School of Education | University at Albany

Office of the Dean

Virginia Goatley, Dean
Cheryl Dozier, Associate Dean
Alison Olin, Assistant Dean for Personnel and Planning
Christy Smith, Assistant Dean of Academic Programs, Partnerships and Accreditation, Executive Director of Student Success
518-442-4988

Drawing on its rich tradition of excellence, the School of Education’s mission is to enhance learning and human development, in and out of classrooms, and across the life span. The School seeks to advance knowledge about the full spectrum of challenges in learning, development, behavior, and adaptation.

The School of Education brings multidisciplinary expertise to bear on policy and practice about the changing needs of students, professionals, and educational systems, locally, nationally, and across the globe. We view questions of theory, research, practice, and policy as complementary and interrelated, and from this perspective, seek to:

Discover innovative research-based knowledge and solutions for the problems facing individuals, families, professionals, and educational systems;
Prepare outstanding professionals for classrooms, schools, communities, higher education, and policy forums;
Produce rigorous scholars to carry out the next generation of discovery and innovation; and
Provide visionary leadership for educational policy and change, regionally, nationally, and internationally.

The School is organized into four departments: Educational and Counseling Psychology; Educational Policy and Leadership; Educational Theory and Practice; and Literacy Teaching and Learning.

Fall 2024, the School of Education launches three new undergraduate programs: B.S. in Early Childhood/Childhood Education; B.S. in Childhood and Special Education; B.S. in Adolescent Education. The School also offers over 40 different master's, certificate, and doctoral degree programs as well as an undergraduate B.S. in Human Development, a minor in Educational Studies, a minor in Leadership, and a minor in Pre-Education. Requirements for the Human Development major are outlined under the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology. Requirements for the minors are outlined in the Minors section of this bulletin.

All courses in the School of Education are preceded by the prefix letter E.

Pathways Into Education Center (PIE)

Pathways Into Education (PIE) Center is the central office on campus serving undergraduates and prospective students interested in pursuing careers in education as well as graduate students enrolled in degree programs that lead to teacher certification.

The PIE Center:

Coordinates undergraduate students’ access to programs and opportunities in education, such as the Educational Studies minor, EPSY 390 Community Service, Kappa Delta Pi, and the Future Educator’s Club.
Serves as the University’s central source for information about careers in education.
Directs students toward the educational careers best suiting their interests and talents.

Contact the PIE Center at:
518-442-3529
[email protected]

Degree Requirements for the B.S. in Early Childhood/Childhood Education

The Early Childhood/Childhood Education program leads to New York State Initial Teacher Certification in Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2) and Childhood Education (Grades 1-6). The program includes liberal arts and pedagogical coursework to prepare students for teaching young children through elementary students. It requires intensive practicum and student teaching experience.

Admission

Declaration of the major in Early Childhood/Childhood Education must be made by application to the School of Education.

I. Criteria for Students Admitted as Freshmen to Albany:

The student must have completed at least 24 credits (sophomore status)
The student’s cumulative grade point average for all coursework at the University at Albany must be 3.00 or higher at the time of evaluation
Written essay responses

If qualified applications exceed the number of available spaces, the following criteria will be used sequentially to select students to the program:

Overall GPA
Essay score

II. Criteria for Transfer Students:

Transfer students are expected to meet the admission criteria specified in section I and are expected to apply for admission to the program when applying for admission to the university. Please reach out to the Pathways Into Education Center at [email protected] for information on application deadlines.
Transfer students who plan to major in Early Childhood/Childhood Education but have not completed the admission criteria specified in section I, may declare their intention to major in Early Childhood/Childhood Education but will not be formally admitted to the major when they enter the University. Students must fulfill the criteria specified in section I.

Appeals: Students who do not meet the admission criteria due to extenuating circumstances may submit an appeal. Contact the School of Education Dean’s Office for more information about the process.

General Program B.S.:

A minimum of 93 credits, including 30 credits in the concentration.

