Mar 19, 2024  
2024 Undergraduate Catalog 1.1 (WINTER-SPRING) 
    
2024 Undergraduate Catalog 1.1 (WINTER-SPRING)

Teaching Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist (B.S.)


HEGIS 0808.00

Program Code 42360  (Bachelor of Science Degree)

The major in Teaching Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist leads to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree and prepares undergraduate students to work with families and teach students with disabilities in Grades 7-12 in New York State schools. The major includes a requirement that the teacher candidate complete study that prepares them with the knowledge, understanding, and skills in the liberal arts and sciences, including but not limited to: artistic expression; communication; information retrieval; concepts in history and social sciences; humanities; a world language other than English; scientific and mathematical processes; and written analysis and expression.

Teacher candidates pursuing the Teaching Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist major must complete courses in psychology-child life (PCL) which, in combination with coursework on the subjects to be taught and pedagogical coursework, ensures that the teacher candidate has the knowledge, skills, and dispositions for supporting students and their families and teaching the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards.

Teacher candidates in this major are required to complete a minimum of 100 hours of observation and work in public school classrooms as well as regular course work prior to student teaching. The practical application of the theory and principles of teaching and learning culminates in an assignment in area schools for student teaching in the senior year. Students must plan to set aside one of the semesters of the senior year to devote entirely to student teaching.

The Teaching Students with Disabilities 7-12 Generalist major includes specific admission and retention criteria and policies. Students must maintain a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA throughout the entire major and achieve a grade of C or better in all courses required for teacher certification. Retention criteria and policies can be found in the student handbook

Learning Objectives

  • Our degree candidates have a strong knowledge of subject matter.
  • Our degree candidates demonstrate pedagogical content knowledge and the ability to use this knowledge to design effective lessons.
  • Our degree candidates acquire teaching skills that promote student learning.
  • Our degree candidates teach caringly and effectively and are professionals.
  • Our degree candidates demonstrate an understanding of effective assessment of learning practices.
  • Our candidates have multicultural perspectives and accuracy.
  • Our degree candidates use technology effectively.

Academic Requirements


General Education (37 credit hours)

See the General Education Section of this catalog.

Program Credits


General Education 37 Credits 
Major Course Requirements 64 Credits
Major Related Requirements 15 Credits
University Electives 6 Credits
Total Credit Hours Required For Degree

122 Credits

NOTE: NYSED content core requirements for certification include a minimum of six semester hours in each of the following subject areas: Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science to ensure sufficient pedagogical skill to teach these subjects. This ensures that candidates have a knowledge base for teaching students with disabilities at the adolescence level the State learning standards as prescribed in Part 100 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of NYS. Students must work with an academic adviser to ensure that this requirement is met. Courses used to meet the University’s General Education program may also be used to meet this requirement.