Graduate Certificate program in Early Childhood Education and Teaching at Mercy College

Early childhood is a critical period in human development. Influencing a young child growth, development and learning during this stage has lifelong implications. Early childhood professionals can find their work deeply fulfilling as they witness children say their first words, paint their first pictures or learn to write their names.

At Mercy University, the -credit Master of Science in Early Childhood Education, Birth Grade 2, prepares teacher candidates and early childhood professionals for New York State certification. Coursework, field experiences and clinical practice, such as student teaching, help candidates for a career in early childhood education.

Early Childhood Education candidates can pursue multiple certificates:.

Early Childhood, Birth to Grade 2 ( credits).

Early Childhood, Birth to Grade 2 and Childhood Education, Grades 1 6, Dual Certification (36 credits).

Early Childhood, Birth to Grade 2, childhood Education, Grades 1 6, with Students with Disabilities, Triple Certification (42 credits).

Dual or Triple certifications require additional courses and field experiences. In order to gain initial certification, candidates must complete the required coursework and practicums and pass state examinations. Professional certification (permanent) requires and initial certificate and three years of teaching experience.

Graduates of the Early Childhood Education, Birth-Grade 2 program may pursue teaching positions in pre-schools and in Kindergarten-Grade 2, or work in childcare and daycare settings.

Tri-Cert Available to Combine with Childhood and Teaching Students with disabilities.

Classes in language development, literacy Critical Issues in Education.

There are two types of classroom experiences required in our programs, per state requirements: 1. In each class, there is a 10-15 hour fieldwork observation experience. This experience will vary by class and is integrated into the class assignments. The experiences in diverse classroom settings better prepares teacher candidates for the clinical experience. EDUC 709 or EDUC 713 is a semester-long capstone course.

The following exams are required: EAS and CST(s) in your certification area(s), and the edTPA during student teaching, which is the last semester. Other state requirements include fingerprinting and workshops (DASA, Child Abuse Prevention, Violence Prevention).

See the specific program for the capstone requirement.

Student teaching, either EDUC 709 or 713, is the last course in the program. The semester before you are expecting to start student teaching, students must apply for student teaching.

Yes, in the following programs: Childhood Education, Grades 1-6 Early Childhood Education, Birth-Grade 2 and most content areas in Secondary Education, 7-12.

Demonstrate a solid content knowledge base that enables them to deliver effective educational and professional services based on.

The requirements for admission and matriculation into the Early Childhood or Childhood Program include:.

Submission of scores on the Verbal Reasoning, Mathematical Reasoning, and Analytic Writing subtests of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the PRAXIS Core Exams in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics.

Please note that all students must take the GRE or the Praxis Academic Core Skills Test unless applying for the non-certification (Educational Studies) option.

Sufficient college-level background includes: English, mathematics, science, social studies, information retrieval, artistic expression, a language other than English, and a 30-credit concentration in a liberal arts and science academic subject. Candidates will be able to take the necessary prerequisite courses at Mercy University.

A course in Child Development or Developmental Psychology is required.

Full-time candidates may take nine to twelve credits per semester. No candidate may exceed twelve credits per semester. Part-time candidates may take three to six credits per semester. Courses are offered during the fall, spring, and summer semesters.

The purpose of the online component is to encourage interaction among candidates and enrich the learning experience using technology as a learning and communication tool.

Graduate courses taken at other institutions prior to admission at Mercy University may, if pertinent to the plan of study, be credited to the graduate degree. Transfer credit is limited to six semester hours of credit for courses taken within the last five years in which the student has received a grade of B or better. Transfer credits are not recorded as part of the GPA.

It is expected that candidates will fulfill the requirements for their graduate degree by registering during successive sessions. For cohort programs, registration is required during summer session(s). Registration is accomplished by either enrolling in classes or maintaining matriculation.

Candidates who have not maintained matriculation and wish to return to their program within one year after their last course will be charged the Maintenance of Matriculation fee for each missed term. Maintenance of matriculation without attending classes is limited to one year. Activated U.S. Military Reservists are not required to pay the Maintenance of Matriculation fee.

A student in any School of Education program may be placed on academic probation for any of the following reasons:.

