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
Certification
Information for Applicants
Admissions Requirements
SOE Home

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 the Graduate Bulletin for details.

Want to learn more about the program? Informational meetings held every Tuesday at 8pm on Zoom. Meeting ID is 542-613-538. We'll talk about courses, milestones, certification processes, application requirements, and answer questions. Can't make it to the meeting? Contact Hope Shuttleworth at hshuttleworth@albany.edu with any program questions you have.

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, statement of goals, three letters of recommendation, and a personal interview (by invitation only).

Check that you meet the credit requirements for your content discipline outlined below.

All Programs

3 credits or one semester of a language other than English (LOTE) or the equivalent (e.g., a grade of 85% or better on the NYS Regents or Local Checkpoint B Examination in a LOTE; a CLEP exam in a LOTE at or above the 50th percentile)

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 maior 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 ONE OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (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.

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
One college course in a language other than English
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:

Deadline 1: January 15th
Deadline 2: March 15th

Department Assistantship Consideration is not available for this program.

Student Learning Objectives

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

Master of Science

Our students demonstrate the ability to integrate educational theory in the service of guiding effective instructional decision making.
Our students use technology effectively to support collaboration and engagement in the process of knowledge construction.
Our students promote meaningful, engaged learning for diverse students, regardless of their race, gender, ethnic heritage, or cultural background

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