Our graduate program in Elementary Education: Childhood (grades 1-6) program is designed for individuals who hold a baccalaureate degree in an area other than education. This program emphasizes critical thinking in the classroom and prepares participants to work with students from varying backgrounds. The program arms you with the tools and knowledge you need to be successful in the field of education.

This 12-15 month program has been offered to Ontario students for over 25 years and graduates of the program feel prepared to teach on day one.

Students completing this program will earn a master's degree in education as well as fulfill requirements for certification to teach in Ontario and New York State at the Elementary level, grades 1-6.

Program Requirements

Students who complete the program earn a master of science in education degree and are eligible for certification to teach in Ontario and New York State. Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) corresponds to Primary/Junior (K-6) in Ontario.

• Ontario College of Teachers
• New York State Department of Education, Office of Teaching Initiatives

Step 1: Liberal Arts and Sciences Requirements

• A baccalaureate degree with a concentration of 30 semester hours of college level credit in one of the liberal arts and sciences
• 3 credit hours in each of the following (examples are included):
Artistic Expression: art history, art appreciation, music history, music appreciation, dance appreciation, theatre appreciation, theatre history, film appreciation.
Communication: Speech, writing
Written Analysis & Expression: Composition, writing, English, literature
Information Retrieval: Any course involving research
History & Social Science: Sociology, cultural studies, history, psychology, anthropology, political science, economics, cultural geography, woman studies, criminal justice
Humanities: Composition, literature, creative writing, linguistics, public speaking, philosophy, ethics, history of religion
Scientific Processes:  Biology, zoology, anatomy, physiology, physics, chemistry, geology, physical geography
Mathematic Processes: Algebra, calculus, statistics.
• At least three credits of language other than English or 2 years of high school language

3 credit hours is equivalent to one half credit course in Ontario

Step 2: Education Coursework

Elementary Education Courses 36 credits

Step 3: Student Teaching (6 credits)

Approximately 14 weeks
Elementary Education
Primary Placement -Grades 1-3 (7 weeks)
Junior Placement - Grades 4-6 (7 weeks)
Learn more about Student Teaching

Step 4: Certification Examinations

Before completing your Masters Degree in Education there are several New York State Teacher Certification Examinations that are required:

Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST)

• Required for initial certificate in most titles.
• Covers historical and social-scientific consciousness, scientific and mathematical processes, artistic expression and the humanities.
• Format consists of 80 multiple-choice questions and a written assignment (essay question).

Assessment of Teaching Skills - Written (ATS-W)

• Required for initial certificate.
• Offered in two versions: elementary and secondary. (Candidates for K-12 certificates may elect either version).
• Covers knowledge of the learner, instructional planning and assessment, instructional delivery, and the professional environment.

Content Specialty Test (CST):

• Covers content in the subject or subjects that the corresponding certificate authorizes the holder to teach.
• Format typically consists of multiple choice questions and essay.
• Elementary Education students take "Multi-subject". Adolescent Education students take the corresponding subject: French, Mathematics, Biology, Social Studies/History, Chemistry, or English/Language Arts.

Suggested resources to help you prepare

New York State Teacher Certification Exams (free outlines of what is covered for each test).
NYSTCE: Complete Prep for the LAST, ATS-W and CST (Kaplan Publishing Group)
How to Prepare for the LAST/ATS-W/CST (Barron's Publishing Group)
New York State Education Department

Elementary Education Course Descriptions