Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education Programs (CAS-Steinhardt)


The College of Arts and Science and the Steinhardt Department of Teaching and Learning offer several dual degree programs that allow CAS students in selected majors to complete, in just 5 years, both their BA and an MA in Teacher Education from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Students admitted to one of the BA-MA Teacher Education programs can, with careful planning, earn both degrees in a shortened time and at less cost than is normally the case. 

These dual degree programs combine the benefits of a broad liberal arts education at the undergraduate level with a professional education at the graduate level. All programs qualify graduates for initial certification as a teacher in grades 7 through 12 in most states around the country. At this time, CAS and Steinhardt offer the following dual degree teacher education programs:

  • B.A. Biology/M.A. Teaching Biology, grades 7-12

  • B.A. Chemistry/M.A. Teaching Chemistry, grades 7-12

  • B.A. English/M.A. Teaching English, grades 7-12

  • B.A. History/M.A. Teaching Social Studies, grades 7-12

  • B.A. Mathematics/M.A. Teaching Mathematics, grades 7-12

  • B.A. Physics/M.A. Teaching Physics, grades 7-12

  • More programs to come in selected Foreign Languages and in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)


To learn more about the programs above, how the dual degree programs can save you both time and money, and why becoming a teacher is a good idea, please visit Steinhardt's Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education Program website.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Students admitted to the Teacher Education track will, depending upon major, complete 6-13 graduate credits in teacher education as regular electives during their junior or senior years. Students may view required courses for their particular track by visiting Steinhardt's Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education Program website and may receive additional guidance from Steinhardt's Teacher Certification Advisor, Mark Perez (mark.perez@nyu.edu). Designated track courses may count towards both the BA and MA degrees. After graduation and pending admission to Steinhardt, students who have completed the Teacher Education track as undergraduates can finish the remaining 30 credits required for the MA degree in only one additional year of study. 

ELIGIBILITY AND APPLICATION PROCESS
CAS undergraduates in an approved major (i.e., Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Mathematics, or Physics) may apply to participate in this dual degree program. The application process consists of two parts:


1)  A pre-application to the Teacher Education track in a student's major. To be eligible for consideration and admission to the track, a student must:

a.  be a current, matriculated undergraduate in the College of Arts and Science at NYU;
b.  have declared an approved CAS major;
c.  have and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0;
d.  have completed a minimum of three semesters in CAS (transfer students must have completed a minimum of one semester)
e.  have a minimum of two semesters remaining prior to graduation (one fall and one spring). Students may not submit a pre-application to the Teacher Education track during their final two semesters.


To apply, please submit:

a. The online pre-application form
b. A personal statement that describes your interest in the Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education program. Please consider the following:
   >your reasons for wanting to pursue graduate study in Teacher Education
   >relevant academic, extracurricular, and/or professional experiences that have prepared you for this type of graduate study
   >how a Master's from Steinhardt would support your overall academic/professional goals
c. If applicable, a brief reflection on any prior work with children/adolescents (e.g., America Reads/Counts, tutoring, camp counseling, etc.)

Please send your personal statement (about one single-spaced page) and reflection on prior work with children/adolescents (no more than one single-spaced page) as a single PDF attachment to cas-steinhardt-group@nyu.edu by the application deadline. Please title your email and the attached PDF file as follows: [Lastname,Firstname]_Statement (e.g., Doe,John_Statement). It is not necessary to write a message in the body of the email.

d. For transfer students, official copies of transcripts from any undergraduate institutions previously attended. If official electronic transcripts are available, these should be sent to cas-steinhardt-group@nyu.edu by the application deadline. If official transcripts are only available in hard-copy, these should be sent to the following address by the application deadline:

Attn: Scott Statland
NYU CAS Advising Center
100 Washington Square East, Room 905
New York, NY 1003


2)  A formal application to Steinhardt prior to completion of the undergraduate program. Please refer to the application page of Steinhardt's Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education Program website for application instructions and deadlines. Please note: admission to a BA-MA Teacher Education track does not guarantee admission to its corresponding Steinhardt MA program.


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Application & Admissions

When should I apply to the program?
CAS undergraduates are encouraged to submit a pre-application to one of the Teacher Education tracks as early as possible after declaring an eligible major and completing their third semester in CAS (transfer students are encouraged to submit the pre-application after declaring an eligible major and completing their first semester in CAS). This will give students time to work with advisors in CAS and Steinhardt to plan their remaining coursework and to prepare for formal application to Steinhardt in their senior year.

When is it too late to apply to the program?
CAS undergraduates must have a minimum of one fall and one spring semester remaining when they pre-apply to a Teacher Education track. Students may not pre-apply to a Teacher Education track during their final two semesters as undergraduates.

