A student preparing to teach in the elementary school either as a general educator or as a teacher of students with disabilities combines a study of professional courses and student teaching. Students may choose to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science in Education major with a concentration in one of the following areas: Biology, English, History, Mathematics, Science, Social Sciences or STEM (with a concentration in history). Students completing the Bachelor’s of Science in Education degree will earn the Certification in Childhood Education, which prepares a student for a career in teaching in grades 1 through 6 in New York State.
Education Courses
Required Courses (44 credits)
| ED 2051 | ORIENTATION TO TEACHING | 1 |
| ED 2110 | METHODS IN MATHEMATICS- CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
| ED 2120 | LITERACY, TEACHING, AND LEARNING FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS | 4 |
| ED 2510 | LANGUAGE ARTS METHODS FOR CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
| ED 2520 | SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY METHODS FOR CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
| ED 3120 | SOCIAL STUDIES METHODS FOR CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
| PSY 2401/ED 2401 | PSYCHOLOGY OF EXCEPTIONAL LEARNERS | 3 |
| PSY 3050 | DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| PSY 3301 | MANAGING BEHAVIOR IN SPECIAL EDUCATION OR MAINSTREAMED SETTINGS | 3 |
| PSY 3700 | EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES FOR DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION | 3 |
| ED 4650 | USING ASSESSMENT TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING - RTI, MATH and READING | 3 |
| ED 4011 | STUDENT TEACHING: ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS | 9 |
| ED 4240 | INTEGRATIVE FIELDWORK | 3 |
Support Courses (3 credits)
| MTH 2050 | MATH FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER I | 3 |
Biology Concentration
Required Courses (24 credits)
Electives (6-8 credits)
Students must take 6-8 credits in BIO at the 3000- or 4000-level
English Concentration
Required Courses (21 credits)
Electives (9 credits)
Students must take nine (9) ENG elective credits, of which six (6) must be at the 3000- or 4000-level
Additional Notes
ENG 1040 satisfies the literature General Education requirement
History Concentration
Required Courses (24 credits)
Must also take one upper-level non-western history course (HIS 3290 African Civilizations, 4020 History of Latin America, HIS 4040 History of Asia, HIS 4050 Modern East Asia, OR HIS 4210 History of the Modern Middle East)
Electives (6 credits)
Students may take 6 credits in the following:
Upper-level American History
Upper-level European History
HIS 3550 Globalization OR HIS/POS 3030 Global Politics 1890-1950 OR HIS/POS Global Politics 1950-2020
Required if seeking Middle School extension
Mathematics Concentration - Elementary Mathematics Specialist
Required Courses (20-21 credits)
Students may place out of MTH 2121 Calculus I lab
Electives (9-10 credits)
Students should choose 9-10 elective credits
Additional Notes
MTH 2050 Math for the Elementary School Teacher I is required for all Childhood Education majors, regardless of concentration. 12 credits of required and/or electives must be at the 3000-4000 level.
Science Concentration
Required Courses (30 credits)
Electives (3-4 credits)
Students must take one (1) 3 or 4-credit Biology course at the 3000- or 4000-level
Social Sciences Concentration
Required Courses (30 credits)
Students must take 18 credits in History, 6 credits in Sociology, 3 credits in Economics, and 3 credits in Geography.
Students must also take one upper-level non-Western History (HIS 3290 African Civilizations, 4020 History of Latin America, HIS 4040 History of Asia, HIS 4050 Modern East Asia, or HIS 4210 History of the Modern Middle East). SOC 1010 is a pre-requisite for all Sociology courses.
STEM Concentration
Required Courses (24-25 credits)
Additionally, students must take one of following courses:
ERS 1030 Earth Science I (3 credits)
ERS 1040 Earth Science II (3 credits)
PHY 1010 Introduction to Physics I (4 credits)
PHY 2010 General Physics I (4 credits)
SCI 1030 Environmental Sustainability (3 credits)
Electives (9-11 credits)
Students must take three additional courses across two or three of the following areas - MTH, CIT, or SCI.
Options for Math (MTH) elective courses: MTH 2520 Calculus II, MTH 2250 Introduction to Cryptology, MTH 2450 Topics in Computer Math, MTH 2400 Mathematical Programming and Technologies, MTH 1200 Excursions I, MTH 3120 Number Theory, MTH 2060 Math for Elementary School Teachers II, MTH 4020 Geometry.
Options for Computer Information Technology (CIT) elective courses: CIT 1900 Web Programming I, CIT 2300 Networking, CIT 2060 Presentation Media, CIT 2160 Spreadsheets and Databases.
Options for Science (SCI) electives courses PHY 1010 Introduction to Physics I, PHY 2010 General Physics I, PHY 1020 Introduction to Physics II, PHY 2020 General Physics II, ERS 1030 Introduction to Earth Science I, ERS 1040 Introduction to Earth Science II, SCI 1030 Environmental Sustainability, SCI 1001 Forensic Science, SCI 1005 Introduction to Exercise Science, CHM 1060 General, Organic, and Biochemistry II, SCI 1950 Viral Discovery I, SCI 2950 Viral Discovery II – Genome Exploration.
New York State Education Department Requirements
The New York State Education Department sets all teacher certification requirements, which are subject to change by the Board of Regents. Requirements for New York State initial certification are addressed in the college's general education requirements, academic majors, and teacher education requirements. As part of general education requirements, all teacher education students must complete at least one semester of study of a language other than English; students pursuing adolescent certification must complete PHL 3080 - Philosophy of Education and students pursuing childhood certification are required to complete three (3) in Fine Arts. In addition, students must have six (6) credits of Mathematics and six (6) credits of Science prior to completing their program. A student desiring certification outside New York is responsible for meeting the requirements of the respective state. The student should consult with the appropriate division or department for information concerning the approved majors in the various liberal arts areas.
Certification Exams
Anticipated testing requirements for qualified candidates depend on certification type and date of application, as follows:
Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA)
Educating All Students (EAS)
Content Specialty Test(s) (CST)
Childhood Education (1-6) and Early Childhood Education (Birth to Grade 2)