Program Overview:
The Master’s Degree program in Curriculum and Instruction is designed for teacher candidates seeking New York State professional or permanent certification at the graduate level. The program encourages the development of education professionals who are reflective practitioners, able to link content, theory, and practice, and able to create effective learning environments for children with the full range of abilities and experiential backgrounds. In addition, the program offers candidates the opportunity to select a twelve-credit content strand within the program (see illustration below) for one of the following:
- Second initial certification in early childhood education (birth-grade 2)
- Second initial certification in childhood (elementary) education (grades 1-6)
- Grade 5-6 OR grade 7-9 extension to one’s current certification
- An extension to one’s certification in bilingual education-Spanish
- Extensive preparation in content and pedagogy within one’s current area of certification
The degree in Curriculum and Instruction may be earned by those who hold initial certification in one of the following teaching areas: early childhood education, childhood education, or adolescence education. Adolescence education candidates may hold initial certification in one of the following content areas: biology, business and marketing (may enter only 3 & 6 depicted in the graphic above), chemistry, earth science, English, mathematics, social studies, or Spanish. Applicants who are not initially or provisionally certified in a teaching area, but wish to be, should apply for admission to one of the following master’s level programs that lead to initial certification: Early Childhood Education, Childhood (Elementary) Education, Childhood/Special Education, Adolescence (Secondary) Education, or Adolescence/Special Education, described in other sections of this catalog.
Objectives
Consistent with the Conceptual Framework of the School of Education of The College of Saint Rose, graduates of the Curriculum and Instruction program must demonstrate:
- The ability to ensure the curricular connections between content areas and relevant pedagogical practices;
- Knowledge of the connections between schools and society and the culturally relevant pedagogy of historically underrepresented groups;
- Effective oral and written communication and interpersonal skills;
- Understanding of the processes and issues related to curriculum development;
- The ability to apply appropriate learning and measurement theory to teaching;
- Knowledge of the role of literacy and its multiple forms in learning;
- The ability to interpret, synthesize, apply, and conduct educational research; and
- The ability to integrate technology with teaching, learning and classroom management.
Program Contacts:
To email the chairperson of Teacher Education,
Dr. Christina Pfister, Teacher Education
Program Webpage,
Curriculum and Instruction M.S.E.D.
Program Requirements for Degree and College Recommendation or New York State Certification:
The program in Curriculum and Instruction requires a minimum of 30 to 33 credits of study. The program has three core areas: the Research Core (6-9 credits), the Content and Pedagogy Core (12 credits), and the Elective Content Strand (12 credits). There is also a Final Evaluation requirement (see below).
Upon fulfilling the academic requirements of the program, candidates qualify for professional or permanent certification in a teaching certification area in New York State. Depending on the content track chosen, candidates may also qualify for second initial certification, an extension, or the Advanced Certificate in Teaching and Learning. Course work may include course-embedded field experience hours that must be completed during the normal school day. Students must obtain fingerprint clearance from the New York State Department of Education prior to the beginning of all field experiences. Fingerprinting information is available in the Field Placement and Advising Office of the School of Education, and on the New York State Department of Education website http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach.
Candidates who choose a content track leading to second initial certification must apply for Advanced Field Experience in accordance with program guidelines, and pass the New York State Teacher Certification Examination(s) required for their chosen content track. Candidates must apply for certification to the New York State Education Department. Application must be completed online through the New York State Department of Education “TEACH” website. Application instructions and links can be found on The College of Saint Rose website at http://www.strose.edu/officesandresources/registrar/teachercertification.
In addition, students seeking a second initial certification must show evidence of a three credit special education course. The course should include the nature and needs of individuals with disabilities, the special education process and state and federal special education laws and regulations. Students may also need to show evidence of attending a Dignity for All Students Workshop.
Final Evaluation
Candidates for the Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction are expected to demonstrate competency in two broad areas: basic research skills and knowledge of educational theory and practice. Final evaluation of all candidates will be based on two criteria:
- Satisfactory performance in course work; and
- Satisfactory performance in Integrative Research Seminar or completion of a Thesis approved by the student’s thesis committee (for requirements for writing a thesis, see A Guide to the Preparation of Master’s Theses, available through the website of the Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions office, http://www.strose.edu/graduateadmissions/faculty).
