score on the Praxis II; 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
The professional Education sequence leads to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.E.) and eligibility for endorsement as a teacher, in specified areas, in the State of New Jersey. The curriculum aligns with state and national accreditor standards.
Candidates must earn a grade of 'C' or higher in all EDST and CPSY courses. Students may repeat a course to earn a higher grade.
Pre-clinical internships are required for sophomores and juniors. Candidates are required to complete three field pre-clinical internships, connected to specific professional education courses, prior to their senior clinical internship. The pre-clinical internships are 60 hours across 10-12 weeks in a field setting. Each internship is supervised by a trained representative from the Department and/or College.
The senior clinical internship requires one semester of 175 hours (2 days per week) and an entire semester of full-time teaching along with the completion of the Clinical Practice Performance Assessment in the senior seminar. Supervision at this level consists of a minimum of ten (10) visits across the two semesters.
The mixture of field placements and Praxis exams in the Integrated Elementary and Special Education program can lead to two possible certifications: Elementary Certification and Special Education Certification.
Candidates must complete the following range of placements to be recommended for all three certifications: general education classroom; diverse; and one special education classroom (such as a resource room or a private school classroom).
Eligibility for certification in elementary and special education is achievable with full completion of the program and a passing score of the Praxis II.
Eligibility for Endorsement
Upon completion of an undergraduate education program, candidates are eligible for recommendation to the State of New Jersey for the Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) within their field of study. 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.
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
Every student in an Educational Studies major must complete a second major in liberal arts or sciences (Social Work is currently not an option for a co-major with Education). Teaching majors, as defined by New Jersey's Department of Education, are English, math, history, science (biology and environmental studies), world languages, and fine arts. For students choosing history, the social studies Praxis II exam includes content in economics, geography, political science, and sociology, as well as history. The history major does not require courses in the allied fields, but those seeking the social studies certificate are advised to consider coursework in these areas in order to be fully prepared for the state required Praxis II exam.
Other majors such as psychology, social and behavioral sciences, sociology, communication, theatre, and others may be taken, however, these majors are not currently considered to be teaching majors and elementary teachers who have chosen these majors may not teach beyond 6th grade.
Requirements for the program are outlined below. The 'Planner' tab of this Catalogue includes a semester-by-semester model schedule which accounts for course availability. For timely completion of the program, students must routinely meet with their assigned academic adviser to carefully plan their schedule.
Professional Education Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDST 1001 | Introduction to Teaching: The Profession | 3 |
| EDST 4000 | Child Development-Curriculum | 3 |
| EDST 2001 | Life in the Diverse Classroom | 3 |
| EDST 2004 | Early Literacy - All Children | 3 |
| EDST 2005 | Teaching Math-Diverse Classrm | 3 |
| EDST 3005 | Language Arts II - Upper Elementary Years | 3 |
| EDST 2006 | Teaching Science-Diverse Clsrm | 3 |
| EDST 3003 | Teaching Soc Studies-Div Clsrm | 3 |
| EDST 4001 | Senior Internship | 6 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
General Education Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| CPSY 1001 | Diverse Learners - Fam Part I | 3 |
| CPSY 1002 | Diverse Learners and Their Families II | 3 |
| CPSY 2101 | Learning Disabilities | 3 |
| CPSY 2102 | Autism and Developmental Disabilities | 3 |
| CPSY 3103 | Psycho-Educ Diag-Assess Sp Ed | 3 |
| CPSY 3400 | Literacy Numeracy Strategies | 3 |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Liberal Arts Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Core | ||
| CORE 1001 | University Life | 1 |
| CORE 1101 | Journey of Transformation * | 3 |
| CORE 2101 | Christianity and Cult in Dial. ** | 3 |
| CORE 3XXX: Engaging the World | 3 | |
| ENGL 1201 & ENGL 1202 | Core English I and Core English II | 6 |
| Literature | ||
| Selected in Consultation with Advisor | 3 | |
| Math | ||
| MATH 1151 & MATH 1161 | Math for Elem Educators I and Math for Elem Educators II *** | 6 |
| Science | ||
| BIOL 1101 | Introduction to Biology | 3-4 |
| or BIOL 1104 | Biology in the World Around Us | |
| History | ||
| Recommended: | ||
| HIST 1301 | American History I | 3 |
| or HIST 1302 | American History II | |
| Select a 2nd Science or History Course in Consultation with Advisor | 3 | |
| Additional Required Courses | ||
| ADIM 3410 | Children and Visual Arts | 3 |
| EDST 3700 | Integrating Curriculum and Technology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 40-41 | |
- *
Generally taken in the Fall semester of the first year.
- **
Generally taken in the Spring semester of the second year.
- ***
Students majoring in DVSL, PSYC, SOCI, SOBS, ENST science, also take MATH 1203 Stats Models for Soc Science.
A.B.A. and M.A. Special Education Requirements
(Completed simultaneously with courses towards earning the B.S.E.)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Summer (Prior to Senior Year) | ||
| EDST 7316 | Intro Applied Behavior Analys (graduate credits) | 3 |
| EDST 7317 | Measurement - Exp Dsgn in ABA (graduate credits) | 3 |
| Senior Year (Fall Semester) | ||
| EDST 7335 | Applied Behavior Anlys-Prin I (graduate credits) | 3 |
| EDST 7452 | Intro Transition Education I (graduate credits) | 3 |
| Additional Requirements | ||
| Additional Courses Taken in Graduate Program Year - Reference Graduate Catalogue | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
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.
Professional Education
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| EDST 1001 | Introduction to Teaching: The Profession | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| EDST 4000 | Child Development-Curriculum | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| EDST 2001 | Life in the Diverse Classroom | 3 |
| EDST 2004 | Early Literacy - All Children | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| EDST 2005 | Teaching Math-Diverse Classrm | 3 |
| EDST 3005 | Language Arts II - Upper Elementary Years | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| EDST 2006 | Teaching Science-Diverse Clsrm | 3 |
| EDST 3003 | Teaching Soc Studies-Div Clsrm | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| EDST 4001 | Senior Internship | 6 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
General Education Core
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| CPSY 1001 | Diverse Learners - Fam Part I | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| CPSY 1002 | Diverse Learners and Their Families II | 3 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Second Semester | ||
| CPSY 2101 | Learning Disabilities | 3 |
| CPSY 2102 | Autism and Developmental Disabilities | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| CPSY 3103 | Psycho-Educ Diag-Assess Sp Ed | 3 |
| CPSY 3400 | Literacy Numeracy Strategies | 3 |
| Hours | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Apply to Seton Hall
Home to nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, Seton Hall has reached new heights in academic excellence, faculty research and student success. Ready to take the next steps on your academic or career path?