Core courses:

63 credits

Foundations of Education (3 credits):

EEPL 300 Social Foundations (3)

Teaching as a Profession (3 credits):

ETAP 201 Exploring Teaching as a Profession (3)

Educational Psychology, Development and Assessment (15 credits):

EPSY 200 Introduction to Educational Psychology (3)
EPSY 400 The Psychology of Instruction and Learning (3)
EPSY 421 Early Childhood and Childhood Development (3)
EPSY 440 Introduction to Assessment and Measurement (3)
ECPY 360 Psychology, Cultural Diversity, and Social Justice (3)

Special Education (6 credits):

ESPE 350 Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment for all Students (3)
ESPE 460 Introduction to Human Exceptionality (3)

Literacy (9 credits):

ELTL 300 Comprehensive Literacy I (3)
ELTL 301 Comprehensive Literacy II (3)
ELTL 400 Language Acquisition for All Learners (3)

Methods (9 credits):

ELTL 351 Early Childhood and Childhood methods of English and Social Studies Instruction (3)
ETAP 312 Teaching mathematics for Understanding PreK-6 (3)
ETAP 314 Science for Children (3)

Fieldwork and Student Teaching (18 credits):

EEDU 479 Fieldwork: Healthy and Successful Students (6)
EEDU 480 Student Teaching: Early Childhood and Childhood (12)

Concentration:

30 credits as approved by advisor in the following areas (a minimum of 15 credits must be taken at the upper division level):

6 credits Math (AMAT XXX or other as approved by advisor)
6 credits English (AENG XXX or other as approved by advisor)
6 credits Science (ABIO XXX, ACHM XXX, APHY XXX, AATM XXX or other as approved by advisor)
6 credits Social Studies (AHIS XXX, AGOG XXX or other as approved by advisor)
3 credits Fine Arts (AARH XXX or other as approved by advisor)
3 credits Liberal Arts and Sciences electives

Students must maintain a 2.85 cumulative GPA to remain in the major.

Students in this major must also complete 15 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences as part of the elective or General Education sequence.

Additional Program/NYSED Requirements:

School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE) Training
Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Training (NEW)
DASA Training

Please note: 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. Students with concerns about this matter should contact the Dean’s Office of the intended academic program.

As an approved teacher preparation program with the New York State Education Department, there may be additional certification requirements applicable. These requirements may include, but are not limited to, additional workshops. Certification procedures and requirements are outlined on the School of Education’s Teacher Certification website. This program is approved for licensure or certification in New York State.

Federal Licensure/Certification Disclosure

Effective July 1, 2024, federal regulation requires institutions of higher education to make a determination whether a Title IV eligible academic program that leads to professional licensure or certification meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the U.S. State where the institution is located and the U.S. States where “distance education” students are located at the time of initial enrollment in the program, as well as U.S. States where the program is advertised as meeting such requirements, and if applicable, the U.S. State where students attest they intend to be licensed/certified.

The B.S. in Early Childhood/Childhood Education program at the University at Albany is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State. Through a good faith effort, and for the purpose of complying with the federal regulation, we have determined that the B.S. in Early Childhood/Childhood Education program at the University at Albany meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the additional following U.S. States: none.

It is important to note that the University at Albany is not the licensure/certification authority in other U.S. States and cannot assess whether an individual candidate will be issued a license/certificate in other U.S. States and instead it is incumbent on each individual candidate to contact the licensure/certification authority in the applicable U.S. State for any further guidance on the requirements for licensure/certification requirements and application processes.

Degree Requirements for the B.S. in Childhood and Special Education

The Childhood and Special Education program leads to New York State Initial Teacher Certification in Childhood Education (Grade 1-6) and Students with Disabilities (All Grades). This program includes liberal arts and pedagogical coursework to prepare students for teaching in general elementary classrooms and for students with disabilities at all grade levels. It requires intensive practicum and student teaching experiences.

Admission

Declaration of the major in Childhood and Special Education must be made by application to the School of Education.

I. Criteria for Students Admitted as Freshmen to Albany:

The student must have completed at least 24 credits (sophomore status)
The student’s cumulative grade point average for all coursework at the University at Albany must be 3.00 or higher at the time of evaluation
Written essay responses

If qualified applications exceed the number of available spaces, the following criteria will be used sequentially to select students to the program:

Overall GPA
Essay score

II. Criteria for Transfer Students:

Transfer students are expected to meet the admission criteria specified in section I, and are expected to apply for admission to the program when applying for admission to the university. Please reach out to the Pathways Into Education Center at [email protected] for information on application deadlines.
Transfer students who plan to major in Childhood and Special Education but have not completed the admission criteria specified in section I, may declare their intention to major in Childhood and Special Education but will not be formally admitted to the major when they enter the University. Students must fulfill the criteria specified in section I.

General Program B.S.:

A minimum of 99 credits, including 30 credits in the concentration.

