4+1 Art and Design Education BFA and Students With Disabilities: All Grades - Inservice, MS
Earn a BFA in Art and Design Education and an MS in Teaching Students With Disabilities in just five years and be on your way to a specialized teaching career. You’ll graduate with dual New York State teaching certification and be poised to teach art to students in K-12 classrooms, including those with special needs.
Why Earn a Combined BFA in Art & Design Education and MS in Special Education?
Inspire students of all ages, abilities and learning styles through the power of art. This accelerated degree primes students for impactful careers as art educators in both general and special education settings, bringing art into the classroom to enrich students’ lives and help them reach their fullest potential. Learn to cultivate inclusive learning environments that spark creativity, foster collaboration and break down barriers—both disciplinary and systemic. As a certified practitioner in both visual arts education and special education, you’ll have the knowledge and hands-on teaching experience to create a classroom climate in which every student can thrive.
Why Earn Your Combined BFA in Art & Design Education and MS in Special Education at Adelphi in New York?
- Save a full year of tuition with our accelerated 4+1 degree pathway, which condenses the traditional six-year path to dual teacher certification into just five.
- Graduate with two in-demand New York State certifications: Visual Arts Education and Students with Disabilities (SWD) All Grades.
- Benefit from Adelphi’s one-of-a-kind degree design, featuring a deep integration of the studio and classroom learning.
- Shape your degree to match your unique passions—from art therapy to animation or museum education—as you learn to develop and facilitate arts-based programs.
- Work with world-class professors on our Garden City campus who are committed to improving education for all students.
- Gain hands-on teaching experience through field placements in public and private schools that emphasize the unique needs of children with disabilities.
What Can You Do With a Combined BFA in Art & Design Education and MS in Special Education?
With two specialized teacher certifications in New York State, you’ll be well-positioned to succeed in many educational settings. Adelphi alums teach in classrooms from preschool to high school, creating individualized, arts-based education plans that meet students’ learning needs. Our graduates also go on to work as:
- Academic intervention specialists, conducting assessments, developing interventions, and working with students, teachers and parents to provide support for learning and behavioral concerns.
- Consultants, providing advice and support on assessment, instruction and behavior management to schools, organizations and families on issues related to special education.
- Curriculum specialists, developing and implementing art programs for students with disabilities and working with teachers and other professionals to build an appropriate, effective curriculum.
- Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS) teacher, providing specialized instruction to students with disabilities based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) to help students meet their educational goals.
My professors have helped me prove to myself that this is the career I’m meant to have. They’ve given me so many confidence-boosting opportunities to teach outside of school that have shown me I’m capable of pursuing this path.
Rebecca Yackel ‘21
BFA in Art and Design Education
Exceptional Hands-On Learning
At Adelphi, we believe that hands-on experience is key to setting our students up for career success. In the Art and Design Education BFA, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to nourish your own artistic passions through courses in studio art, art history and contemporary art. Thanks to our robust network of professional partnerships across New York, you’ll also accumulate more than 500 internship hours at a museum, school or nonprofit, gaining exposure to the many different ways that people can make, present, interpret and teach art.
When it’s time to focus on your teacher training, we go hands on from day one. Adelphi’s special education graduate program courses are grounded in field-based methods, so you can hone your skills in New York classrooms long before you enter the formal student teaching practicum. In addition to the experience you’ll receive on campus, you can explore teaching in practicum settings such as:
Program Info
Admissions Requirements
To find out more about certificate and degree options, application requirements, and to submit your application, visit the BFA in Art and Design Education and Special Education (Teaching Students with Disabilities) program information.
Understanding Costs and Savings
Learn about the costs you can expect, and discover how scholarships, grants and financial aid packages can put an Adelphi education within reach. For this 4+1 program, you will pay undergraduate tuition rates for years one through four, and the graduate tuition rate for your fifth and final year.
Transformative Educational Opportunities
All undergraduate students, including those choosing to join a 4+1 degree program, have the opportunity to apply for the following programs to expand their educational landscape:
- The Honors College – fostering intellectual perspectives and critical skills
- Levermore Global Scholars – preparing students to become global thinkers and leaders
- Study Abroad – providing opportunities to experience another culture and see the world from a new perspective
FAQs: Art and Design Education BFA or Special Education MS
You can teach and advocate for students with disabilities, upholding the dignity of every child and adolescent, creating a climate in which all children and families are valued and respected.
Adelphi’s BFA in art and design education will put you on the path to earn the New York State Certificate Students with Disabilities (SWD) All Grades – PreK-12 (Initial and Professional Certificates).
This combined degree is for art students wanting to teach art, while gaining additional teaching skills in special education, giving them more skills to teach diverse, neurodivergent and special needs populations.
Students can pursue full-time teaching in art in the K-12 grades while also having skills to teach students with special needs in the PreK-12 populations.
Awards & Recognition
