Program Requirements for Childhood Education

Courses in the Childhood Education Program fulfill requirements for initial certification to teach grades 1-6. Students may also pursue either an extension of the childhood education certification to teach an academic subject in grades 7-9 or dual certification in childhood and teaching students with disabilities (grades 1-6). The additional courses required for the extension or dual certification are listed after the childhood education requirements. Candidates for a middle school extension program are required to complete all the requirements for the childhood education (grades 1-6) program including student teaching before the middle school practicum. Students who are pursuing the 7-9 extension must meet all of the required content courses for adolescence certification. Additionally, all students will need to take and pass the appropriate New York State content specialty test in which the extension will be granted in order to be certified in the extension area.

Proficiency Tests

Before you may enroll in any education course (those starting with an ED prefix) numbered ED 2110 or above or in PSY 2551, PSY 3301, or PSY 3700, you must have passed ALL three Education Proficiency Tests. These are given in language arts/grammar, spelling, and arithmetic. A passing score is 85% or higher. An online tutorial is available through eClass. Failure to pass all three examinations in a timely manner could significantly affect your graduation date. These tests are given by the Office of Student Success. Waivers are permitted ONLY for the first semester of MSMC enrollment for transfer students.

Division of Education Requirements

Students enrolled in an education certification program who have earned at least 45 credits at MSMC, or transfer students who have earned at least 15 credits at MSMC, must maintain a Grade Point Average of 2.75 to remain in the program. Students whose GPA falls below this minimum at the end of any semester will be granted one additional traditional semester to raise it to 2.75. Failure to do so will lead to dismissal from the education program. Students must also achieve a minimum grade of C+ in all required certification courses as well as have a 2.75 minimum GPA to be eligible for student teaching and to be recommended for certification. Students who do not receive a C+ or better in a certification course may repeat the course once. Failure to achieve a grade of C+ or better the second time in the course will lead to dismissal from the program.

Fieldwork Requirement

You must complete at least 100 hours of course-related, supervised fieldwork prior to student teaching in order to earn one teaching certificate. If you wish to pursue dual certification, you must earn an additional 50 hours of supervised fieldwork in the second area of certification.

Student Teaching

Students must complete a semester of full-time student teaching as arranged and supervised by Mount Saint Mary College within 25 miles of the college. Each student has two placements during the semester (i.e., grades 1-3 and 4-6 for childhood programs). All certification courses must be completed before student teaching unless otherwise indicated or approved by an adviser and the Director of Student Teaching. The Student Teaching Handbook outlines policies and procedures that are required in order for students to successfully complete the student teaching experience. The college will not accept transfer credits from other institutions to fulfill the student teaching requirement. Student teaching must be completed within three years of graduation from Mount Saint Mary College.