Master of Science Degree in Education

(845) 848-4090 or fax: (845) 359-7802

Accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Programs (CAEP), 1140 19th St NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036.  

The undergraduate and graduate programs in Teacher Education at Dominican University are in transition from accreditation by CAEP to accreditation by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP):

The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation    
P.O. Box 7511  
Fairfax Station, VA  22039-9998.     
Email: aaqep@aaqep.org.

Dominican University New York offers six programs of study lead-ing to the Master of Science degree (M.S. Ed.) and to eligibility for New York State certification:

1. Teacher of Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)
2. Teacher of Childhood Education/Students with Disabilities (Dual Program)
3. Teacher of Adolescence Education-Grades 7-12 (Mathemat-ics, Social Studies, Science [Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics], English & World Languages]
4. Teacher of Adolescence Education/Students with Disabilities (Dual Program)-Generalist Grades 7-12 (Mathematics, Social Studies, Science [Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics], English & World Languages]
5. Teacher of Students with Disabilities (Grades B-2; 1-6; 5-9 and 7-12) (including additional annotation/extension for severe and multiple disabilities)
6. Teacher of Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
   (Birth to Grade 12).

Graduates of the program who hold certification in additional areas such as Early Childhood, Childhood, Middle Childhood, or Adolescence (Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, Math, Physics, Social Studies or World Languages) are also eligible to apply for their professional certification in those areas.   

Students in the Childhood and Adolescence Education programs take 27 credits in studies directly related to teaching students in grades 1-6 or 7-12, as per New York State certification requirements, and 6 credits in supervised student teaching/integrative seminar. Knowledge and skills gained from course work and student teaching lead to eligibility for certification as a teacher of Childhood/Adolescence Education in the content area (Math, Social Studies, Sciences, English or World Languages). Students must meet State Education Department content area requirements in their certification areas.  

Students in the Dual Childhood Education/Students with Disabilities program take 39 credits in academic studies directly related to teaching students in general and special education settings, as per New York State certification requirements, and 6 credits of supervised student teaching/integrative seminar. Knowledge and skills gained from course work and student teaching lead to eligibility for dual certification as a teacher of Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities or Adolescence Educator/Students with Disabilities Generalist – Grade 7-12 with content area (Math, Social Studies, Science, English or World Language specialization). Students must meet State Education Department pre-requisite requirements in their respective content areas.

Students in the Teacher of Students with Disabilities program take 30-33 credits in studies directly related to teaching students with disabilities, including those with severe or multiple disabilities, and 6 credits of supervised student teaching/seminars. Knowledge and skills gained from program course work and student teaching lead to eligibility for certification as both a teacher of Students with Disabilities as well as a special New York State annotation in severe and multiple disabilities which extends eligibility to teach beyond the traditional Students with Disabilities certification area.

Students in the Teacher of Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired program take 21 credits in academic studies directly related to teaching students who are blind or visually impaired, a 3-credit  supervised student teaching/seminar experience, and additional course work related to health, behavioral, and other disability concerns. Knowledge and skills gained from course work and student teaching lead to eligibility for certification as a teacher of the blind and visually impaired.  

All six graduate education programs are offered through the quarter schedule; 2 courses are offered each quarter. There are five weekends per quarter, meeting every other weekend. Programs in Childhood and Adolescence Education and the dual Childhood Education or Adolescence Education/Students with Disabilities have extended quarters in the second year of the program where students engage in student teaching Monday through Friday, attend student teaching seminar and conduct research. As presently structured, the single certification programs in Childhood or Adolescence Education and Students with Disabilities are completed in 1 ½ years, the Teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired program in 7 quarters and the dual certification program in Teachers of Childhood Education or Adolescence Education/Students with Disabilities within two years. All programs meet during the summer; however, the TVI program is offered through a hybrid-online model, minimizing time on campus while the SWD single and dual SWD programs incorporate the hybrid-online model for several courses which are delineated in their course descriptions. Access to an off-campus computer/internet is a requirement for all programs as all courses have Blackboard compo-nents.  

