Courses to Complete Prior to Enrollment

You will take core courses with other education graduate students, but each area of certification in our M.A.T. program requires distinct, discipline-specific admission prerequisites.
Preparing for Enrollment

In addition to the basic requirements for admission to the M.A.T. program, you must also demonstrate a depth and breadth of knowledge in the content area you wish to teach. Some of these courses must occur prior to enrollment in our program, while more specialized discipline-specific knowledge is pursued once enrolled as a graduate student.

In preparing for enrollment into the Ithaca College M.A.T. program, please review the requirements below related to:

  • Education course prerequisites
  • Discipline-specific prerequisites

Prerequisite Coursework in Education

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

  • EDUC 21010: Educational Psychology (3 credits)
  • EDUC 21910: Early Field Experiences: Theory and Practice (3 credits)
  • EDUC 34000: Social and Cultural Foundations of Education (3 credits)

Applicants may submit evidence of equivalent coursework taken at other accredited institutions, which must include evidence of 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.

Program-Specific Prerequisites and Coursework

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in agriculture or a related field, or
  • At least 30 credits of undergraduate and graduate coursework in agriculture and related areas.

In their prerequisite coursework, students are expected to have studied areas such as agribusiness, animal science, environmental science, food products and processing, natural resources, and plant sciences. Note: Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with the faculty.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in art or a related field (including art education, art history, design, digital art, fine arts, graphic art, painting, sculpture, or visual art), or
  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in another field with at least 30 credits of coursework in art or a related field (including art education, art history, design, digital art, fine arts, graphic art, painting, sculpture, or visual art).

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in English, or
  • An undergraduate major in writing/journalism, with a minor in English, or
  • At least 30 credits of undergraduate and/or graduate coursework in English or related fields.

In this prerequisite coursework, students are expected to have studied American literature, British literature (including Shakespeare), global literature, literary theory/criticism, and poetry.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in social studies, or
  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in history, with additional coursework in politics/government, economics, geography, and other social sciences, or
  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in another field with substantial coursework in economics and other social sciences, and “at least 21 credits of study in the history and geography of the United States and the world” (as per New York State requirements for certification). Note: Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with faculty.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES - FRENCH

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in French or Francophone studies, or
  • At least 30 credits of undergraduate and graduate coursework in French or Francophone studies, or
  • Native fluency in French with an appropriate undergraduate degree and coursework from a foreign institution of higher learning.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES - SPANISH

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in Spanish or in the culture and literature of the Spanish speaking world, or
  • At least 30 credits in Spanish or in the language and literature of the Spanish speaking world, or
  • Native fluency in Spanish with an appropriate undergraduate degree and coursework from a foreign institution of higher learning.

In this prerequisite coursework, students are expected to have studied literature, culture and civilization, and linguistics. Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with faculty. Students are also required to demonstrate that they have achieved a minimum rating of Advanced Low for oral proficiency on the OPI or OPIc (Oral Proficiency Interview, developed by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and administered by Language Testing International). Note: Students who have native or near native language proficiency but do not meet the coursework criteria may need to take courses in history/culture, literature, and/or linguistics. 

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in mathematics or a closely-related field such as mathematics-computer science or mathematics-physics, or
  • At least 30 credits of undergraduate and/or graduate coursework in mathematics.

In this prerequisite coursework, students are expected to have studied calculus, statistics, linear algebra, geometry, and a proof focused course. Note: Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with faculty.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES - BIOLOGY

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in biology, or
  • At least 30 undergraduate and/or graduate credits in biology and related sciences. 

In their prerequisite coursework, students are also expected to have taken courses such as cell biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics and evolution, anatomy and physiology, ecology, and related mathematics. Note: Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with faculty.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES - CHEMISTRY

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in chemistry or a closely-related field, such as biochemistry, chemical physics, or chemical engineering, or
  • At least 30 credits of undergraduate and graduate coursework in chemistry.

In their prerequisite coursework, students are also expected to have taken courses in principles of chemistry, physical chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative chemistry, and related mathematics. Note: Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with faculty.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES - EARTH SCIENCE

  • *An undergraduate or graduate degree in earth science/geology, or
  • *At least 30 credits of undergraduate and/or graduate coursework major in earth science/geology and related areas.

In their prerequisite coursework, students are expected to have studied geological systems, water systems, meteorology and weather, climate, space systems, and related mathematics and additional sciences. Note: Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with faculty.

ADMISSION PREREQUISITES - PHYSICS

  • An undergraduate or graduate degree in physics, or
  • An undergraduate major in engineering or physical science (chemistry, geology, astronomy), with a minor in physics or substantial coursework in physics.

In their prerequisite coursework, students are also expected to have taken courses in mechanics, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, waves, sounds and light, quantum theory and the atom, and related mathematics and sciences. Note: Applicants who are missing some of these requirements can develop an academic plan in conjunction with faculty.

Ready to Apply?

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

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