Core courses:

69 credits

Foundations of Education (3 credits):

EEPL 300 Social Foundations of Education (3)

Teaching as a Profession (3 credits):

ETAP 201 Exploring Teaching as a Profession (3)

Educational Psychology, Development and Assessment (15 credits):

EPSY 200 Introduction to Educational Psychology (3)
EPSY 400 The Psychology of Instruction and Learning (3)
EPSY 420 Child and Adolescent Development (3)
EPSY 440 Introduction to Assessment and Measurement (3)
ECPY 360 Psychology, Cultural Diversity, and Social Justice (3)

Special Education (12 credits):

ESPE 350 Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment for all Students (3)
ESPE 369 Special education for Students with Emotional and Behavioral Problems (3)
ESPE 460 Introduction to Human Exceptionality (3)
ESPE 463 Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder (3)

Literacy (9 credits):

ELTL 300 Comprehensive Literacy I (3)
ELTL 301 Comprehensive Literacy II (3)
ELTL 400 Language Acquisition for All Learners (3)

Methods (9 credits):

ESPE 351 Culturally Sustaining, Knowledge – Building Literacy Intervention (3)
ESPE 352 Anti-Racist Math and Science Inquiry Instruction (3)
ETAP 314 Teaching Science for Understanding PreK-6 (3)

Fieldwork and Student Teaching (18 credits):

EEDU 479 Fieldwork: Healthy and Successful Students (6)
ESPE 480 Student Teaching (12)

Concentration:

30 credits as approved by advisor in the following areas (a minimum of 15 credits must be taken at the upper division level):

6 credits Math (AMAT XXX or other as approved by advisor)
6 credits English (AENG XXX or other as approved by advisor)
6 credits Science (ABIO XXX, ACHM XXX, APHY XXX, AATM XXX or other as approved by advisor)
6 credits Social Studies (AHIS XXX, AGOG XXX or other as approved by advisor)
3 credits Fine Arts (AARH XXX or other as approved by advisor)
3 credits Liberal Arts and Sciences electives

Students must maintain a 2.85 cumulative GPA to remain in the major.

Students in this major must also complete 15 credits of Liberal Arts and Sciences as part of the elective or General Education sequence.

Additional Program/NYSED Requirements:

School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE) Training
Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Training (NEW)
Needs of Children with Autism Training
DASA Training

Federal Licensure/Certification Disclosure

The B.S. in Childhood and Special Education program at the University at Albany is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State. Through a good faith effort, and for the purpose of complying with the federal regulation, we have determined that the B.S. in Childhood and Special Education program at the University at Albany meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the additional following U.S. States: none.

Degree Requirements for the B.S. in Adolescent Education

The Adolescent Education program leads to New York State Initial Teacher Certification. It offers a strong research-based preparation for prospective classroom teachers at Grades 7-12 in English, Spanish, Social Studies, Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science), and Mathematics.

Admission

Declaration of the major in Adolescent Education must be made by application to the School of Education.

I. Criteria for Students Admitted as Freshmen to Albany:

The student must have completed at least 24 credits (sophomore status)
The student’s cumulative grade point average for all coursework at the University at Albany must be 3.00 or higher at the time of evaluation.
Written essay responses

If qualified applications exceed the number of available spaces, the following criteria will be used sequentially to select students to the program:

Overall GPA
Essay score

II. Criteria for Transfer Students:

Transfer students are expected to meet the admission criteria specified in section I, and are expected to apply for admission to the program when applying for admission to the university. Please reach out to the Pathways Into Education Center at [email protected] for information on application deadlines.
Transfer students who plan to major in Adolescent Education but have not completed the admission criteria specified in section I, may declare their intention to major in Adolescent Education but will not be formally admitted to the major when they enter the University. Students must fulfill the criteria specified in section I.

General Program B.S.:

A minimum of 84 credits, including 30 credits in the concentration.

