Great Dane Teacher Pathway

Thinking about a career in education?

Through the Great Dane Teacher Pathway (GDTP), you can pursue an accelerated admissions pathway to a master's degree in education and New York State teacher certification. If admitted to an eligible master's program, you’ll use your time as an undergraduate to become an expert in your content area. Then, through graduate coursework, gain the knowledge and experience needed for a career as a teacher. By incorporating master's coursework into your undergraduate degree, you’ll save money by paying the undergraduate tuition rate and save course time by completing part of your master's program before you graduate.

What degrees are part of the GDTP?

We currently have twelve combined degrees as part of the GDTP:

BS Atmospheric Science/MS Secondary Education (Earth Science)

BA Biology/MS Secondary Education (Biology)

BS Biology/MS Secondary Education (Biology)

BA Chemistry/MS Secondary Education (Chemistry)

BS Chemistry/MS Secondary Education (Chemistry)

BA English/MS Secondary Education (English)

BA History/MS Secondary Education (Social Studies)

BS Human Development/MS Special Education and Literacy (II) (Revised program coming soon!)*

BA Mathematics/MS Secondary Education (Mathematics)

BS Mathematics/MS Secondary Education (Mathematics)

BS Physics/MS Secondary Education (Physics)

BA Spanish/MS Secondary Education (Spanish)

* New York State Education Department recently changed regulations for certification in both Special Education/Teaching Students with Disabilities & Literacy. They have eliminated "grade band" certification areas (i.e. grades 1-6) and will only offer certificates in these areas for "All Grades" (pre-k - grade 12). We will be restructuring the MS in Special Education & Literacy II in response to these new regulations. Please continue to check the School of Education website for updates to the program and the certifications it provides: www.albany.edu/education/programs

 

How does GDTP work?

Students enrolled in one of our GDTP majors apply for early admission to the GDTP master's program in their junior or senior year. If admitted, they can take up to 12 pre-approved graduate credits that can be applied to both their undergraduate and graduate programs. Although advisors will help students with registration, here are the potential courses:

MS Secondary Education courses: EPSY 522, EPSY 540, ESPE 562, ETAP 638, 6 Credits of Graduate Level Content (based on your major)

MS Special Education and Literacy (II) courses: ELTL 500, EPSY 521, ESPE 560, EPSY 615

Do I have to be in one of the approved GDTP majors to apply to one of the master's degrees listed above?

Declaration of one of the GDTP majors is required to apply for the combined program. But if you are not in one of the GDTP majors, you may still be able to apply directly to the master's through the traditional pathway.

How do I apply?

If you are already a UAlbany undergraduate student and are in one of the GDTP majors, you can apply for the appropriate master's program through the Graduate School. Be sure to check out the application requirements and deadlines as they differ for each program. Please note that a minimum 3.2 GPA is required as per University policy.

If you are not a UAlbany undergraduate yet, you can start your journey by visiting Undergraduate Admissions. There is even a GDTP scholarship for eligible freshmen, so be sure to check out the details!

Where can I find more information?

Looking for more information or have other questions? We would love to hear from you! You can email our Pathways Into Education Center at [email protected] or find our Zoom office hours here.