Program Requirements for the Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction:
The 30 to 33 credits of graduate study include:
Research Core 6-9 Credits
EPY 500 (required course; must be completed within the first 12 credits)
Thesis may be taken for three or six credits, but students who wish to stay within the 30-credit minimum should select Thesis for three credits.
Content and Pedagogy Core 12 Credits
| EDU 501 | Introduction to Portfolio for Professional Certification | 0 |
| EDU 556 | Developmental Professional Portfolio | 0 |
| EDU 503 | Curriculum Theory & Development | 3 |
| EDU 540 | Informal Student-based Assessment | 3 |
| EDU 550 | Advanced Instructional Design (PK-12) | 3 |
EDU 501: (Candidates must register for EDU 501 concurrently with the first course in the program.)
EDU 556: (Candidates register for this course during the semester in which they plan to complete the Portfolio, usually the last semester of coursework.)
Choose one course related to School and Society 3 Credits
| EDU 508 | Multicultural Educ. in US | 3 |
| EDU 512 | Education in the Americas | 3 |
| EDU 515 | Global and Comparative Sociology of Education | 3 |
Elective Content Track (choose one track) 12 Credits
There are six elective tracks. The first five tracks offer choices for candidates who elect to pursue a certification, extension, or certificate that is in addition to the one(s) they currently hold.
The sixth track does not yield a new area of certification. All track choices, along with the other requirements for this Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, provide the academic preparation needed for professional or permanent certification.
1. Second Initial Certification in Childhood (Elementary) Education: Grades 1-6 (12 Credits)
This track is a choice for students who hold initial certification in Early Childhood Education.
| LRC 520 | Advanced Developmental Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) | 3 |
| | or | |
| ELE 516 | Literacy in the Intermediate Grades | 3 |
| ELE 585 | Methods of Teaching Language Arts and Social Studies 1-6 | 3 |
| ELE 586 | Methods of Teaching Science and Math 1-6 | 3 |
| ELE 587 | Advanced Field Experience: Childhood Education | 3-6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Additional certification exams may be required. Contact your advisor.
2. Second Initial Certification in Early Childhood Education: Birth-Grade 2 (12 Credits)
This track is a choice for students who hold initial certification in Childhood Education.
| LRC 520 | Advanced Developmental Literacy (Birth-Grade 6) | 3 |
| | or | |
| ECE 536 | Language and Literacy Learning in a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Society, Birth to Kindergarten | 3 |
| | or | |
| | another 3-credit LRC elective, chosen in consultation with the advisor | 3 |
| ECE 530 | Foundations of Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| ECE 531 | Infant, Toddler, and Preschool Education & Guidance | 3 |
| ECE 587 | Advanced Field Experience: Early Childhood | 3 or6 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Additional certification exams may be required. Contact your advisor.
3. Extension in Bilingual Education (12 Credits)
This track is a choice for students who hold initial certification and who are proficient in Spanish. The New York State Education Department offers an extension for bilingual education to the provisional/initial or permanent/professional teaching certificate. An extension will show that the certified teacher has additional expertise to teach bilingual education in his/her area of initial certification.
| BLE 500 | Foundations of Bilingual Education | 3 |
| BLE 508 | Spanish Sociolinguistics and Psycholiguistics | 3 |
| BLE 580 | Methods for Teaching Native Language Arts and Content Areas to Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| BLE 581 | Methods for Teaching English Language Arts and Content Areas to Bilingual Learners | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Required New York State Certification Exam: Bilingual Education Assessment (BEA) for Spanish.
