Behavioral Science & Childhood Education | Birth-Grade 2

Program Overview

This accelerated 5-year program combines a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Early Childhood Education, allowing students to earn teacher certification in Early Childhood or Childhood Education. Through classroom-based clinical experiences and expert mentoring, students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to become effective educators in diverse educational settings. The program emphasizes content knowledge, pedagogical strategies, diversity awareness, technology integration, reflective practice, and positive dispositions.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Nationally recognized, small class size, caring faculty.
• Earn your master's degree in 5 years with enriching, classroom-based clinical experiences and close, expert mentoring.
• The Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degree Program is an academic program that allows students interested in the teaching profession as a career choice to earn both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in an accelerated venue.
• Through this special program, qualified students who major in psychology or behavioral science can receive teacher certification in Early Childhood or Childhood Education.
• A key feature of this program allows students to take up to 15 graduate education credits during their junior and senior years.
These credits can be used toward satisfying their bachelor's as well as master's degree requirements. Combining undergraduate and graduate degree programs streamlines the teacher preparation program and enables students to achieve teacher certification on an accelerated basis reducing the time and cost needed to earn a master's degree.

Objectives:

• The unit goals establish the shared vision, mission, philosophy and guiding principles agreed to by members of the faculty and other stakeholders in the learning community.
The unit's proficiencies, strategies and assessments are designed to ensure to ensure that candidates acquire the academic, pedagogical, professional and interpersonal skills required of teachers and other school professionals who prepare students to succeed in a rapidly changing global environment.
• The six goals reflect the integrated knowledge, skills and dispositions that together ensure that candidates develop as effective educators and reflective practitioners.
These goals are as follows:
• -- Content Knowledge: Candidates demonstrate a solid content knowledge base that enables them to deliver effective educational and professional services based on current research, theory and practice.
• -- Pedagogical and Professional Knowledge: Candidates employ multiple pedagogical and professional strategies and tools to enable them to be effective practitioners in educational settings and deliver services that promote students' intellectual, social and emotional development.
• -- Diversity: Candidates understand the diverse cultural, linguistic, learning and social strengths and needs of all populations and incorporate and demonstrate sensitivity to the richness of diverse cultures when providing educational and other school-services.
• -- Technology: Candidates employ technology to deliver information, instruction and professional services to all members of the school community.
• -- Reflection: Candidates reflect on professional practice to make educational decisions and enhance student learning.
• -- Dispositions: Candidates demonstrate positive dispositions that enable them to work as effective educators, citizens and practitioners within the school and broader community.

Outline:

• Curriculum Overview:
• -- General Education Requirements: 60 Credits
• -- Behavioral Science and Early Childhood Education Undergraduate Courses: 45 Credits
• -- Early Childhood Education Graduate Courses Completed for B.S.
degree: 15 Credits
• -- Master of Science in Early Childhood Education, Birth-Grade 2 Course work completed during B.S.
degree: 15 Credits Course work completed during M.S. degree: 24 Credits
• General Education Requirements:
New York State requires completion of the following undergraduate prerequisites for students seeking the Early Childhood Education, Birth–Grade 2 Certification, which will fulfill part of the General Education requirements:
• -- Mathematical Processes
• -- Scientific Processes*
• -- Historical and Social Sciences
• -- Language other than English
• -- Information Retrieval
• -- Communications/Humanities/Written Analysis and Expression
• -- Artistic Expression
• Behavioral Science and Childhood Education Undergraduate Courses:
• -- PSYC 101: Psychology as a Science
• -- PSYC 254: Child Development
• -- PSYC 355: Social Psychology
• -- PSYC 357: Developmental Psychopathology
• -- PSYC 403: Clinical Psychology
• -- PSYC 404: Psychology of Learning
• -- BIOL 207: Human Biology
• -- MATH 115: Quantitative Reasoning
• -- MTHE 110: Mathematics for Teachers
• -- EDUC 200: Introduction for Education
• -- EDUC 225: Introduction to Special Education
• -- EDUC 235: Literacy Development and Instruction for All Students
• -- EDUC 245: Creating and Maintaining a Positive Classroom Environment
• -- EDUC 255: Classroom Management: Theory and Practice
• -- HSTA 101: History of the U.S. to 1877
• -- HSTA 102: History of the U.S. since 1877
• -- POLS 101: Introduction to American Government
• -- SOCI 101: Introduction to Sociology
• -- ENGL 111: College Writing
• -- ENGL 112: Critical Reading and Writing
• -- COMM 101: Introduction to Public Speaking
• -- THEA 101: Introduction to Theatre
• -- ART 101: Visual Arts
• -- MUSC 101: Introduction to Music
• The following courses are required for Child Development:
• -- EDUC 310: Child Development: Infancy and Early Childhood
• -- EDUC 311: Child Development: Middle Childhood
• Early Childhood Education Graduate Courses
• -- EDUC 500 Edu Fnd Diverse Perspectives
• -- EDUC 502 Fndtns Educ Sdnts w/Dsblts
• -- EDUC 505 Tchng English as 2nd Lang
• -- EDUC 507 Aprchs Lit: EChldhd-Adolescenc

Careers:

• High school or middle school teacher (mathematics, biology, history or English)
• Elementary or preschool school teacher
• Positions in charter schools, private schools or New York public schools