5-Year Program with Certification in Special Education (K-12) and Elementary Education (K-6)

Students enrolled in the 5-Year Program with Certification in Special Education (K-12) and Elementary Education (K-6) will graduate with an understanding of learning as an active process in which students construct their own knowledge and understandings. They will possess a vision of teaching that recognizes children’s individual and cultural differences, and promotes depth of understanding and problem solving rather than mere curriculum coverage. Through required coursework and guidance from expert faculty, they will also be equipped with the skills needed to identify and assess student learning disabilities and to execute a plan to address and meet the instructional needs of students with mild and moderate cognitive disabilities. Graduates exiting the program will be teacher-researchers who reflect on their practice, and that are armed with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to act as change-makers in the schools and communities they serve.

For more information about the courses in this program, please visit the course catalog and online schedule of classes.

• 45 Undergraduate Course Credits
  • 9.5 Credits – Completed Pre-admission in Sophomore or Junior Year
  • 6 Credits – Completed in the Summer Before Senior Year
  • 14.5 Credits – Completed in the Fall of Senior Year
  • 15 Credits – Completed in the Spring of Senior Year
• 2 no-credit Course Modules – Completed in the Summer Before Senior Year
• 33 Graduate Course Credits
  • 6 Credits – Completed in the Summer Before the 5th Year
  • 15 Credits – Completed in the Fall of the 5th Year
  • 12 Credits – Completed in the Spring of the 5th Year
• Portfolio 
  • Students will archive artifacts from various GSE courses via an online instructional and evaluation system as directed by faculty

Graduates are expected to complete the required course sequence and satisfy their general education requirements and liberal arts credits, as well as complete HIB training, an edTPA performance-based assessment, capstone project, and their portfolio concurrently through completion of their coursework.

Graduates exiting this program will be prepared for immediate employment as K-12 education practitioners in New Jersey public, private, and charter schools. Students often go on to pursue roles as special education teachers, special education consultants, or curriculum development specialists, but may also pursue positions as art, theater, physical education, history, and other subject-specific educators. Beyond roles as practitioners, graduates of this program may also pursue positions such as school administrators, intervention specialists, education consultants, math or literacy coaches, private tutors, education advisors, or consultants in the private, nonprofit, and government sectors.

• Personal Statement
• One Letter of Recommendation
• Passing Praxis Core test scores* in Reading, Writing, and Math
  • or SAT scores* greater than 50th percentile in both Math and Verbal or both Math and Reading
  • or ACT scores* greater than 50th percentile in both Math and English
  • or GRE scores* greater than 50th percentile in both Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning
• Official Undergraduate Transcripts**

*Any test scores submitted must be less than 5 years old as of the application deadline
**The New Jersey Department of Education requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 to be admitted to a teacher education program

1. Collect the materials required for admission
2. Submit your application online at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/
3. Submit supporting materials online
4. Any supporting materials that cannot be submitted electronically should be mailed to Graduate Admissions’ New Brunswick office. Their mailing address can be found here: https://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/about/contact-us

Tuition: 

For tuition and fees information please visit the tuition landing page.

Financial Aid:

While students are encouraged to apply for federal student aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), there are a number of other merit- and need-based support options, including loans and college work-study programs within and external to Rutgers. For more information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid website.

Scholarships, Fellowships & Assistantships:

Generous GSE alumni, friends, and community members have established and continue to donate to more than one dozen fellowships and scholarships to help deserving students reach their goals. These awards are granted on the basis of academic achievement and or financial need. While these awards are competitive, interested students are encouraged to apply for consideration and submit the required materials. Students must also submit a FAFSA application to be eligible.  

To review all current awards and learn more about the donors that established them, please click here.