Core courses:

54 credits

Foundations of Education (3 credits):

EEPL 300 Social Foundations of Education (3)

Teaching as a Profession (3 credits):

ETAP 201 Exploring Teaching as a Profession (3)

Educational Psychology, Development and Assessment (15 credits):

EPSY 200 Introduction to Educational Psychology (3)
EPSY 400 The Psychology of Instruction and Learning (3)
EPSY 422 Adolescent Development (3)
EPSY 440 Introduction to Assessment and Measurement (3)
ECPY 360 Psychology, Cultural Diversity, and Social Justice (3)

Special Education (6 credits):

ESPE 350 Creating an Inclusive Classroom Environment for all Students (3)
ESPE 460 Introduction to Human Exceptionality (3)

Literacy (6 credits):

ETAP 430 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum (3)
EELT 400 Language Acquisition for All Learners (3)

Methods (3 credits):

ETAP 452 Methods of Secondary Teaching

Fieldwork and Student Teaching (18 credits):

EEDU 479 Fieldwork: Healthy and Successful Students (6)
ETAP 480 Student Teaching: Adolescent (12)

Concentrations:

Minimum of 30 credits in one content area (minimum 15 credits upper division)

Biology

Chemistry Support Sequence

ACHM 115 General Chemistry I (4) or ACHM 120/124 General Chemistry I and Lab (4)
ACHM 116 General Chemistry II (4) or ACHM 121/125 General Chemistry II and Lab (4)

Biology Sequence
- ABIO 130 General Biology: Molecular and Cell Bio and Genetics (3)
- ABIO 131 General Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Physiology (3)
- ABIO 201 Intro to Biological Investigations I (1)
- ABIO 202 Intro to Biological Investigations (1)
- ABIO 212Y Introductory Genetics (4)
- ABIO 301 Molecular Cell Biology (3)
- ABIO 330 Principles of Ecology and Evolution (3)
3 courses from:
- ABIO 303 Developmental Biology (3)
- ABIO 314 Microbiology (3)
- ABIO 318 Human Population Genetics (3)
- ABIO 365 Biological Chemistry I (3)
- ABIO 401 Ecology (3)
- ABIO 402 Evolution (3)
- ABIO 410 Human Physiology (3)

Chemistry

Support Sequence

Select one:

AMAT 111 Algebra and Calculus II (4)
AMAT 112 Calculus I (4)
AMAT 118 Honors Calculus I (4)

Select one:

AMAT 113 Calculus II (4)
AMAT 119 Honors Calculus II (4)

APHY 140 Physics I: Mechanics (3) & APHY 145 Physics Lab I (1)
APHY 150 Physics II: Electromagnetism (3) APHY 155 Physics Lab II (1)

Chemistry Sequence

Select one:

ACHM 115 General Chemistry I & Lab (4)
ACHM 120 General Chemistry I (3) ACHM 124 General Chemistry I Lab (1)

Select one:

ACHM 116 General Chemistry II & Lab (4)
ACHM 121 General Chemistry II (3) ACHM 125 General Chemistry II Lab (1)

ACHM 220 Organic Chemistry I (3) and ACHM 222 Organic Chemistry I Lab (1)
ACHM 221 Organic Chemistry II (3) and ACHM 223 Organic Chemistry II Lab (1)
ACHM 326 Quantitative Analysis for Industry (3) and ACHM 327 Quantitative Analysis for Industry Lab (2)
ACHM 424 Retrieval and Presentation of Chemical Information (1)
ACHM 429 Instrumental Analysis (3)
ACHM 431 Instrumental Analysis Lab (1)
6 credits from:

ACHM 342 Introduction to Biochemistry (3)
ACHM 408 Polymer Chemistry (3)
ACHM 417 Advanced Synthesis Laboratory (3)
ACHM 444 Biophysical Chemistry I (3)
ACHM 445 Biophysical Chemistry II (3)
ACHM 447 Advanced Forensic Chemistry (3)
Or other courses as approved by advisor

Earth Science

Support Sequence

Select one:

ACHM 115 General Chemistry I & Lab (4)
ACHM 120 General Chemistry I (3) ACHM 124 General Chemistry I Lab (1)

Select one:

APHY 140 Physics I: Mechanics (3)
TPHY 141 Honors Physics I: Mechanics (3)
APHY 105 General Physics I (3)

Select one:

AMAT 111 Algebra and Calculus II (4)
AMAT 112 Calculus I (4)
AMAT 118 Honors Calculus I (4)

Earth Science Sequence

AENV 105 Introduction to Environmental Science (3)
APHY 103 Exploration of Space (3)
AENV 221 Understanding the Earth (3)
AATM 210 Atmospheric Structure, Thermodynamics, and Circulation (3)
AENV 302 Ocean Science (3)
AATM 335 Meteorological Remote Sensing (3)
AENV/AATM 327 Meteorological and Environmental Measurements (3)
AENV 404 The Adirondack Environment (3)
AENV 450 Paleoclimatology (3) or AATM 306 Climate Variability and Change (3)
AENV 490 Major Topics in Environmental Science (3)

