Graduate Program in Adolescence Education and Special Subjects

Undergraduate Bulletin  Graduate Bulletin  
Program Faculty / Admissions / Matriculation  Requirements / Degree  Requirements
Undergraduate Program

Room 2307 James
2900 Bedford Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11210
(718) 951- 5325

Program Description

The School of Education at Brooklyn College offers several graduate programs in Adolescence Education and special subjects leading to a Master's degree. The thirty or more credit programs are registered with New York State and lead to initial and/or professional certification in several subjects. Programs are offered in the following areas: Art (K-12); Biology (7-12); Chemistry (7-12); English (7-12); French (7-12); Health and Nutrition Sciences (all grades); Mathematics (7-12); Music (all grades); Physical Education (all grades); Physics (7-12); Social Studies (7-12);  Modern Languages (7-12); Speech and Language Disabilities (all grades).

The School of Education is committed to urban education and serving the needs of our city's teachers. We are proud that almost 80% of Brooklyn's high school teachers are graduates of our programs. We continue to forge links with the borough's schools, and our courses are particularly sensitive to the rich diversity of New York's population.

The graduate programs in Adolescence Education and Special Subjects are responsive to the needs and experiences of those individuals who have chosen to devote themselves to teaching. Our programs offer to experienced and beginning teachers opportunities to develop their classroom practice and to expand their knowledge of each particular discipline and the field of education as a whole. Courses are taught by nationally known scholars who have had experience teaching at elementary and secondary levels. Our programs combine rigorous and rewarding study in each discipline with intensive study of curriculum, pedagogy and schools.

Graduates of our programs are trained in their specific discipline, in research methodologies, and in the critical analysis of curriculum, pedagogy, school culture, and the socio/political dimensions of schooling.

Please take some time to read through the general information section as well as the specific information that describes the program in which you are interested.

We look forward to working with you and sharing the exciting world of graduate study.

Admissions
Applications to the Graduate Programs in Adolescence Education and Special Subjects are reviewed by both the School of Education and the particular department to which you are applying. Each program has its own criteria for admission, so please consult the section relevant to the program to which you are applying. Below are the various admission categories.

Matriculated Status
Matriculated: You are accepted into the program as a fully matriculated student with no conditions to fulfill.

Matriculated with Conditions: You are accepted into the program as matriculated, but you MUST fulfill specific conditions.

Non-Matriculated Status
Non-matriculated: You are accepted into the program on a non-matriculated basis. You may take up to 15 credits toward your degree. You should speak to an advisor as soon as possible to find out how you can become matriculated.

Non-Degree Status
Non-degree: You are not interested in a degree and just wish to take courses. You may take up to 15 credits, on a space available basis, if you have the necessary prerequisites. ONLY SIX credits may be used towards a Master's degree should you decide to pursue a Master's degree at Brooklyn College.  

Admissions Deadlines
For Graduate Programs
For FALL semester: APRIL 15 (For international students February 1)
For SPRING semester: NOVEMBER 15 (For international students October 1)
For SUMMER semester: MARCH 15 (For international students January 1)

For the Student Teaching Practicum and Seminar in Instructional Methods in Teaching
For FALL you must apply by MARCH 15
For SPRING you must apply by OCTOBER 15

Required for Admission

• A minimum undergraduate scholastic index of 3.0

• L.A.S.T. scores if you have taken them

• Two letters of recommendation

• A portfolio, for applicants in Art Education

• Proof of Initial Certification if you posses it

a minimum score of 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for students for whom English is a second language An international student pursuing certification and a masters in English Education must earn a score of 650.

Matriculation Requirements (full acceptance into the program)

Applicants must offer either (a), (b) or (c):

(a) New York State Initial or Provisional Certification in Adolescence Education for Grades 7-12 in Biology, Chemistry, English, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies, Spanish or French, or New York State Initial Certification in Special Subjects for all grades in Art, Health, Music, Physical Education, or Education of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities.

(b) Courses in education that meet the New York State standards for the pedagogical core, including study of the following: history of education and philosophy of education or principles of education or educational sociology; educational psychology or developmental psychology or psychology of adolescence or adolescent development; classroom management; teaching students with special needs and English language learners; six credits in literacy and language acquisition; curriculum development and methods of assessing student learning; uses of technology in the classroom; methods of teaching the appropriate subject area at appropriate grade levels; 100 hours of field work, 40 days or 300 hours of student-teaching at appropriate grade levels or one year of college mentored full time teaching in the appropriate subject area at appropriate grade levels, and a specified number of credits in the appropriate subject area (see requirements in the appropriate department listing); and proof of having taken the L.A.S.T.

(c) An undergraduate degree with an appropriate major or appropriate course work in the appropriate subject area and proof of having taken the L.A.S.T.

Degree Requirements

Depending upon prior preparation, a Masters Degree and Permanent/Professional Certification will require between 30 and 50 credits of graduate study. Students wishing certification in Music teaching or Speech and Hearing Handicapped should consult the Bulletin under these programs.

If you already have New York State Provisional or Initial Certification:

You must complete all courses in group II, 3 credits in group III, and at least 18 credits in the discipline.

If you do NOT already have New York State Provisional or Initial Certification, but wish to earn a Permanent/Professional Certificate AND a Masters Degree:

In addition to the 18 credits in your discipline, you must complete the appropriate courses in Group I before taking courses in Group II. Students pursuing Initial Certification must take ED 792.2, Writing Across the Curriculum in Group III or in the case of English teachers, ED 792.4, Advanced Theories and Practice of Composition. Students who do not possess initial certification but are teaching are required to complete the appropriate courses in Group I. See your program advisor for advisement.

Program Faculty

Stephen E. Phillips Program Coordinator 
Konstantinos Alexakos, Mary Chiusano, Namulundah Florence, Herman Jiesamfoek, Linda Louis, Priya Parmar, Lynda Sarnoff, Jessica Siegel,  Peter Taubman, Barbara Winslow

2900 Bedford Avenue / Rm. 2111 James / Brooklyn, NY 11210

Updated June 2008 / Brooklyn College School of Education
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