Program Overview
| Education Coordinator | Latanya Brandon, (845) 257-3118, brandonl@newpaltz.edu |
| Biology Coordinator | Jeff Reinking, (845) 257-3771, reinkinj@newpaltz.edu |
| Program ID | 031B |
| Credits | 30 |
| Program Length | Students must complete the program within 5 years. |
| Full-time/Part-time | Either |
| Transfer Credits | 6-9 |
| Capstone | Portfolio |
| Certification/Licensure | NYSED Professional Teaching Certification in Adolescent Education: Biology |
Program Description
The Master of Science in Education (MSEd.) is a 30 credit graduate program designed with flexibility in mind. It allows initially certified adolescence educators the opportunity to tailor the program to their interests. At its core, the MSEd. aims to deepen teachers' knowledge of subject content, of the theory and practice of teaching and learning, and of the diverse contexts of education. In a two-semester course, students develop skills in research-based inquiry focused on the classroom. This graduate program enables students to complete the curriculum requirement for professional certification in New York State.
Admission Requirements
- Submit one official transcript of all college course work.
- A 3.0 or better GPA in all undergraduate course work and in an appropriate undergraduate major.
- The undergraduate major should be comparable in breadth, depth, and rigor to the New Paltz undergraduate major in the same field. including course work that includes a broad and rigorous general education component
- Evidence of valid NYS Initial Teaching Certification in Adolescence Ed: Biology (grades 7-12)
- Write an admissions essay responding to the following prompt:
- Reflect on a time when your idea or belief was questioned or challenged. Or, conversely, reflect on a time when your idea or belief was validated. What happened? In what way(s) could this time be considered a learning experience?
As you reflect, please include at least one reference to the School of Education's Conceptual Framework and discuss how it speaks to your experience.
- Reflect on a time when your idea or belief was questioned or challenged. Or, conversely, reflect on a time when your idea or belief was validated. What happened? In what way(s) could this time be considered a learning experience?
- Three academic or professional recommendations are required. At least two of your recommendations should be from professors with whom you have taken courses.
- Applicants who graduated from college more than 5 years ago should make every effort to obtain such references and/or equivalent professional references (e.g. job supervisor). We will not accept references from friends or family members.
Application Deadlines
| March 1 | Fall Semester |
| October 1 | Spring Semester |
Applications received after this date will be considered; however, enrollment is not guaranteed.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION (6 Credits) | ||
| SED566 | Education Across Borders:International Ideas and Experience | 3 |
| EDS580 | Current Issues in Education | 3 |
| DIVERSITY EDUCATION (3 Credits) | ||
| Select one course from the list below: | 3 | |
| Issues in Multicultural Education | ||
| Approaches to Social Justice Educational Studies | ||
| Politics and Ethics of Service | ||
| Race and Gender in Education | ||
| Exploration of Gender in Education | ||
| Social-Emotional Learning for Social Justice | ||
| RESEARCH REQUIREMENT (6 Credits) | ||
| SED701 | Inquiry into Teaching, Learning, and School: Part I | 3 |
| SED702 | Inquiry into Teaching, Learning, and School: Part II Every Semester | 3 |
| ELECTIVES (15 Credits) | ||
| Consult your Advisor for appropriate elective courses. | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
Graduate Checklist
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Apply for graduation via my.newpaltz.edu under “Graduation” tab according to the schedule in the academic calendar.
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Resolve any pending admission conditions (outlined in your acceptance letter) and/or missing documents if applicable.
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Review your progress report via my.newpaltz.edu to ensure that you have completed all program requirements.
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Remember that only two grades below a B- may be applied to your plan of study
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Contact your advisor if you need to amend your plan or process transfer credit.
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Ensure that you are in good academic standing with a GPA (Grade Point Average) of 3.0 or higher.
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Pass your capstone or culminating assessment.
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Complete your degree within the specified time limit outlined in the Program Overview.
Program Requirements
Complete prescribed course work and other requirements within five years after matriculation.
Deficiencies in the candidate’s undergraduate preparation in the subject area or major shall be remedied by early advisement with the Secondary Education advisor.
Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, with no more than two grades below B-.
Program Learning Objectives
Adolescence Education Biology (MSEd)
Candidates who successfully complete all required components of the Adolescence Biology program at SUNY New Paltz will:
- Content Knowledge: Enhance content area through synthesizing scientific conceptual understandings with pedagogical practice and implementation.
- Planning: Be able to plan lessons in science that are NYSP-12SLS standards-based, are clear and organized, rely upon a variety of appropriate pedagogical practices, include appropriate technologies, and differentiate instruction that provides opportunities to promote appreciation of diversity, tolerance, and inclusion in safe, democratic, and equitable learning environments.
- Assessment and P-12 Learning: Be able to choose, design, and implement authentic and appropriate formative and summative assessments to evaluate student learning, consider assessment data when making instructional decisions, and identify effective or problematic teaching moments as they are occurring in order to facilitate student growth in specified content, cognitive skills, and/or social skills.
- Pedagogical Practice: Demonstrate the ability to maximize student learning by incorporating content with pedagogical knowledge, utilizing appropriate and effective technology, and implementing a variety of developmentally and contextually appropriate evidence-based instructional strategies to make learning meaningful and relevant for students while teaching.
- Dispositions: Exhibit the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to practice an ethically informed and self-reflective philosophy, participate effectively in institutional change, and develop respectful relationships with students, families, communities and colleagues.
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Critical Thinking and Reasoning: Clearly articulate an issue or problem; identify, analyze, and evaluate ideas, data, and arguments as they engage in planning, assessing, and teaching; and acknowledge limitations such as perspective and bias as they develop well-reasoned arguments to form judgements and/or draw conclusions that support pedagogical decisions.
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Information Literacy: Locate appropriate resources effectively using appropriate tools; evaluate information with an awareness of authority, validity, and bias; and demonstrate an understanding of the ethical dimensions of information use, creation, and dissemination as they relate to the field of education.
