Department of Developmental and Special Education
School of Education
About the Department
Want to be the teacher who unlocks every student’s potential?
The Department of Development and Special Education has two nationally accredited bachelor of arts dual certificate degree programs in general and special education, which are among the few dual certificate programs in New York City!
Our Programs
Majors/Minors
We offer a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Early Childhood Special Education (Birth to Grade 2). Also, we offer Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Special Education (currently in Grades 1-6 with changes being made to fulfill the New York State Department of Education mandate to offer general education 1-6 and special education K-12+). Last, we offer a Minor in Early intervention for non-education students.
Majors
Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Special Education, Birth to Second Grade
Master interdisciplinary curricula (Birth-Gr 2). Educate to liberate via critical and computational thinking, behavior analysis, and universal design to empower students with/without disabilities to read, write, and do math. Learn More
Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Special Education, Grade 1-6
Master integrated curricula and child development for grades 1-6. Educate to liberate through critical thinking using computational thinking, universal design, and behavioral interventions to support students with/without disabilities to grow & glow. Learn More
Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Special Education, Birth to Grade 2 (Online)
Young children are the society’s foundation, Experience academic rigor with radical flexibility. Our online program is interactive demonstrating how to build language/literacy numeracy and other skills to prepare you to teach children with and without disabilities
Bachelor of Arts in Childhood Special Education, Grade 1-6 (Online)
Our online program blends academic rigor with radical flexibility. Prepare to teach children with/ without disabilities through an interactive curriculum designed for real-world impact. Gain a prestigious, career-ready credential on your schedule.
Minors
Minor in Early Intervention
For non-education majors, this minor provides critical skills to assess and provide effective intervention for young children with diverse developmental disabilities, significantly enhancing careers in fields like Psychology, Social Work, and counseling. Learn More
Your Career Advantage: Diverse Paths & Earning Potential
Students who graduate with one of our dual-certificate degrees in general education and special education will find that career paths can be extremely diverse. Our graduates will become certified to teach in the classroom, and many choose to become full-time lead special education teachers immediately following graduation.
Some of our graduates have used their initial certifications to catapult them onto career paths open to people who have a special education degree. These careers include:
- Special Education Classroom Teacher
Starting salary: $57,000-$70,000 - Early Childhood Special Education Classroom Teacher
Starting salary: $57,000-$70,000 - Early Intervention Specialist
Starting salary: $40,000-$80,000 - Special Education Advocate
Starting salary: $37,000-$65,000 - School Counselor
$60,000-$70,000 - Daycare Director
$41,000-$100,000 - Reading/Math Specialist
Starting salary: $57,000-$70,000 - Resource Room Teacher
Starting salary: $55,000-$75,000 - Interventionist
Starting salary: $45,000-$55,000 - Behavior/ABA Therapist
Starting salary: $52,000-$78,000 - Principal/Assistant Principal
Starting salary: $75,000-$125,000
Expert
Faculty
You’ll be trained by professors who aren’t just experts in theory—they’re experienced teachers and special education advocates who have been exactly where you want to be: in the classroom.
Our faculty specializes in both early childhood development (Birth-Grade 2) and elementary learning strategies (Grades 1-6). This means they understand the entire developmental journey of a child with special needs.