Teaching Students with Disabilities

Yes, you will become certified as a teacher in Students with Disabilities, Birth – Grade 12 upon completion of this undergraduate degree

Successful completion of coursework and other academic requirements.

The School of Education offers a Master of Science in Education with a concentration in one of the following areas: Early Childhood Education, Birth-Grade 2; Childhood Education, Grades 1-6; Secondary Education, 7-12; Teaching Literacy, Birth-Grade 12; Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL); Educational Supervision; Educational Administration.

This program is designed for incoming undergraduate students looking to become a teacher. 

Transfer students are also eligible to complete the program. Depending on credits being transferred into the program students may need to complete the UG version of this program and pursue a 1 year degree in the MS education program that best fits their background. 

B.S. in Teaching Students with Disabilities
General Education Requirements: 60 credits
Major Concentration: Teaching Students with Disabilities: 36 credits
Open Electives: 24 credits

Total: 120 credits

This undergraduate program allows students to complete a BS in Teaching Students with Disabilities (SWD) and get  recommended for NYS teacher certification in SWD, birth-grade 12 (all grades) at the completion of the undergraduate degree. As part of their undergraduate major requirements, students will take 15 graduate level education credits that have the option of being counted toward both undergraduate and graduate level credit. 

Students must accumulate 30 credits in one liberal arts and sciences content area through the general education and open elective coursework as part of NYS teacher certification requirements. Students select a liberal arts content area from one of the Liberal Arts Disciplinary Groupings comprising the general education curriculum. 

4+1 Program - Curriculum Requirements
Additional Graduate Credits
Early Childhood Education: 18 credits
Childhood Education: 18 credits
Adolescence Education: 15 credits

Upon completing the B.S. degree in Teaching Students with Disabilities, students may apply the 15 graduate level credits they completed as part of their undergraduate major requirements to a MS degree and receive recommendation for an additional NYS teacher certificate in either Early Childhood Education (birth to grade 2), Childhood Education (grades 1-6), or Adolescence Education (English, Math, Social Studies, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, or Earth Science, grades 7-12), depending on which 30-credit content area they pursued as an undergraduate student.

Students must accumulate 30 credits in one liberal arts and sciences content area through the general education and open elective coursework as part of the NYS teacher certification requirements. Students interested in the 4+1 BS/MS option are limited to one of the 4 core content areas taught in schools: English, math, social studies, or science for their liberal arts content area.

For an adolescence certificate, the 30-credit liberal arts content area must match the content area of the certificate. For SWD, early childhood education, and childhood education, any of these liberal arts and sciences content areas are acceptable.

For a full curriculum listing visit our catalog.

The programs of study in the School of Education are designed to provide professional preparation for candidates planning to teach and serve as educational leaders.

Mission Statement of the School of Education

The Mercy University educational unit is dedicated to preparing effective educators, including teachers and other school professionals, who are reflective practitioners, equipped with the knowledge base, technological skills, research tools, and professional strategies and insights to empower them to help diverse populations of students succeed in their learning and community environments. The values of competency, diversity, and ethical practice support the proficient development of candidates enabling them to become skilled professionals and lifelong learners. The unit is committed to creating innovative, flexible, and accessible programs of study for its candidates, and to developing partnerships and opportunities for collaboration and clinical experiences within Mercy University and with external communities.

Please refer to the general requirements for admission and matriculation in the Graduate Admissions section of the course catalog. Please review the prerequisite preparation for each program and consult with the program chair or associate dean. 

To be accepted into the B.S. Education program, students must: 

• Be a high school graduate who has earned a New York State Regents Diploma with an 85 average or better

or

• Be a high school graduate with a score of 500 or better on the verbal portion of the SAT and 500 or better on the math portion of the SAT or corresponding ACT

or

• Place at ENGL 111 and MATH 115 on the Mercy University Placement exam

Students must have earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts with an overall GPA of 3.0. Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 each semester at Mercy University to remain in the Five-Year Program and must adhere to the above requirements.

Students who do not meet the above admission criteria may apply to the dual program upon completion of the 60-credit General Education requirement and completion of at least 15 credits in their major field of study with a GPA of 3.0 or better. Thirty credits must be taken in residency at Mercy University.

Students must submit an Effective Educator Statement to complete their application. You can download requirements here. 

Please submit the completed statement to your application portal. 

All initial certification programs are nationally recognized by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

Download a copy of our academic sequence map: 

• 2025 - 2026 Teaching Students with Disabilities Early Childhood and Childhood, Advanced Certificate

Archive:

• 2024 - 2025 Teaching Students with Disabilities Early Childhood and Childhood, Advanced Certificate