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This program prepares teachers of children in first through sixth grade for initial and/or professional certification in liberal arts, bilingual education, science and environmental education, and mathematics. We design our programs in cooperation with liberal arts and sciences faculties and in conjunction with local schools. Through collaborative action, teaching, and research, we develop our students’ capacities to create socially just, intellectually vital, aesthetically rich, and compassionate communities that value equity and excellence, access, and rigor.
This program will not only support you to gain New York State Certification but will also provide you with both the analytical and practical skills to offer students, grades one through six, the support needed to thrive holistically. Our graduates are hired by school districts and early childhood centers locally and nationwide. The mission of the department is to prepare teachers for effective classroom practice of diverse students in urban settings. Our goal is the development of knowledgeable, skilled teacher candidates who are well versed in research, theory, and practice.
The program information listed here reflects the approved curriculum for the 2024–25 academic year per the Brooklyn College Bulletin. Bulletins from past academic years can be found here.
The program in childhood education prepares teachers of children in first through sixth grade for initial and/or professional certification in liberal arts, bilingual education, science and environmental education, and mathematics. Through collaborative action, teaching, and research, we develop our students’ capacities to create socially just, intellectually vital, aesthetically rich, and compassionate communities that value equity and excellence, access, and rigor. We design our programs in cooperation with liberal arts and sciences faculties and in conjunction with local schools in order to provide our students with opportunities to develop the knowledge, proficiencies, and understandings needed to work with New York City’s racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse populations. Our program is unique in that our students become highly skilled in content and methodology courses, adept in diversified literacy skills, and have the ability to integrate pragmatic tools of technology, including free and interactive Web 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts. Our reflective graduates are astutely aware of the digital divide and the need to use source ware (free software) so no child is left behind in the Information Age, and the need to produce globally competitive students regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Students will enroll in the appropriate course of studies listed below (Option A or B or C) based upon teaching experience, previous course work, and the teaching certificates they hold.
During the first semester, students must file a program of study approved by the program adviser. All courses in the childhood education degree sequence require departmental permission for registration.
The following program applies to students who hold a New York State Initial Certificate in Childhood Education (grades 1–6) or its equivalent. This program leads to a New York State Professional Certificate in Childhood Education (grades 1–6).
Applicants must hold a New York State Initial Certificate in Childhood Education (grades 1–6) or its equivalent.
Applicants must have a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00. A minimum GPA of 3.00 in graduate courses is required to maintain matriculation.
International applicants for whom English is a second language are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 550 on the paper-based test or 213 on the computer-based test or 79 on the internet-based test, before being considered for admission.
Students should note additional requirements found at the beginning of this section as well as in the sections “Admission” and “Academic Regulations and Procedures” of the Brooklyn College Bulletin of Graduate Programs.
30 credits are required for the degree.
Any liberal arts course requested by students must be approved by the program head.
The following program applies to students who hold a New York State Initial Certificate in Early Childhood Education (birth–grade 2) or its equivalent or a New York State Initial Certificate in Special Subjects (all grades) or its equivalent. This program leads to a New York State Professional Certificate in Childhood Education (grades 1–6).
Applicants must hold a New York State Initial Certificate in Early Childhood Education (birth–grade 2) or its equivalent or a New York State Initial Certificate in Special Subjects (all grades) or its equivalent.
33 credits are required for the degree.
The following program applies to students who do not hold a New York State Initial Certificate in Early Childhood Education or Childhood Education or Special Subjects or equivalent course work and teaching experience, or who are teaching but do not hold initial certification. This program leads to both New York State Initial and Professional Certificates in Childhood Education (grades 1–6).
Forty-five credits are required for the degree.
Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
Interview with department.
All students accepted to the School of Education are required to submit fingerprint verification before signing up for most education classes. Fingerprint verification is required for work in New York City Department of Education schools if you already have fingerprint records or not. Follow these instructions.
This program accepts nondegree applicants. You. must submit the online application, transcripts, and personal statement.
Refer to the instructions at Graduate Admissions.
2105 James Hall E: whwu@brooklyn.cuny.edu P: 718.951.5000, ext. 4378
2105 James Hall E: karenn@brooklyn.cuny.edu P: 718.951.5000, ext. 3776
Or contact:
222 West Quad Center 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210 E: grads@brooklyn.cuny.edu P: 718.951.4536
Mondays–Fridays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
To make an appointment with a graduate admissions counselor, visit:
BC Admissions Appointment Tool
Brooklyn College is an integral part of the cultural and artistic energy of New York City. Our faculty members in the Department of Childhood, Bilingual, and Special Education offer incomparable expertise and tremendous talent, and each brings a unique perspective to their teaching and mentoring in and out of the classroom.
Students complete internships in public and private schools throughout the New York City region as well as across the United States. The internship is a supervised experience designed to hone the requisite skills and knowledge to work as a childhood education teacher.
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