Childhood Education Teacher (1-6) Mathematics, M.S.Ed.
School of Education
Program Overview
This program prepares teachers for initial or professional certification in mathematics education for children grades one through six. We prepare candidates to differentiate instruction to make mathematics accessible to all students. Our students understand how mathematics teaching is connected across curriculum strands, across other school subjects, and throughout all grade levels as well as to the uses and applications of mathematics in out-of-school contexts, and in family and community cultural resources. 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 has both online and in-person options.
Program Details
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.
Program Description
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. 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.
This program leads to the M.S. in education and a New York State Professional Certificate in Childhood Education (grades 1–6) with a specialization in mathematics education.
Matriculation Requirements
Applicants must have a minimum of six credits in mathematics.
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.
Program Requirements (30–45 Credits)
Thirty to 45 credits are required for the degree, depending on applicants’ qualifications.
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.
Students must complete the following education courses in the stated sequence: CBSE 7400T, 7401T, 7402T, 7403T. All required education courses and some education electives require permission for registration as indicated in the Schedule of Classes.
Option A (30 Credits, Online)
Matriculation Requirements
Applicants must hold a New York State Initial Certificate in Childhood Education (grades 1–6) or its equivalent.
Degree Requirements
Thirty credits are required for the degree.
In addition to CBSE 7400T, 7401T, 7402T, and 7403T, the following courses are required:
- Four of the following mathematics courses, or mathematics courses approved by the program adviser: Mathematics 7141T, 7142T, 7143T, 7144T, 7145T, 7146T
- CBSE 7215X
- One of the following elective education courses, or an education course approved by the program adviser: CBSE 7451X, 7671X, 7672X, 7207X, 7019T, 7684T, 7472X, 7545X, 7220X
Option B (33 Credits)
Matriculation Requirements
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 Middle Childhood Education (generalist, grades 5–9) or its equivalent.
Degree Requirements
Thirty-three credits are required for the degree.
In addition to CBSE 7400T, 7401T, 7402T, and 7403T, the following courses are required:
- Four of the following mathematics courses, or mathematics courses approved by the program adviser: Mathematics 7141T, 7142T, 7143T, 7144T, 7145T, 7146T
- CBSE 7215X
- One of the following elective education courses, or an education course approved by the program adviser: CBSE 7451X, 7671X, 7672T, 7207X, 7019T, 7684T, 7472X, 7545X, 7503X
- CBSE 7214T
Option C (45 Credits)
This option leads to both New York State Initial and Professional Certificates in Childhood Education (grades 1–6) with a specialization in mathematics education.
Matriculation Requirements
See “Matriculation Requirements” for Childhood Education: Mathematics, above.
Degree Requirements
Forty-five credits are required for the degree.
Students must complete CBSE 7205T, 7216X, 7440T, 7213T prior to taking other education courses required for the degree. Students must obtain departmental permission to register for these courses.
In addition to CBSE 7400T, 7401T, 7402T, and 7403T, the following courses are required:
Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the program, our candidates will:
- Demonstrate knowledge of state and national standards to teach elementary mathematics and apply these into their own practice.
- Demonstrate ability to anticipate, observe, analyze and interpret, reflect upon, and assess student mathematical work and design instruction that fosters learning of all their students.
- Demonstrate ability to differentiate instruction to make mathematics accessible to all students.
- Demonstrate understanding of how mathematics teaching is connected: across curriculum strands, across other school subjects, throughout all grade levels, to the uses and applications of mathematics in out-of-school contexts, and to family and community cultural resources.
- Demonstrate ability to reflect on their teaching practices to improve teaching and learning and to plan for further professional development.
- Demonstrate ability to locate, analyze, select, use, and create technology for teaching and learning mathematics at the elementary grades.
- Build pedagogical content knowledge of school mathematics topics by examining and synthesizing relevant, recent mathematics education research and curricular approaches to various topics.
- Build ability to examine student’s learning by designing and conducting cognitive clinical interviews. They will be able to defend the rationale of the interviews protocol and describe the interviewee’s mathematical thinking and understanding. They will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of types of questions and tasks.
- Demonstrate ability to study the vertical flow of certain mathematical topics of their choice across the elementary grade levels. They will be able then to use this analysis to plan and conduct a lesson study related to the same topic.
- Formulate research questions and write a related preliminary literature review and conduct action research to answer their research questions by collecting and analyzing data.
- Demonstrate deep understanding of different strands of mathematics
- Solve mathematical problems in a variety of ways, justify their solutions, and discuss their strategies.
Admissions Requirements
- Fall Application Deadline: July 15
- Spring Application Deadline: January 15
Supporting Documents for Matriculation
Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions:
- Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree outside the United States need to submit a course-by-course international transcript evaluation. See Graduate Admissions for more information.
- Two letters of recommendation
- Résumé
- Photocopy of New York State or other state teaching certificate
- Brief biographical statement of 500 to 1,000 words describing your reasons for pursuing the specific graduate program to which you are applying and your future professional goals.
Interview with department.
Required Tests
- F-1 or J-1 international students must submit English Proficiency Exam. TOEFL—79, IELTS—6.5, PTE—58–63, Duolingo—105–160.
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.
Refer to the instructions at Graduate Admissions.
Contact
Hanna Haydar, Program Coordinator
2107 James Hall
E: haydar@brooklyn.cuny.edu
P: 718.951.5447
Or contact:
Office of Graduate Admissions
222 West Quad Center
2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210
E: grads@brooklyn.cuny.edu
P: 718.951.4536
Office Hours
Mondays–Fridays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
To make an appointment with a graduate admissions counselor, visit:
The Support You’ll Find
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.
Internships and Employers
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 mathematics teacher.
