Courses to Complete Prior to Enrollment

You must satisfactorily complete prerequisite coursework in education, the study of a language other than English, and general education coursework in the humanities and sciences as part of an undergraduate program at an accredited college or university.

In addition to the basic prerequisites required for admission to the M.S. program, you must also satisfy several specific course requirements prior to enrollment in our program:

Prerequisite Coursework in Education

Two prerequisites in the field of education are required, either the following two Ithaca College courses or their equivalents:

  • EDUC 34000 Social and Cultural Foundations of Education
  • EDUC 21910 Early Field Experience: Theory and Practice (includes 50 hours of field experiences in school settings)

Applicants may submit evidence of equivalent coursework taken at other accredited institutions, as well as satisfactory completion of approximately 50 hours of school-based field experiences.

Applicants who have not completed the prerequisites are sometimes admitted provisionally, with the understanding that all prerequisites will be completed according to a plan developed by the graduate program chair.

Prerequisite Coursework in the Disciplines

Applicants to our Childhood Education graduate program are expected to have taken at least 6-9 credits of coursework in each of the core disciplines of the elementary school curriculum:

  •  English language arts (for instance, English, Writing, Communications)
  •  Mathematics (for instance, Mathematics, Statistics)
  •  Science (for instance, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics)
  •  Social Studies (for instance, History, Government/Political Science, Geography)

College-Level Study of a Language Other Than English

New York State Education Department guidelines for initial certification requires the completion of college-level coursework in a language other than English or evidence of proficiency (i.e. a placement or proficiency exam).

Ready to Apply?

We encourage early application! More information on the application process is available when you:

START HERE