When is the pre-application to a Teacher Education track due?
Pre-applications are accepted twice yearly. The deadlines are generally October 1 for fall admission and March 1 for spring admission. The deadline for the current (Spring 2012) semester has been extended to Tuesday, May 1, 2012.

When is the formal application to Steinhardt due?
For formal admission to Steinhardt, seniors who have completed or are in the process of completing a Teacher Education track must additionally submit the Steinhardt graduate application. Please refer to the application page of Steinhardt's Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education Program website for application instructions and deadlines.

Is admission to a Teacher Education track necessary if I want to continue in the BA-MA program as a graduate student in Steinhardt?
Yes. A student must be admitted to a Teacher Education track in order to count graduate Steinhardt courses taken as an undergraduate towards the Steinhardt MA degree.

If I pre-apply and am admitted to a Teacher Education track, am I guaranteed admission to the corresponding Steinahrdt MA program?
No. Admission to a BA-MA Teacher Education track does not guarantee admission to its corresponding Steinhardt MA program.

If I am formally admitted to Steinhardt as an MA student, may I defer?
No. Students participating in the dual degree program must matriculate into Steinhardt and pursue graduate studies the semester following completion of undergraduate studies.


Eligibility

I’m a CAS student interested in one of the BA-MA Teacher Education programs, but I have not declared one of the approved majors. Can I still apply?
No. At this time, eligibility for the BA-MA Teacher Education program is restricted to Biology, Chemistry, English, History, Mathematics, and Physics majors in CAS.

My home school is not CAS, but I've declared one of the approved CAS majors. Am I eligible to apply for this program?
No. Only CAS undergraduates in approved majors are eligible to participate in the Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education program.

I am a CAS student. Can I pursue both a cross-school minor and the BA-MA Teacher Education program?

While CAS students are not prohibited from pursuing a cross-school minor in addition to one of the Teacher Education tracks, they should understand that all courses taken outside of CAS, including those for the minor and the Teacher Education track, will count towards the 16-credit limit on coursework done outside of CAS (non-UA credits). If they anticipate exceeding this limit, students must submit a petition to the CAS Dean's Office, Division of Academic Standards (Silver Center, Room 909), requesting an increase in their non-CAS credit limit. CAS students should not assume that they will be able to complete a cross-school minor and a Teacher Education track unless they have obtained permission to do so from the Division of Academic Standards.

I am currently pursuing a Steinhardt Education minor, and would like to participate in the accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education program. Do I still have to pre-apply to a Teacher Education track?
Yes, you still need to submit a pre-application and complete all of the coursework in the Teacher Education track you select. In pursuing the minor, however, you may have already completed some or all of the courses on the track. To clarify which courses, if any, you still need to take in a selected Teacher Education track, please consult with the Steinhardt's Teacher Certification Advisor, Mark Perez (mark.perez@nyu.edu).


Course Registration

How do I register for graduate-level courses in Steinhardt?
Students who wish to register for graduate-level courses in Steinhardt will need to contact Steinhardt's Teacher Certification Advisor, Mark Perez (mark.perez@nyu.edu), early in the registration process in order to be added to the course. When requesting access to a graduate level course, please provide your name, University ID number ("N" number), the name, course number, section, and registration class number of the course, as well as your registration appointment time. 

What happens if I complete Teacher Education courses while an undergraduate and then change my mind about applying for the MA degree?
The Teacher Education courses you complete as an undergraduate would still count towards your BA degree. You would just not submit a formal application to the Steinhardt MA program. Note that if you apply to a Teaching MA program in the future, the education courses you completed as an undergraduate could not be counted toward the MA. Only students participating in a dual degree program may "double count" courses towards both the BA and MA degrees.


Program Information

To learn more about this program, including how it can save you both time and money and prepare you for a valuable career in teaching, please visit Steinhardt's Accelerated BA-MA Teacher Education program website at http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/teachlearn/dual.

ADVISING

For initial advising and application information, please contact:


Scott Statland
Associate Director, Juniors and Inter-School Programs
NYU College of Arts and Science Advising
18 Washington Place, Room G106 (Academic Resource Center)
New York, NY 10003
(p) 212.998.8130
scott.statland@nyu.edu

Students may visit Scott during walk-in hours at the Academic Resource Center (Tuesdays, 12:00pm - 1:00pm; Fridays, 11:00am-12:00pm), or they may call the College Advising Center (212-998-8130) to schedule an appointment at an alternative time. Students are asked to check in at the ARC front desk when they arrive for an appointment or office hours visit.

For advising on Steinhardt course selection, please contact:

Mark Perez
Teacher Certification Advisor
Pless Building, 82 Washington Square East
New York, NY 10003
(p) 212.998.5033
mark.perez@nyu.edu

Updated on 02/03/2013