About the Department

NEWS: Exceptional Education's Fall 2012 Semester Newsletter

The first teachers from the Exceptional Education Department at Buffalo State graduated in 1953, when efforts to educate students with disabilities were relatively new. In 1975, New York State passed a law requiring that an education be provided to children with disabilities of all types. Since then, the need for teachers to serve students with disabilities has grown, and the role of the special educator has grown and evolved as well.

Today, the Exceptional Education Department has a combined enrollment of approximately 800 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. We also have a joint doctoral program in special education with the University at Buffalo (SUNY) which has been in operation since the late 1980s.

The skills, knowledge, and competencies identified in professional, accreditation, and state standards for special educators guide the foundation of our course offerings and our program development. The department insures that students who complete the Exceptional Education program meet the New York State Certification requirements.

Read more about Buffalo State's history.