All programs provide a master’s level curriculum to prepare teachers with the knowledge, skills, and professional ethics/attitudes to work with learners in the general education classroom or with learners who have various special educational and/or health-related needs,  including severe cognitive, emotional, visual, auditory, and physical impairments, and who may be medically fragile as well. In doing so, these programs address an increasing need in society and, more specifically, in schools and agencies that require personnel adequately trained to work with growing populations of students with special needs. Most courses require a minimum 10 hour field component or laboratory experience, and all graduate programs require a 3-credit Research in Education course.  

Admissions

Application forms are obtained online from the Dominican University New York website (www.dc.edu) or from the Office of Graduate Admissions.

• Completed form, accompanied by the application fee (non-refundable), must be returned to the Office of Graduate Admissions together with
• a current resume
• three letters of recommendation (at least one from former professor)
• official transcripts (not student copies) of all undergraduate and graduate records
• results of the GRE/MAT/SAT or ACT scores.
• A self-reflective essay highlighting the reasons for the applicant’s desire to become an educator and to pursue the program, as well as highlighting strengths/challenges that the candidate recognizes is required.

Graduates of Dominican University New York should contact the Office of the Registrar requesting that an official transcript be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions. Verification of teaching certificates must also be submitted for Students with Disabilities and Blind/Visually Impaired programs. An on-site, phone or email interview with the  Program Director is required of all applicants. Graduate students are expected to demonstrate proficient written and oral communication skills in English.    

An applicant to one of the programs may be admitted either as 1) a matriculated student, one seeking to fulfill the requirements for a degree, or 2) as a non-matriculated student, one earning graduate credit for specific courses (typically for state certification purposes) but not for the degree. Before beginning graduate courses, all applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university acceptable to Dominican University New York. Applicants who file an application before the baccalaureate degree has been conferred may be provisionally accepted pending successful completion of undergraduate work. Applicants who have completed curricular requirements for a New York initial teaching certificate in one of four student developmental levels (Early Childhood, Childhood, Middle Childhood, or Adolescence), but who have not yet passed the New York State Teacher Certification Exams, may also be pro-visionally accepted to the Students with Disabilities or Blind/Visually Impaired programs and must submit documentation to meet out-standing requirements prior to the beginning of their second quarter.  

These processes are the same for students seeking either the degree or certification only.  

Undergraduate seniors with a 3.0 GPA. who are enrolled in an Education/Special Education program may pursue the University’s S.Y.R.O.P. (Senior Year Overlap) option, an opportunity to start Year I of the six quarter M.S.in Ed. degree program while simultaneously completing the bachelor’s degree. This option is intended to enable completion of both the bachelor’s and the master’s degree within a five-year period. Undergraduate applicable courses are SE 330, 336, 441 and 465. Seniors interested in teaching individuals who are blind or visually impaired may also apply to take 9 selective credits in the Graduate Program in Teachers of the Blind/Visually Impaired to obtain advanced standing in the TVI program. Application to S.Y.R.O.P should be made to the Program Director early on during the undergraduate's studies.  

At least a B average in the overall undergraduate or graduate record is required for admission, although other factors will be considered in the decision, such as years of professional experience, grade point  average in the major field, and academic development beyond the baccalaureate degree. Students not meeting the stated criteria may be admitted on a conditional basis. In order to maintain matriculated status, such students must then achieve a minimum grade of B for the first six credits attempted and provide evidence of having remediated any deficiencies.  

Academic Requirements and Standards  

General Requirements:

The expectation is that all courses for the degree will be taken at Dominican University New York. A maximum of six credits may be considered for transfer. Equivalent graduate course work may be considered for transfer credit if (a) the grade was a minimum of B and (b) the course was taken within five years of the term in which the student wishes to register for it.

All requirements (courses, papers, projects) must be completed within a maximum of five years from the beginning of the term in which the candidate is awarded the first credits towards the degree, whether the credits were earned on a non-matriculated or matriculated basis. Extension of this time cannot be granted. Courses are offered in a cycle according to a regular curriculum pattern. It is the responsibility of the student to register for courses in the sequence in which they are offered and to plan his or her progress so as to complete all requirements within the five-year period. In exceptional circumstances, a student may be granted permission to take courses out of sequence.