English

AENG 200 level or above
AENG 205Z Introduction to Writing in English Studies (3)
6 credits from:

AENG 291 British Literary Traditions I: From the Anglo-Saxon Period through Milton (3)
AENG 292 British Literary Traditions II: The Restoration through the Modern Period (3)
AENG 295 Classics of Western Literature (3)
AENG 297 Postcolonial Literary Traditions (3)

AENG 300 level or above
AENG 300 level or above
AENG 305V Studies in Writing about Texts (3)
AENG 310 Reading and Interpretation in English Studies (3)
AENG 400 level
AENG 400 level

Math

AMAT 100 Precalculus Mathematics (3)
AMAT 112 Calculus I (4)
AMAT 113 Calculus II (4)
AMAT 220 Linear Algebra (3)
AMAT 300 Introduction to Proofs (3)
AMAT 308 Topics in Statistical Inference (3)
AMAT 312 Basic Analysis (3)
AMAT 326 Classical Algebra (3)
AMAT 331 Transformation Geometry (3)
AMAT 400 level

* AMAT 108 (recommended if no prior stats course)

Physics

Math Support Sequence

AMAT 112 Calculus I (4)
AMAT 113 Calculus II (4)
AMAT 214 Calculus of Several Variables (4)
APHY 235 Mathematics in Physics (2)

Physics Sequence

APHY 140 Physics I: Mechanics (3)
APHY 145 Physics I: Lab (1)
APHY 150 Physics II: Electromagnetism (3)
APHY 155 Physics II: Lab (1)
APHY 240 Physics III: Structure of Matter (3)
APHY 245 Physics III: Lab (1)
APHY 250 Physics IV: Waves (3)
APHY 410 Classical Mechanics (3)
APHY 440 Quantum Physics I (3)
APHY 450 Quantum Physics II (3)
APHY 460 Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics (3)
APHY 470 Electromagnetism I: Statics (3)

Social Studies

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.

Select one:

AHIS 100 American Political and Social History I (3)
AHIS 101 American Political and Social History II (3)

Select one:

AHIS 130 History of European Civilization I (3)
AHIS 131 History of European Civilization II (3)
AHIS 144 Latin America since the Aztecs (3)
AHIS 158 The Past as Present: The World since 1900 (3)
AHIS 177 East Asia: Its Culture and History (3)
AHST 110 Introduction to Latin America and the Caribbean (3)

AGOG 102 Introduction to Human Geography (3)
AECO 110 Principles of Economics I: Microeconomics (3)
RPOS 101 Introduction to Political Science (3)
AGOG 356 Geography of the United States (3)
300 level or above history or geography of the United States or the world as approved by advisor
300 level or above history or geography of the United States or the world as approved by advisor
300 level or above history or geography of the United States or the world as approved by advisor
300 level or above as approved by advisor in History, Geography, Civics, Citizenship, Government or Economics

Spanish

Heritage Track

A SPN 105 Basic Spanish for Heritage Speakers (3)
A SPN 205 Intermediate Spanish II for Heritage Speakers (3)
A SPN 209 Spanish Composition and Conversation for Heritage Speakers of Spanish (3)
A SPN 303 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics (3)
A SPN 310 Introduction to Literary Methods (3)
A SPN 300 level or above*
A SPN 300 level or above*
A SPN 400 level
A SPN 400 level
A SPN 400 level

* Excludes A SPN 333

Non-Heritage Track

A SPN 200 Intermediate Spanish I (3-4)
A SPN 201 Intermediate Spanish II (3-4)
A SPN 206 Intermediate Conversation and Oral Grammar (3)
A SPN 208 Spanish Composition and Conversation for non-Heritage Speakers of Spanish (3)
A SPN 303 Introduction to Spanish Linguistics (3)
A SPN 310 Introduction to Literary Methods (3)
A SPN 300 level or above*
A SPN 300 level or above*
A SPN 400 level

* Excludes A SPN 333

Students must maintain a 2.85 GPA to remain in the major.

Additional Program/NYSED Requirements:

School Violence Prevention and Intervention (SAVE) Training
Child Abuse Identification and Reporting Training (NEW)
DASA Training

Federal Licensure/Certification Disclosure

The B.S. in Adolescent Education program at the University at Albany is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State. Through a good faith effort, and for the purpose of complying with the federal regulation, we have determined that the B.S. in Adolescent Education program at the University at Albany meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the additional following U.S. States: none.