Teacher Certification Pathways

Pathway to Teacher Certification
Adult students interested in teacher certification have several pathways available to them. Three major options exist and the pages linked below describe how degree study at Empire State College can be relevant, and indicates when studies at Empire State College are NOT useful to the student seeking certification.

Option 1: Master's Degrees Leading to Certification
Option 2: Traditional Master's Degree in Education
Option 3: Bachelor's Degrees Leading Directly to Certification

For information on certification requirements and on public and private institutions in New York State that offer alternative master’s degrees, traditional master’s degrees, or bachelor’s degrees leading to teacher certification, see the NYS Education Department’s Office of Teaching Initiatives website, http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/.

Master’s Degree Leading to Alternative Certification
Students who earn a bachelor’s degree at Empire State College (or at another accredited college) are eligible to apply for admission to the Empire State College MAT program (or to a master’s degree program at another college). The Empire State College MAT prepares students to teach in high need schools and leads to middle or high school certification in math, science, English, foreign language or social studies.

NOTE:
Students interested in elementary education, special education, arts education, physical education or similar areas, should investigate programs at other colleges.

Undergraduate degrees in Educational Studies at Empire State College do not lead to teacher certification. Students in this area individually design concentrations in other aspects of education, often with a strong application to their own professional settings. For example, corporate and agency-based human resource professionals may design concentration in such areas as adult development and training, and childcare professionals may study child development and learning. Students may also pursue broad interdisciplinary interests such and "knowledge, learning and culture," within this area of study.