Chemistry Department
Gregory Phelan, chair
Bowers Hall, Room 38
(607) 753-4323
Fax: (607) 753-5928
Email: chemistry.department@cortland.edu

Adolescence Education: Science
Rena Janke, co-coordinator
(607) 753-2907
Angela Pagano, co-coordinator
(607) 753-2309

Overview

With your initial certification to teach chemistry in hand, you now have the challenge of meeting the New York State Education Department’s requirements for professional certification. SUNY Cortland’s M.S.Ed. in adolescence education: chemistry (7-12) will help you fulfill those requirements. Whether you choose to enroll in full-time graduate study or part time while you’re in your first years of teaching, the degree will give you the opportunity to broaden and deepen your knowledge of chemistry and other sciences while continuing to improve your teaching skills. 

Program Highlights

You’ll enhance your content knowledge with graduate course work in chemistry, as well as advanced study in biology, geology and/or physics. You have two options for furthering your knowledge of adolescent learners and how to create and maintain a positive teaching-learning environment for science.

Option I 

You will extend your teaching skills through exploration of emerging teaching methodologies and resources. You’ll examine the social, historical, philosophical or psychological foundations of education. 

Option II 

You’ll study the nature of the middle school adolescent learner and the teaching strategies that work best at that developmental level. With this option, you’ll earn a middle level extension of your chemistry 7-12 certificate to include grades 5 and 6 for chemistry.

Culminating Experience

In addition to fulfilling any specific degree requirements determined by the Chemistry Department, you’ll complete a culminating master’s project.

Career Potential

With the M.S.Ed. in adolescence education: chemistry (7-12), you can expand your capacity to teach middle school or high school chemistry. You’ll earn SUNY Cortland’s institutional recommendation for New York State’s professional certification in chemistry for grades 7-12. You may also choose to consider career options that include further graduate study, laboratory research or consulting.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to a degree program stated in this catalog, the applicant for enrollment in the program leading to an M.S.Ed. in adolescence education: chemistry (7-12) should present the following:

1. All undergraduate transcripts that reflect evidence of completion of a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or functionally related subject area. The transcripts need to show at least 30 credit hours of course work in the area of the certification.
2. Documentation of an initial/provisional certificate, or a certificate of qualification for provisional certification, to teach chemistry in grades 7-12 issued by the New York State Education Department.
3. An undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.7 overall, in the major, and in related areas of science and math.
4. Three letters of recommendation from former professors or professional colleagues who can speak to the candidate’s preparation and competence for teaching chemistry in grades 7-12.
5. An interview with the coordinator of adolescence education: science (7-12).

Apply for the M.S.Ed. in adolescence education: chemistry (7-12).