If a student will not be able to achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 within a reasonable time, the student faces dismissal from the program. All students must achieve a minimum overall GPA of a 3.0 in order to be eligible for degree conferral. In all subsequent terms in which the student is on academic probation, the student is required to achieve a term GPA of 3.0 or better. If the 3.0 or higher is not achieved the student will be dismissed. If a student receives a grade of F or FW in any course, the student will be subject to academic probation or dismissal from the program. Except for the clinical course, students receiving a grade of F or FW and placed on academic probation may retake the course no than 2 times. In the subsequent term(s) in which a student on academic probation is permitted to retake a course, if the grade of F or FW is not replaced with a satisfactory grade, the student will be dismissed.

Other academic violations. Such violations can include, but are not limited to, violations of the Academic Integrity policy.

A student in any School of Education program may be dismissed from the program for any of the following reasons:.

If a student on academic probation as a result of the failure to maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA does not achieve cumulative GPA of 3.0 within a reasonable time, the student will be dismissed from the program.

If a student receives a grade of F or FW in any course, the student will be subject to academic probation or dismissal from the program. In the subsequent term(s) in which a student on academic probation is permitted to retake a course, if the grade of F or FW is not replaced with a satisfactory grade, the student will be dismissed.

Academic performance includes interpersonal skills, dispositions, attitudes and professional character. Unprofessional inappropriate conduct includes, but is not limited to:.

Engaging in teaching or professional practices under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Breach of student confidentiality or any laws regarding professional conduct in the field of education.

Students with academic violations not specified in this section can be dismissed from a program. Such violations can include, but are not limited to, violations of the Academic Integrity Policy.

In cases where a student has been dismissed from a program for poor academic performance, the student may request a dismissal review to appeal this decision.

All School of Education degree, advanced certificate and non-degree candidates must register for and establish an electronic portfolio account through TaskStream. The key assessments are critical to our program improvement efforts and to continuing accreditation.

The completed e-Portfolio is the capstone requirement in all School of Education degrees and certificate programs and successful evaluation of the e-Portfolio is required for the degree or certificate.

Candidates in Initial Teacher certification programs follow a four-transition point progression through the program leading to the completion of degree and certification requirements.

Admission is determined by transcript analysis, GPA review, review of the Effective Teaching Statement, and a review of the scores on the Verbal Reasoning, Mathematical Reasoning, and Analytic Writing subtests of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Praxis Core Exam. In addition, upon acceptance, candidates will be required to sign an acknowledgement regarding certification and program requirements, and candidate responsibilities. The School of Education strongly recommends the following:.

Candidates should consider registering for test prep seminars pertinent to the required CST in their degree area.

EDUC 713 Seminar in Teaching -Passing score on the CST in the major degree area is required prior to registration. The professional semester is comprised of the student teaching experience and the corresponding seminar. It is considered the capstone course of the graduate education program. Student teaching is based on experience that is supervised by both certified, experienced teachers and a college field supervisor. The experience is designed to reflect the reality of the classroom. The weekly seminar addresses issues related to the expectations expressed in the Standards for Licensing Beginning Teachers. Therefore, pertinent issues and topics related to the expectations expressed in the Standards will form the basis for presentations, group discussions and or video analysis. Candidates must submit an edTPA examination to Pearson as one of the course requirements.

EDUC 537 Current Critical Issues in American Education Open to currently employed teachers who hold a New York State Initial Certification. Students adding additional certificates will need to complete 50 hours of classroom clinical hours in the area of the additional certificate sought.

Open to candidates in the Track 2 M.S. and Advanced Certificate Program. A passing score on the CST in the degree area is required prior to registration.

Admission to clinical practice requires candidates to apply for placement the semester prior to the anticipated course registration.

A passing score on the CST in the degree area is required prior to registration. readiness to enter student teaching based on multiple criteria.

All prerequisite course requirements must be satisfied prior to seeking certification. Program completion requires a 3.0 GPA. Initial New York State certification requires achieving qualifying scores on the Educating All Students Test (EAS), and the Content Specialty Test (CST), in the area of each certificate being requested, and receiving a passing score on the edTPA assessment.

2022 2023 M.S. in Early Childhood Education Initial.

2022 2023 M.S. in Early Childhood Education Initial Dual.

2021 2022 M.S. in Early Childhood Education ECID.

2021 2022 M.S. in Early Childhood Education ECIT.

M.S. Dual Early Childhood and Childhood Edu Initial (ECID).

Tri M.S. Early Childhood,Childhood, SWD Initial (ECIT).