4. Extension in a content area in Grades 5 and 6 (12 Credits)
This track is a choice for students who hold initial certification in a content area in grades 7- 12. The New York State Education Department offers an extension for grades 5-6 to the teaching certificate for adolescence education—grades 7-12. The extension to teach in grades 5 and 6 is designed to enable students to create developmentally appropriate classroom contexts for learning in the content areas of their certification (biology, chemistry, earth science, English/language arts, mathematics, social studies, or Spanish). An extension will show that the certified adolescence teacher has added expertise in the area of the extension.
| EDU 530 | Middle School Education: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| EPY 522 | Child Psychology and Development | 3 |
| ELE 516 | Literacy in the Intermediate Grades | 3 |
Choose ONE 3-credit elementary methods course, depending on certification area:
| ELE 585 | Methods of Teaching Language Arts and Social Studies 1-6 | 3 |
| ELE 586 | Methods of Teaching Science and Math 1-6 | 3 |
| ELE 588 | Methods of Teaching Foreign Language in the Elementary School | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Additional certification exams may be required. Contact your advisor.
5. Extension in a content area in Grades 7-9 (12 Credits)
This track is a choice for students who hold initial certification in childhood education and an academic concentration of at least 30 credits in a content area (biology, chemistry, earth science, English, mathematics, physics, social studies or Spanish). The New York State Education Department offers an extension for grades 7-9 to the initial or second initial certification obtained for childhood education (grades 1-6). An extension will show that the certified childhood education teacher has additional expertise to teach a subject in grades 7-9.
| EDU 530 | Middle School Education: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| EPY 523 | Adolescent Psychology and Development | 3 |
| SEC 518 | Literacy Improvement: Secondary Schools | 3 |
Choose ONE 3-credit secondary methods course, depending on certification area:
| SEC 520 | Methods of Teaching English in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEC 521 | Methods of Teaching Foreign Language in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEC 522 | Methods of Teaching Mathematics in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEC 523 | Methods of Teaching Science in the Secondary School | 3 |
| SEC 524 | Methods of Teaching Social Studies in the Secondary School | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Additional certification exams may be required. Contact your advisor.
6. Elective strand (12 Credits)
Students who choose this track of the program select, with pre-approval of the academic advisor, twelve credits of course work in a content area and/or in advanced pedagogy. This track allows candidates to pursue in-depth study within their current areas of certification.
Total Credit Hours: 30-33
Internship/Field Experience/Service:
Each track has field work embedded across course work.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Required Courses:
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs are fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The specialized accrediting agencies noted below are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
General Admission Information
Eligibility for admission to The College of Saint Rose graduate programs is typically based upon the following minimum requirements:
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Submission of a completed application and a Statement of Purpose of approximately 300 words detailing the applicant’s goals for graduate study.
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Evidence of the possession of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution through submission of official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended
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Academic and professional qualifications for graduate study, as indicated by two letters of recommendation.
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A grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), overall and in the undergraduate major.
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Other admission criteria specified by academic programs such as submission of resumes, writing samples, portfolios, test scores, and participation in interviews or admissions workshops.
Applicants to The College of Saint Rose are responsible for completing their applications by submitting all required components. Prospective students may wish to visit our website for online application options and downloadable forms.
See Graduate Admissions section for more information.
Financial Aid
The College of Saint Rose has long been committed to the premise that a quality education should be within the reach of qualified students. To this end, the College serves its student body through a comprehensive program of federal, state, and institutional financial aid. While the basic responsibility for financing education lies with the students and their families, scholarships, loans, and/or assistantships can supplement insufficient family resources. The amount of aid available through the College is limited and is awarded on the basis of academic merit. All financial assistance from the College is subject to adjustment if the recipients are later granted aid from other sources. Financial aid awards are contingent upon students’ maintaining good academic standing and satisfactory academic progress.
See Financial Aid section for more information.
Additional Curriculum and Instruction Admission Information
Admission to the program in Curriculum and Instruction is contingent upon meeting general admissions requirements for graduate study at The College of Saint Rose. Applicants may be required to have a personal interview with a representative from the Department of Teacher Education. In addition, to qualify for admission, candidates must meet the following certification requirement:
- Certification requirement: initial certification in a teaching area: early childhood education, childhood education, or adolescence education. A copy of the initial certification or certificate of qualification must be included with the application.
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