Master of Science

Secondary Education

Start Your Career as a Secondary School Teacher

Learn how to teach students in ways that help them develop intellectually and socially.

The master's in secondary education (MSSE) program prepares you to teach a specific subject to students in grades 7-12. Our graduates are eligible for initial certification to teach in New York State (NYS) public schools.

Our program will teach you to be a reflective practitioner who is prepared to help young people thrive in school and beyond. Advanced coursework in your content specialty and graduate seminars in pedagogical theory and research prepare you for a satisfying career working with young people. Through these fieldwork requirements, you learn how to develop curricula, manage classrooms, use educational technology, and engage productively with diverse students.

Content area concentration options at UAlbany include social studies, English language arts, mathematics, biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, French and Spanish.

Program of Study
Certification
Information for Applicants
Combined Bachelor's/Master's
Admissions Requirements
School of Education Home

Program of Study

programofstudy

This program requires three semesters of full-time coursework and field experiences. There is some flexibility, but most students opt to complete this coursework and field work over the course of a year and a half.

Typically, MSSE students start with two summer courses and then take additional graduate classes over the fall and spring semesters while completing experiences in schools. Then in the final fall semester, students complete their full-time student teaching and a graduate seminar in which they discuss these classroom experiences.

Foundations of Education

Teachers in Context
Adolescent Development
Assessment in Education
Characteristics of and Methods for Teaching Exceptional Secondary Students in Inclusive Settings

Teaching Methods and Field Experiences in Your Content Area

Teaching Middle School: Methods and Field Experience (6 credits)
Teaching High School: Methods and Field Experience (9 credits)
Teaching in the Secondary School (3 credits)

Technology, Media & Literacy

Media Literacy
Reading and Writing across the Curriculum (for concentrations in Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, or World Languages) OR
Teaching Composition in the Secondary School (for concentration in English)

Advanced Study in Content Area

Two graduate courses in your academic content area (500-level or above).

NYS Training Requirements

School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE) Training
Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

Additional Information

See the Graduate Bulletin for details.

For more information, contact Brett Levy at [email protected].

"This program changed my life. My professors and mentors saw something in me I didn’t see in myself at the time, and they deeply uplifted and encouraged me. Today, I teach algebra at my high school alma mater, and I know that I was called to be in the classroom."

- Keyana Williams, High School Algebra Teacher

Earn Your Degree and Initial Certification

The MS in Secondary Education is a NYS-approved teacher preparation program.

Earning this graduate degree and completing any additional state requirements provides you with initial certification – the entry-level credential you need to start teaching secondary school (grades 7-12) in the state.

State requirements currently include the Education for All Students (EAS) exam and the NYS Content Specialty Test (CST).

Looking Ahead: Professional Certification

To move up in your teaching career, you need to achieve professional certification, an advanced teaching credential.

This program also meets the degree requirement for professional certification in NY. Please check with NYSED for a current list of other items needed for progression of the certification.

certification

This program is approved for licensure or certification in New York State and the institution has not made a determination regarding the educational requirements for any other state.

Information for Potential Applicants

General admission requirements include a minimum 3.0 GPA, statement of goals, three letters of recommendation (two academic), and an interview (by invitation only).

There are also various pre-requisites for each certification area, which are outlined below. Applicants may be admitted to the program with up to nine missing credits of undergraduate prerequisites, so if you do not have the coursework listed below, you may still be eligible for admission.

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Biology

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in BIOLOGY equivalent to a major. In addition, the following science distribution must be met: 3 credits in chemistry, 3 credits in earth science, 3 credits in physics. These can be included as part of the major or in addition to.

Chemistry

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in CHEMISTRY equivalent to a major. In addition, the following science distribution must be met: 3 credits in biology, 3 credits in earth science, 3 credits in physics. These can be included as part of the major or in addition to.

Earth Science

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in EARTH SCIENCE or GEOLOGY equivalent to a major. In addition, the following science distribution must be met: 3 credits in biology, 3 credits in chemistry, 3 credits in physics. These can be included as part of the major or in addition to.

English Language Arts

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in ENGLISH equivalent to a major.

French

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in FRENCH (equivalent to a major).

Mathematics

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in MATHEMATICS equivalent to a major.

Physics

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in PHYSICS equivalent to a major. In addition, the following science distribution must be met: 3 credits in biology, 3 credits in chemistry, 3 credits in earth science. These can be included as part of the major or in addition to.

Social Studies

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in HISTORY or another SOCIAL SCIENCE (anthropology, economics, geography, political science or sociology) equivalent to a major, provided that the content core in social studies shall include study in economics, government, and at least a total of 21 semester hours of study in the history and geography of the United States and the world.

Spanish

To be eligible for this program, you must have majored in or completed 36 credit hours in SPANISH equivalent to a major.

ACCELERATED UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE OPTION

If you’re a current UAlbany undergraduate student with at least a 3.2 GPA, you can save money and lighten your course load as a graduate student by beginning your graduate degree coursework in your senior year.

Up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, can count towards both degrees. This combined program option, called the Great Dane Teacher Pathway, provides a more direct and clear path to becoming a certified teacher in New York State.

You can apply for admission to the combined program late in your junior year to begin the program in your senior year.

Contact your undergraduate advisor to see if you’re eligible and learn about your combined graduate program options.

combined

Accreditation

University at Albany is accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The MSSE program is currently engaged in the self-study process toward Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) accreditation.

Our MSSE graduates that elect to pursue NY State certification must successfully complete related certification exams. See our exam pass rates.

Students in MSSE have six calendar years from the date of initial registration in the program to complete their program. Additionally, MSSE students are not required to enroll every semester. As such, time to graduation varies. See data on enrollments and degree awarded.

For a list of our currently AAQEP accredited programs, please see accreditation data for details.

Accreditation Details

The programs listed below have been awarded full accreditation by AAQEP through June 30, 2028. Full accreditation acknowledges that a program prepares effective educators who continue to grow as professionals and has demonstrated the commitment and capacity to maintain quality.

AAQEP-Accredited Programs and Annual Reports at the University at Albany

Advanced Graduate Certificate Programs

Master of Science Programs

Childhood Education (Online)
Early Childhood Education (Online)
Informatic Science (Online)
Literacy
Special Education: Inclusion
Special Education: Inclusion and Special Education
Special Education: Internship Certificate
Special Education and Literacy I
Special Education and Literacy II
Special Education and Literacy (BS/MS Option)

Admissions Requirements

admissions

Deadlines

Summer or Fall start:
- Deadline 1: December 31
- Deadline 2: March 1
Spring start: Not Available

There is no departmental assistantship consideration for this program.

Required Application Materials

Transcripts from all higher education institutions attended
Three letters of recommendation (at least two letters from professors)
Statement of goals

Available information for applicants.

Special Notes

A minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required. Please contact the Pathways in Education (PIE) Center, if you have any admissions requirement questions.

Combined undergraduate/graduate applicants must have a 3.2 GPA to apply.

Admission is contingent upon application materials and departmental interview. Interviews are by invitation only.

This program requires an internship, field experience, study abroad component or clinical experience requirement. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. If applicants have concerns about this matter please contact the Dean’s office of the intended academic program.

Student Learning Objectives

Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.