This dual degree program leads to two initial or professional certifications: Students with Disabilities: Early Childhood Birth - Grade 2 and Early Childhood Birth - Grade 2. The program is suitable for students pursuing a B.S. in Therapeutic Recreation who wish to obtain teaching certification through earning the M.S in Infant/Toddler Early Childhood Special Education.
Students can apply as early as their second semester of their sophomore year for the dual degree program. Qualified students who are accepted to the 5 year program will enroll in one graduate course for each semester of their junior and senior year.
Undergraduates are eligible for admission to the dual degree program after completing 60 credits, 21 of which must be completed at St. Joseph’s University and an overall and major GPA of 3.0.
Applicants are required to complete (as part of the 60 credits) the following courses with a grade of C or better:
- CS 121 - Psychology of the Exceptional Child
- CS 324 - Special Education: Curriculum, Methods, and Materials I
These four courses may count as major and/or general elective requirements at the undergraduate level, and incur no extra tuition beyond the regular undergraduate tuition. Upon undergraduate graduation, the student will complete the remaining graduate courses for the Graduate degree. Information about this Graduate Degree can be found in the Graduate Digital Catalog
Applicable CSI courses that can be completed as part of the undergraduate program:
1. CSI 505 (taken in the fall of the junior year)
2. CSI 705 (taken in the spring of junior year)
3. CSI 525 (taken in the fall of senior year)
4. CSI 605 (taken spring in the spring of senior year