Social Studies Teacher (7–12), M.A.

Matriculation Requirements

Applicants must offer a distribution approved by the social studies program coordinator of at least 15 credits in upper division undergraduate or graduate courses in one or more of the following: economics, geography, history, sociology, and/or political science, nine credits in history.

Applicants must also offer (a) or (b):

• (a) New York State Initial Certification in teaching social studies for grades 7–12; or courses in education that meet the New York State standards for the pedagogical core. These courses include study of the following: history of education and philosophy of education or principles of education or educational sociology; educational psychology or developmental psychology or psychology of adolescence or adolescent development; classroom management; teaching students with special needs and English language learners; 6 credits in literacy and language acquisition; curriculum development and methods of assessing student learning; uses of technology in the classroom; methods of teaching social studies in grades 7–12; 100 hours of fieldwork; 40 full days or 300 hours of student teaching of social studies in grades 7–12 or one year of full- time teaching of social studies in grades 7–12; and passage of a New York State-approved Teacher Performance Assessment
• (b) An undergraduate degree with an appropriate major or appropriate course work in the appropriate subject areas

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. Applicants who have not completed all the specific course requirements are given individual consideration and may be admitted with conditions, with the approval of the chair of the Department of Secondary Education in the School of Education and the program coordinator of social studies.

International applicants for whom English is a second language are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a minimum score of 650 on the paper-based test or 280 on the computer-based test or 114 on the internet-based test, before being considered for admission.

General matriculation and admission requirements of Graduate Studies are in the section “Admissions” of the Graduate Bulletin.

Program Requirements (30–40 Credits)

Each student is evaluated individually based upon prior experiences. Based upon this evaluation and current certification requirements of the New York State Education Department, courses in education or another department may be substituted for required courses with permission of the program coordinator.

Option A (30 Credits)

Social Studies (18 credits)

Students who possess Initial Certification in teaching social studies (7–12) or the equivalent must complete the following courses in Social Studies:

• 15 credits from the field(s) of social studies: history, political science, economics, sociology
• 3 credits from the field(s) of social studies: history, political science, economics, sociology, or SEED 7613X: Teaching Concepts of Geography in Middle and High School

Education (12 credits)

Students must also complete 12 credits in courses in education as follows:

• Research in Social Studies Education: SEED 7612T; Literacy: SEED 7503X; Mindfulness SEED 7504X; Development and SEL: SEED 7507X.

Option B (30–40 Credits)

Social Studies (15 credits)

Students who do not possess Initial Certification in teaching social studies (7–12) or the equivalent must complete the following courses in social studies:

• 12 credits from the field(s) of Social Studies: history, political science, economics, sociology.
• 3 credits, depending on previous course work in history, from the field(s) of social studies: history, political science, economics, sociology, or SEED 7613X: Teaching Concepts of Geography in Middle and High School

Education Core (12 credits)

The following four education courses are required unless candidates have taken one or more as part of previous coursework. Foundations: SEED 7500X; Literacy: SEED 7503X; Special Education: SEED 7671X; Development and SEL: SEED 7507X.

Student Teaching (4 credits)

The following two student teaching courses are required unless candidates have a New York State waiver: SEED 7541T, 7542T, and 7543T. (SEED 7500X and 7610T must be completed before student teaching). SEED 7543T is not required if the candidate is teaching English full time at an appropriate grade level.

Students teaching with a New York State Internship Certificate must be enrolled in either SEED 7542T or 7001T during every semester that they are teaching under the certificate.

Social Studies Education (9 credits)

The following Social Studies education courses, or Social Studies education courses approved by the program coordinator, are required in the stated sequence unless candidates have taken one or more as part of previous course work: SEED 7610T, 7611T, and 7612T.

Student Learning Outcomes

Social Studies Education graduates have civic competence and social understanding, engage in critical thinking, integrate ideas and disciplines, and carry out powerful and meaningful teaching.

Learning Objectives for Social Studies Education and History

Social Studies Education

Students will:

• Be prepared to pass NYSED teacher certification examinations in content area, pedagogy, and knowledge of students.
• Apply the ACTFL, CEC, NCSS, NCTE, NCTM, NSTA, and SHAPE Standards and the Next Generation Learning Standards to planning, instruction, and assessment for all students, including those of low SES, linguistic/cultural minorities, and those with IEPs.
• Design lessons and units of study that engage all students, including ELLs and students with IEPs, in doing, thinking, reasoning, speaking, and writing in the content areas.
• Incorporate community resources in culturally relevant units of study.
• Create classrooms that support social and emotional learning.
• Make plans for and use technological tools (e.g.m communication and collaboration tools, adaptive devices, Web-based digital media) in instruction.
• Analyze instructional materials and assessments in order to identify linguistic and extra-linguistic demands and challenges of performance tasks in the content areas.
• Analyze and interpret whole-class interaction focusing on guiding techniques conducive to orchestrating meaningful, inclusive, and content-rich conversations.
• Analyze and interpret samples of student work and classroom data to identify different levels of student learning as well as typical errors and misconceptions.
• Conduct and use research in their own practices to improve learning and teaching.

History

Goal 1: Historical Concepts and Content: To help students understand the nature of historical Inquiry and the major historical developments that inform the modern world.

• Objective 1: Demonstrate basic knowledge about key historical concepts (such as “objectivity”) and historical terminology (such as “primary source”).
• Objective 2: Demonstrate basic knowledge about key historical actors and events across the department’s distribution requirements.

Goal 2: Historical Skills: To teach students the skills of historical inquiry and expression.

• Objective 1: Articulate a clear research question, assemble a bibliography, and use citations properly.
• Objective 2: Situate an original historical argument within a basic historiographical framework.
• Objective 3: Effectively incorporate primary sources into a historical argument.
• Objective 4: Express basic historical ideas in writing using a clear thesis statement, a well-organized argument, and effective evidence.  Students will demonstrate that they have met these goals and objectives by producing work that might include, but will not be limited to, analytical papers, research papers, journals, quizzes, exams, in-class writing assignments, presentations, and discussion.

Admissions Requirements

• Fall Application Deadline: May 15 (Priority Deadline Option A); June 15, rolling admissions (Option B)
• Spring Application Deadline: November 15 (Priority Deadline Option A); December 15, rolling admissions (Option B)

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
• A 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
• Writing sample

This program accepts nondegree applicants.

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.

More Information

Refer to the instructions at Graduate Admissions.

Contact

Michael Meagher, Program Coordinator

2608J James Hall
E: mmeagher@brooklyn.cuny.edu
P: 718.951.5000, ext. 5325

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:

BC Admissions Appointment Tool