Admission Requirements

Applications for admission to a Master of Science in Education program in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching are made to the Graduate Admissions Office. Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

1. A completed application form to the master’s program.
2. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 in each of two categories:
   1. Overall undergraduate course work,
   2. Course work in the content area in which certification will be sought,
   Applicants with GPAs between 2.5 and 2.75 may be accepted provisionally, subject to special conditions.
3. Completion of General Education Core prerequisites for teacher education programs.
4. A written personal statement of professional intent and rationale.
5. Two letters of reference that address the applicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession and in graduate course work.
6. A Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree (See Business Content Requirements below.)

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in a graduate program. Consequently, candidates may wish to apply if they do not meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience may compensate.

Required Course Work

Program Requirements - Total Semester Hours: 37

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 while in the program. Grades of D or lower will not be counted toward the graduate degree but will be included in determining the grade point average.

The major in Business Education consists of a minimum of 37 semester hours of course work, including each of the following:

Field Experiences Prior to Student Teaching

At least one field placement must be in a district identified as high-needs by the New York State Education Department. All field experiences are incorporated into course curricula. Students enrolled in SPED 201/264 are placed in educational settings to work with students who have special needs or disabilities. A minimum of 100 clock hours of participation/observation is required prior to student teaching. Placements are arranged by the Office of Field Placement. Departmental policy is to place prospective teachers in districts other than those in which they currently reside or in schools that they attended.

Participation/observation field experiences in designated secondary schools are required in each of the following courses:

• LYST 209 - Language, Culture and Identity: Literacy Issues for Adolescents and Young Adults Semester Hours: 3

• 10-hour field placement in varied settings, grades 7-12

• LYST 215A - Language and Literacy in Middle Childhood and Adolescence Semester Hours: 3

• 10-hour field placement in varied settings, grades 7-12

• LYST 217A - Reading and Writing With Adolescents Semester Hours: 3

• 10-hour field placement in varied settings, grades 7-12

• SED 213 - Adolescent Development and Learning Semester Hours: 3

• 20-hour field placement in varied settings, grades 7-9

• SED 264 - General Methods of Teaching Semester Hours: 3

• 20-hour field placement in a high-needs district, grades 7-12

• SED 296 - Instructional Patterns for Business and Information Systems Semester Hours: 3

• 30-hour field placement in varied settings, grades 10-12

• SPED 201 - The Exceptional Child Semester Hours: 3

• 20-hour field placement in settings with special-needs students, grades 7-12

• SPED 264 - Inclusion in Today’s Schools Semester Hours: 3

• 20-hour field placement in settings with special-needs students, grades 7-12

Student Teaching Prerequisites

Students will qualify for admission to Student Teaching, SED 217, or Supervised Teaching, SED 218, when they have satisfied the following requirements:

1. Completion of SED 200, 205, 213, 264, 296; LYST 209/215A/217A, and SPED 201/264.
   
2. A grade point average of 3.0 or higher in overall graduate course work.

Application forms may be obtained from the Office of Field Placement. Applications are due on October 1 for the succeeding spring semester and March 1 for the succeeding fall semester.

Graduation Requirements

Graduation from the program requires:

1. Completion of all General Education Core requirements.
2. Completion of all business and special liberal arts requirements.
3. Completion of the 37 s.h. course requirements in the M.S. in Education program with no fewer than 28 s.h. in residence.
4. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.
5. An electronic portfolio, illustrating the student’s education course work and professional accomplishments.
6. All course work taken in satisfaction of the degree requirements must have been completed within a five-year period.

Teacher Certification

Upon successful completion of a teacher education program, students will be eligible to apply for the University’s recommendation for New York state certification. Students are required to have passing scores on each of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE): the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W), and the appropriate Content Specialty Tests (CSTs). Students not receiving passing scores on all New York state required examinations will not be eligible for certification. In addition to fulfilling educational requirements, the New York State Education Department requires that all prospective teachers being recommended for teacher education programs receive instruction for the purpose of preventing child abuse, maltreatment and child abduction and preventing alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse. In addition, a seminar on SAVE legislation, and a seminar on safety education and fire and arson prevention are required in accordance with the Education Laws. No student is recommended for certification without the completion of all of these requirements. Please contact the Advisement and Certification Office for information regarding the fingerprinting requirement and any other specific requirements regarding certification.

Footnotes

* Course requires participation/observation in designated schools.