The University reserves the right, at its discretion, at any time, to terminate matriculation if the student fails to make sufficient progress towards the degree. Candidates for the degree not in attendance for two calendar years will have their matriculation terminated. To reactivate their matriculation, these candidates must receive permission from the Program Director. In order to be readmitted, such candidates must be able to meet all degree requirements within the fiveyear period dating from their original quarter.

All students must maintain a minimum cumulative G.P.A. of at least 3.0 (B). A course in which a student earns less than "B" must be repeated.

No more than one course can be repeated.

Non-Matriculated Certification:

Students seeking individual transcript certification (non-matriculated certification status) without completion of the entire TVI program must take: VI 532, VI 533, VI 534, VI 535, VI 538, VI 539, VI 641, VI 642 and VI 717 and (3-6) credits in Special Education course work, based on transcript review. Students in areas other than TVI who are seeking non-matriculated Certification Only status must take courses as prescribed by the NYS Education Department based on transcript review by the Certification Officer at the University.

Students are expected to maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA with no course lower than a B to be considered in “good standing.”

Students whose cumulative GPA is at least 3.75 will be awarded graduate honors upon graduation.

Off-Site Requirements  

Graduate faculty supervise both student teaching and field work, and students work with experienced, certified cooperating teachers. In programs that require prior certification and student teaching, in-service teachers, if they are working with the appropriate population, can complete student teaching in their own classroom with the Program Director’s permission. Those courses of study that culminate with a student teaching experience meet on a regular basis for seminar. Seminar is viewed as integrative in nature, meshing theory with practical application. Depending on the program, the seminar is delivered on campus  or online.  

All programs leading to institutional endorsement for certification require 150 hours of clinically rich field work as a prerequisite to student teaching. Students observe, interact, evaluate and reflect in classrooms that correlate with their teaching certification. A full semester of student teaching experience is mandated for all candidates who do not possess an initial teaching certification. Student teachers shadow, observe and gradually teach individuals, small groups and the whole class according to prescribed grade curricula that correspond to their certification developmental level. Candidates with prior certification in another area will participate fully in a quarter based student teaching/ practicum experience. They will be responsible for providing planning, implementation and assessment of instruction while being mentored by a certified teacher and a University supervisor.  

Capstones and Final Requirements  

The student teaching experience, linked with the seminar and the   research course, comprise the capstone experience for program completers. Students who have successfully fulfilled all coursework requirements in Teacher Education are invited to engage in a professionally rich venture where they spend a full semester planning, instructing and assessing in preparation for their role as teacher. They participate in two 8 week long field experiences—one focusing on the lower range of their certification area and the other on the higher end. They are formally observed by their faculty supervisor at least twice in each venue and participate fully in self-reflection and weekly seminar meetings on campus. Additionally, student teachers select, under advisement, a topic germane to their classroom on which they complete an action research proposal.    

Students must complete all prerequisites such as outstanding content area credits and all graduate coursework prior to student teaching. In order to receive NYS certification all candidates must complete, in addition to all Dominican University New York program requirements, the NYS Education Department’s mandated tests which include Educating All Students (EAS), the appropriate content specialty tests (CSTs) and the performance assessment (edTPA) as well as complete an application and clear mandated fingerprinting procedures and requisite workshops that are provided through the student teaching seminar.  

Procedures  

Students are advised to refer to the Dominican University New York Student Handbook and the Master of Science in Education Handbook for additional information.  

Advisement:

Advisement for all courses in the MS in Education programs is on-go-ing and provided to each student quarterly by the Coordinator and/or Director of the program. Students register online for appropriate courses according to the calendar that is provided each quarter.  Courses that require fieldwork require students to document their field hours on a timesheet that is issued at the onset of the course. All timesheets are signed by the instructor and filed in the students’ folders. Students should keep copies of their timesheets for their own records.  Specialized residency requirements for the TVI Program take place in the Summer quarter. See course descriptions for VI 534, VI 539 and VI 641.

Health:

All student teaching placements require medical clearance; forms are obtained from the Teacher Education Graduate Program office located in Casey 105 and must be completed/submitted before placements begin.

Leave of Absence and Withdrawal:

Students who wish to apply for a leave of absence or course/program withdrawal must confer with the Program Director after submitting the appropriate forms which can be obtained from the Teacher Education Graduate Program office.