Saint Rose is the only college in the Capital Region to offer an undergraduate major in special education and has a reputation for training highly qualified successful teachers. Saint Rose offers a broad-based program to special education majors by expanding required course work beyond traditional special education training to include the diverse areas of educational psychology, teacher education and communication disorders. Various field experiences will offer the opportunity to work with individuals with both mild and severe disabilities. There is the option of completing a dual degree program in elementary education and special education. Faculty members in the special education department possess a variety of professional perspectives and expertise from the field of education, including learning strategies, phonemic approaches to reading instruction, whole language reading instruction, inclusion, assessment and applied behavioral analysis.
All faculty members have previous experience teaching in public or private schools.
Special education majors have many opportunities for rewarding and successful careers. Recent surveys indicate shortages of special education teachers in New York state and across the country. After completing the Saint Rose program, you will have earned provisional certification from New York state that will enable you to begin your teaching career immediately. Because New York has reciprocal certification agreements with several states, you will have the flexibility to teach in other areas should you decide to relocate. Also, Saint Rose special education students are prepared to enter graduate school.