School of Education Graduate Programs

Master of Arts in Teaching/Master of Professional Studies Diploma/Certification

Manhattanville offers Master of Arts in Teaching degree programs for strong liberal arts graduates with few or no prior courses in education. Upon completion of the program, the candidate is eligible for New York State certification as a teacher of Childhood and/or Early Childhood Education, English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science or Foreign Language instruction at the secondary and middle school levels, or teacher of Art, Music, or Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy in all grades. MAT programs range from 36 to 49 credits depending on the program and the areas in which certification is sought. All MAT programs include one semester of full-time supervised or student teaching. One hundred (100) hours of fieldwork must be completed prior to supervised/student teaching.

Also offered are Master of Professional Studies programs in Teaching of English as a Second Language, Special Education, Literacy as well as a variety of programs leading to dual certification. The MPS and the Professional Diploma prepare candidates for certification in School Building Leadership, School District Leadership, School District Leadership/Athletic Director depending on prior experience. MPS programs range from 36 to 47 credits, depending on the program and the areas in which certification is sought. Upon completion of the program, the candidate is eligible for initial, professional, or permanent certification. This classification is determined by credentials presented at the time of matriculation into the selected program. All MPS programs except for that in Literacy require at least one semester of supervised fieldwork.

Advanced Certification Programs

Advanced Certification programs are available for 1) candidates who already hold a Masters degree in a related area but who have no prior preparation in education, or 2) for certified teachers wishing to obtain certification in an additional area. The School of Education offers Certification programs in the following areas: Special Education, Secondary/Middle Childhood and Adolescence (English, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Second Languages, or Social Studies), TESOL, Literacy, Music and Art.

Individual Evaluation Certification and Extension Programs

Individual evaluation certification and extension programs are available for in-service teachers who are already certified, hold a Masters degree and who wish to become certified in another area OR for individuals who are teaching and are not yet certified. The School of Education offers the coursework required for certification through the New York State Individual evaluation application. In these cases, under New York State Regulations, candidates can apply for certification directly to the NYS Education Department, using graduate courses they have taken at Manhattanville. The college does not officially recommend candidates to NYSED under these pathways. Careful advising and specific choices of courses is required in these programs and interested students are advised to consult closely with the Graduate Advising Office and the NYS Education Department at http://www.nysed.gov.

Doctorate in Educational Leadership

The doctoral program (Ed.D.) in educational leadership is to meet the needs of mid-career professionals who already have leadership experience in public or private schools, in community programs, in governmental agencies, or in NGOs with major education initiatives. This program does not lead to any certification, as most accepted students will have both early career leadership experience and the initial licensure/certification/program requirements for their chosen career path as leaders in education. Students complete a three-year program of study that tightly integrates coursework, field experiences, and applied research (59 semester hours of post-master’s credit including dissertation). The focus is on preparing leaders to work in changing suburbs and small cities, and the signature pedagogy is problem-based learning. The doctoral program experiences are organized around five themes: leading learning organizations, becoming a sophisticated practitioner-scholar, developing self and others, participating in professional and policy-making communities, and facilitating responsive education programs. The program offers the option to do a three-article dissertation or a traditional five-chapter dissertation. Up to twelve (12) credits of post-master level courses taken at a regionally accredited institution within the last ten (10) years may be transferred. Students need to provide an official transcript (and in some cases a syllabus) for previously taken courses to allow for the course transfer. Students’ request for credit transfer is subject to review and endorsement of the faculty advisor, and approval by the Program Coordinator. The program is offered in collaboration with the Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES

Student/Supervised Clinical Field Experience Requirements

Teaching Field Experience

In addition to the student/supervised teaching in the final semester of each program, New York State regulations require 100 hours of field experience prior to the clinical experience. At Manhattanville, most required education courses assign a specified number of hours of field experience. These field experience hours provide students with opportunities throughout their programs to observe and participate in school-related activities appropriate to the content of the courses with which they are associated.  If a course has assigned field experience hours, these must be completed in order to pass the class.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is the culminating experience of the entire program. It consists of full-time involvement for an entire semester in appropriate classrooms, along with a weekly integrating seminar. It is during student teaching that the teacher candidate is expected to synthesize and put into practice the knowledge, understandings and skills developed during all of the previous courses and fieldwork. In order to meet NYSED requirements for certification, student teachers may be required to divide their semester to include two levels of experience as well as experiences in both urban and suburban settings. All clinical field placements will be at the discretion of the Director of Field Placement, Certification, and Community Outreach.

Supervised Teaching

Experienced teacher candidates who are currently employed in appropriate situations or appropriate teaching assistant positions may substitute supervised teaching for the student teaching experience with the approval of the Director of Field Placement.

Students wishing to opt for this plan must speak directly with the Director of Field Placement, who will ascertain whether or not the teaching environment is appropriate. It is important to know in advance whether the course competencies can be demonstrated in the setting. It is imperative that the student discuss his/her plans for a supervised teaching experience with the principal, and that the student receive some latitude in planning for the class during the semester. Supervised teachers attend the weekly integrating seminar along with the student teachers, and the seminar serves the same function in both cases.