Master of Science
Secondary Education
Start Your Career as a High School Teacher
Learn how to create engaging lesson plans and instruct high school students in ways that help them master course material and develop intellectually.
The master's in secondary education program prepares you to teach a specific subject to students in grades 7-12. As a registered teacher preparation program, it provides you with initial certification to teach in New York State (NYS) public middle and high schools.
Advanced coursework in your content specialty and graduate seminars in pedagogical theory and research prepare you for practical teaching experiences. Through these fieldwork requirements, you learn how to develop curricula, manage classrooms, use educational technology, and engage with diverse students in public schools.
Content area concentration options at UAlbany include biology, chemistry, earth science, English, French, math, physics, social studies, and Spanish.
Program of Study
This program requires three semesters of full-time coursework and field experiences. You start with two summer courses and then take additional graduate classes over the fall and spring semesters while you complete teaching practica in public schools.
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 and Media
- 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.
NYS Training Requirements
- School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE) Training
- Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
- Dignity for All Students Act
See graduate bulletin for details.
For more information contact Hope Shuttleworth at hshuttleworth@albany.edu.
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 high school subjects.
State requirements may include the Education for All Students (EAS) exam, the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA), 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.
Once you've finished one year of mentored teaching and two additional years of paid teaching experience after earning this degree, you'll be eligible to apply for certificate progression in your secondary education content area.
Information for Potential Applicants
General admission requirements include GRE test scores, a minimum 3.0 GPA, three letters of recommendation, two college courses in a language other than English, and a personal interview (by invitation only).
Check that you meet the credit requirements for your content discipline outlined below.
Biology
Bachelor's in biology or 36 credits in biological sciences. Also required: 3 credits each in chemistry, earth science, and physics.
Chemistry
Major in chemistry or 36 credits in chemistry subjects. Also required: 3 credits each in biology, earth science, and physics.
Earth Science
Earth science or geology degree or 36 credits in environmental sciences such as climatology, oceanography, seismology, hydrology, and atmospheric sciences. Also required: 3 credits each in biology, chemistry, and physics.
Mathematics
Bachelor's degree or 36 credits in mathematics, with coursework in calculus, algebraic theory, geometry, statistics, and probability.
English Language Arts
Major or 36 credits in English literature, with 3 credits in each of the following areas of study: Shakespeare, American literature, British literature, world literature, composition, and grammar or linguistics.
Physics
Undergraduate major or 36 credits in physics. Also required: 3 credits each in biology, chemistry, and earth science.
Social Studies
Degree in anthropology, economics, geography, government, history, political science, or sociology or in another major with 36 credits in social science subjects, 21 of which must be in U.S. and world history and geography subjects.
World Languages
Bachelor's degree or 36 credits in French or Spanish language.
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
Application Requirements
Required Credentials & Deadlines
Required Application Materials:
- Transcripts from all schools attended
- Three letters of recommendation (at least two letters from Professors)
- One of the following entrance exams: GRE, edTPA, GMAT or Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators
- Statement of Goals
Admissions Deadlines are as follows:
Fall & Summer
- Early Review: November 9
- Regular Review: February 15
- Late Review: March 29 *
*The March deadline is based on available space
Department Assistantship Consideration is not available for this program.
Careers and Advisement
The Pathways Into Education (PIE) Center is the central office on campus serving undergraduate, graduate, and prospective students interested in pursuing careers in education and programs leading to teacher certification.
Please call or email to schedule an appointment.
Graduate Advisement:
Email Graduate Advisement
(518) 442-3529