Adolescence 7-12–M.S.E.D., Initial Certification Program

Program Description

The MSED Program leading to Initial Teacher Certification in Adolescence Education is a full-time or part-time program. This program is intended for candidates who desire to make a career change.

Application Requirements

Candidates seeking admission to the Master of Science in Education Adolescence Education leading to initial certification must hold a BA or BS degree in one of the academic areas of English, Foreign Language, Social Studies, History, Mathematics, or one of the Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, or Physics) or have the transcripted equivalent of a major in one of the above fields. For the Master of Science in Childhood Education candidates will be considered who have a liberal arts background that meets NCATE standards that includes a minimum of 12 cr of English, 12 cr of Social Studies, 10 cr of Natural Sciences, and 8 cr of Mathematics. For both programs content area course work may be required as a prerequisite and must be completed prior to Degree Candidacy. The NYS Content Specialty Test (CST) must be taken in the semester after all content course work is completed and prior to Degree Candidacy.

Further, all applicants must provide evidence of having the equivalent of one college year (6 credits college level or 4 years high school) of a language other than English. A computer language does not meet this requirement, but American Sign Language does. Applicants who lack an introductory course in Adolescent Psychology must satisfy this prerequisite. Students must complete the NYS certification workshops SSHS 1020, Safe Schools, Healthy Students.

All applications must include the following materials:

1. Completed application form – Parts I and II
2. An official transcript for all undergraduate and graduate work.
3. Two letters of recommendation: One from a college Professor and a second from a work supervisor.
4. Minimum grade index of 2.70. If the index is 2.69 or below, the score from the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), (General Aptitude) or Miller’s Analogy Test (MAT) must be submitted with the application materials. To be considered, an applicant must score in the Fiftieth percentile or better.
5. Attendance at a Program Information Meeting. There are two meetings scheduled prior to the deadline for completing the program planning. To schedule a time contact the Curriculum and Instruction Department at 315-312-4052 or email cigrad@oswego.edu.
6. Completion of the NYS Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST) certification exam
7. Applicants to Adolescence 7-12: French, Spanish or German must complete the Oral Proficiency Inventory (OPI)

Application materials are due by March 1 for summer and fall admission and October 1 for spring admission. All applicants will be reviewed at one time following the admission deadlines. Completed applications received after the closing dates will be reviewed in the next application period.

Upon application, candidates’ transcripts will be reviewed by a member of the Curriculum and Instruction Department as well as an appointed member of the content area department to determine whether or not content requirements have been met in undergraduate work: A minimum of 36 creditd in the content area to include specifics, as required by national learned societies and NYS Education Department. In addition, transcripts will be reviewed for prior completion of program cognate requirements which include an introduction to psychology course, an adolescent
psychology course, evidence of computer literacy, the equivalent of one college year of a language other than English, (computer languages are not acceptable to meet this requirement), and the equivalence of the SUNY Board of Trustees General Education. Any requirements found to be lacking will need to be completed prior to admission to Degree Candidacy. This course work will not apply to the graduate degree.

Degree Candidacy

Students accepted to the MSED-Adolescence certification program must apply for Degree Candidacy after completing 12 to 18 credits of their program; any course work taken in excess of 18 credits is liable to forfeiture. A GPA of 3.0 or better is required to qualify for degree candidacy status. Submit the completed candidacy application to the Graduate Studies Office; the application and a current transcript is forwarded to the advisor. Students will then receive a letter advising them of their status.

The Program

Candidates complete a program which includes required course work, 100 clock hours of field placement, development of a professional portfolio, and two supervised student teaching experiences. Candidates must complete appropriate non-credit workshops, Safe Schools, Healthy Students, relating information about drug/alcohol and tobacco abuse, mandated reporting of child abuse, and school violence prevention (Project SAVE) and school safety programs as prerequisites for student teaching placement. (Call Extened Learning at 315-312-2270 or email sshs@oswego.edu for information.)

Each candidate is provided two placements for student teaching by the School of Education Director of Field Placements. Due to the large number of placements that must be coordinated, candidates cannot request placements. Assigned placements must be accepted by candidates or candidates will need to wait for a reassignment in a future semester. Each student teaching placement is seven weeks in length and involves a full time commitment, Monday – Friday, the entire length of the school day. Announcements regarding student teaching will be posted online at www.oswego.edu/academics/colleges_and_departments/education/placement/index.html as student teaching applications are due an entire semester prior to the actual assignment. All coursework and other requirements must be completed prior to student teaching.