The Master of Science for Teachers Childhood Education program (Grades 1-6) has been designed to meet certification regulations of The New York State Education Department as well as the standards of the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). This program is nationally recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and leads to Initial Childhood (grades 1-6) certification.

Requirements for Admission

General Graduate Admission Requirements  Additional Admission Requirements  

1. This program is intended for candidates who do not hold a teaching certificate and seek to earn certification in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6). A bachelor’s degree in any subject area is accepted, however additional coursework may be required, and will vary depending on the student’s specific major.
2. A minimum of 3.0 (A=4.0) GPA in the most recent 60 credit hours of study.
3. Submission of an official GRE exam (other standardized exams may be accepted on a case by case basis).
4. Submission of three professional letters of recommendation with cover sheets from persons who can provide information about the academic and teaching potential of the applicant (e.g., former or current professors, school administrator, or other professional references).
5. Candidates are strongly encouraged to contact the Center for Graduate Studies for details related to their content-core course requirements. All program content-core classes must be fully completed prior to the student teaching semester. A minimum grade of 2.0 in undergraduate courses or 3.0 in graduate courses is required. Candidates must have a minimum of 30 credit hours (of which at least 18 must be upper-division) in liberal arts subject areas appropriate for grades 1-6.
   1. The following individual content core courses are also required, some of which may be used to satisfy the liberal arts subject requirement:
      1. Artistic Expression (a minimum of 3 credits to include two of the following areas: music, visual arts, dance and drama)
      2. Communications (6 credits)
      3. Concepts in History (3 credits)
      4. Humanities (3 credits in Children’s Literature)
      5. Foreign Language (6 credits)
      6. Mathematical Processes (6 credits, 3 of which can include statistics)
      7. Pedagogy (3 credits in human or child development)
      8. Science Processes (6 credits from two areas, one with a lab: biology, chemistry, earth science, and physics)
      9. Social Studies (6 credits from two areas)

A student who does not satisfy one or more of the above may, in some cases, be conditionally admitted.

Additional Degree Information

Candidates may also complete most, but not all, of their degree requirements in the Watertown area.

All degree candidates are required to successfully complete a Culminating Experience in the School of Education and Professional Studies designed to synthesize their academic experiences. GRED 669 - Professional Development Performance Portfolio  generally completed during the student teaching semester satisfies this requirement.

Candidates are required to complete all New York State teaching requirements to earn initial certification. This will include completion of @HLTH 530 - School Health (CA, SAVE, DASA)  (3 credits) and achieving passing scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Exams. These requirements are subject to change.

Student progress is carefully monitored throughout the program based on demonstration of appropriate knowledge, skills and dispositions. Students are provided with information on program expectations in their first semester. Students not making satisfactory progress will be counseled by their adviser and may be dropped from the program.