Chemistry Education: Grades 7-12 Initial Certification Program–M.A.T.

Program Description

The MAT Chemistry Education 7-12 program leading to Initial Teaching Certification in Chemistry grades 7-12 is a 52 credit hour program. Qualified candidates are admitted to the program in the fall and spring semesters. The program is intended for students with a BA or BS degree in Chemistry or equivalent and wish to earn New York State teacher certification.

Application Requirements

Candidates seeking admission to the Master of Arts in Chemistry must hold a BA or BS degree in Chemistry or the equivalent. In cases where content area may be required as a prerequisite, it must be completed prior to Degree Candidacy.

All applicants must provide evidence of having the equivalent of one college year (6 credit hours college level or 4 years high school to the language IV level) 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 as well. All candidates 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) must be submitted with the application. To be considered, an applicant must score in the fiftieth percentile or better.
5. Attendance at Program Information Meeting. These meetings are 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.

Applicant 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.

Degree Candidacy

Candidates accepted into the MAT Chemistry must apply for Degree Candidacy after completing 12 to 18 credit hours 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 are forwarded to the advisor. Students will then receive a letter advising them of their status.

The Program

Candidates in the MAT Chemistry complete requirements that include course work in pedagogy, chemistry, a minimum 100 clock hours of field placement, development of a professional portfolio, and two supervised student teaching experiences. Candidates must complete appropriate non-credit NYS certification 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 Extended Learning at 315-312-2270 or email sshs@oswego.edu for information.)

Student Teaching

All undergraduate and graduate course work must be completed, Degree Candidacy filed, and SSHS 1020 requirement met prior to student teaching.

Each candidate is provided with 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.

Candidates earn either a Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory grade for each of the two student teaching experiences. If an unsatisfactory grade is earned, the candidate may have another placement. If two unsatisfactory grades are earned, the candidate will not be placed a third time.