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The Joint B.S./M.S. or standalone M.S. in Special Education with Gratz College

 

WITS and Gratz college have partnered to offer students a Master of Science in Special Education.  The M.S. in Special Education focuses on the growth and academic success of students with diverse learning needs, and the teacher's essential role in creating, assessing, and intervening to ensure that success.  

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The Gratz M.S. in Special Education is an online, asynchronous program where students take one to two courses each semester. Semesters are 8-weeks long and held throughout the year.  Students applying through WITS will be in a dedicated cohort within the program. In addition to the general special education curriculum, coursework in the WITS cohort will address the unique needs of special education within the Jewish school environment.  

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The ten-course (30-credit) program emphasizes both the student experience, and the teacher's role in instructional design, assessment and intervention. Five specialized special education courses prepare teachers for success in the contemporary landscape of special education. This program is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) for students seeking the PK through Grade 12 Special Education certification in Pennsylvania. Maryland, as well as many other states, offers certification for teachers who have completed an education program leading to state certification. Please see https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/DEE/Certification/Routes-to-Initial-Certification.aspx for more information and requirements for Maryland States certification. Students seeking certification must complete an additional 3 credits which include a student teaching requirement.  

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The B.S./M.S. option is for WITS undergraduate students enrolled in the B.S. degree program in Jewish Education. The WITS cohort of the M.S. program is open to all Orthodox Jewish women, whether they attended WITS for undergrad or not.  

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Highlights of the program include: 
 

1. A dedicated cohort for WITS students that covers the challenges and opportunities of teaching within the Jewish school system 

2. For students who attended WITS for their bachelor’s degree, 9 credits of specific WITS education courses can be applied towards the foundational course requirements of the degree. Students who complete these courses at WITS will only require an additional 21 credits at Gratz College to complete the M.S. degree.  

3. Students in the joint B.S./M.S. program can apply 9 credits from the M.S. program to their B.A. degree AND 9 credits from the B.A. degree to the M.S. degree.  

4. Students in the WITS cohort can complete the M.S. degree in 12-18 months.  

5. WITS cohort students have a special tuition rate of $425 per credit.

 

The WITS courses that fulfill the Gratz foundational education requirements are as follows: 

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Gratz requirement: Instructional Practice 

EDU 320: Instructional Design  

 

Gratz requirement: Student Experience 

EDU 360: Classroom Techniques and Management  

EDU 322: Teaching Reading and Writing 

 

Gratz requirement: Equity, Inclusion & Opportunity 

PSY 383: Survey of Exceptional Children 

JED 330: Teaching Tanach for Impact and Independence 

EDU 265: Integrating Technology in the Classroom 
 

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Apply Now

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New students: To apply for the WITS cohort of Gratz College’s M.S in Special Education program CLICK HERE

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WITS students and alumnae: To apply for this program, contact Mrs. Ring at cring@wits.edu.  ​

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