Advisement Manual
For the
**Please
note: Due to mandated changes from the New York SED and NCATE, graduate programs
will change. Please check for current information with the Department Office.
The official policies of the College are printed in the College Catalog;
written notification of changes will be distributed to currently registered
students.
Revised
Fall 2002, by Beth Shiner Klein
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Offices and Responsibilities
of the College
Matriculation, Candidacy and Graduation
General Frequently Asked Questions
Master of Science in Childhood Education,
Math and Science
Master of Science in Childhood Education,
School Technology Specialist
Master of Science in Childhood Education,
Social Studies (Social Education)
Checklist of Important Tasks/Items
Welcome
to the Master of Science in Education - Childhood Education Program. We are pleased you have selected this
program and expect you to find a program that challenges you to improve as
a teacher as well as a one that provides a basis for future professional growth.
This
program has been designed to provide a comprehensive Childhood Education Master’s
Program that not only meets NY State Education Department regulations, but
also models best practices of the field.
This advisement
manual has been developed to provide you with background information about
the program requirements. Please
read this manual in its entirety and also consult it and the College Catalog. The College Catalog is the official document
that contains the regulations and policies by which you must abide.
A web-based version of this manual is available on the Department Website.
We
encourage you to establish a secure place for important documents received
from the College. This includes
this manual, your acceptance letter, candidacy confirmation, transcripts,
and course syllabi of completed courses. Please make copies of any correspondence
to the college and keep a copy for your records. If you follow this practice,
you will never have to second guess whether or not you have completed certain
requirements such as filing for candidacy. Occasionally our records are incorrect,
if you have maintained this official record you can avoid complications in
progressing towards your degree.
Graduate
Education in the School of Professional Studies
SUNY-Cortland
The offices
and persons listed below will provide information and services to you as a
graduate student.
|
Director
of Graduate
Studies: |
Dr.
Yvonne Murnane: B-122 Brockway Hall. Email:
gradstudies@cortland.edu
Admissions,
registration, advising, final approvals of candidacy, change of status,
transfer credit, extensions of degree deadlines, dismissals, re-admissions
after dismissals; coordinator of graduate programs within the schools;
liaison with department chairs, registrar, bursar, public relations,
etc. regarding graduate courses within the school; has a copy of your
permanent file.
|
|
Contact Person: |
Patti
Randolph , B 122 Brockway Hall, Phone
607-753-4800; fax 607-753-5988 Email:
gradstudies@cortland.edu
|
Graduate Registration |
Registration,
scheduling, graduation checklists, applications for certification
|
Contact Person:
|
Patti
Randolph, telephone 607-753-4800
|
MSED in Childhood Program |
Dr.
Beth Shiner Klein, Graduate Coordinator
Admission
evaluation, advising, initial approvals of candidacy, change of status,
transfer credit, etc, and maintains a copy of your file
|
Contact Person: |
Barbara
Conrad, B 134 Van Hoesen, Phone
607-753-2449 Email:
conradb@cortland.edu
|
Financial Aid Office: |
Loans
and grants information. Phone:
607-753-4711
|
|
Mohawk
Valley Graduate Center: |
Satellite
campus site. (NOTE
– ONLY 2-3 Courses in the MSED in Childhood are occasionally
offered at this site)
|
|
Contact Person: |
Mary
Franco, Phone 315-339-2556 |
This Master’s
Degree program is for students who have already (or will before beginning
their program) hold certification in Elementary Education (currently that
includes Pre-K-6 or Pre-K-9); Childhood Education (Grades 1-6); or Early Childhood
Education/Childhood Education (Birth – Grade 6). There are several strands
in the Master of Science in Education—Childhood Education program.
You will need to choose a strand area: 1) Math and Science, 2) Social
Studies (social education), and 3) School Technology Specialist.
Overview of the MSED in Childhood
Education Program
The program has been developed to be taken in three
phases, Introductory Courses, Content Core Courses, and Strand Courses and
Culminating Activity.
Phase
I Introductory Courses.
These
three courses provided concepts and information that should be used throughout
your masters program and beyond. This
block of classes consists of:
EDU
671 Issues in Foundations of Education
EDU
651 Understanding and Conducting Educational Research
EDU
660 Curriculum Analysis in Education
Phase
II Content Cores Courses:
These
courses provide background in teaching concepts in each of the areas of the
childhood level state learning standards, Math, Science, Technology, Reading
and Language Arts, and Social Studies.
This block of courses consists of:
EDU
522 Reading, Research, and Teaching Innovations in Math and Science
EDU
524 Democracy and Social Education
EDU
539 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
EDU
551 eLearning in the American Classroom
Phase III Strand Courses and Culminating Activity:
This
block of courses is the specialty strand area. The Content Core Courses EDU
522, EDU 524, and EDU 551 are prerequisites for each of the strand areas.
Math and Science
·
EDU 648 Seminar in
Elementary Science Education
·
EDU 610 Advanced Topics in Math Education
·
Arts and Science Elective (Should relate
to Math and/or Science Education)
·
EDU 652 Masters Project or EDU 699 Master’s
Thesis (Research topic should relate to Math and/or Science Education) |
School Technology Specialist
·
EDU 630 New Media in the Classroom
·
GRY 520 Maps in the Classroom
·
Arts and Science Elective (Should relate to Technology
Education)
·
EDU 652 Masters Project or EDU 699 Master’s
Thesis (Research topic should relate to Technology Education) |
Social Education
·
EDU 640 Conflict and Controversy in Social Education
·
EDU 647 Social Education in the Digital Age
·
Arts and Science Elective (Should relate to Social
Education)
·
EDU 652 Masters Project or EDU 699 Master’s
Thesis (Research topic should relate to Social Education) |
Arts
and Sciences Elective:
The
Arts and Sciences Elective is to be related to the strand area. Many times, especially during the summer
A & S Departments offer special topics graduate courses for teachers –
these are great options . Please
see your advisor for approval before registering for your A & S Elective.
Recommended Arts & Sciences courses are below and the strand areas they
are recommended for are in parentheses:
EST
559 Environmental Approach to K-8 Standards (Math and Science, Social Education,
and School Technology Specialist)
GRY
529 GIS for the K-12 Classroom (Math and Science, Social Education, and School
Technology Specialist)
GRY
529 Geography of New York State (Math and Science and Social Education)
GRY
520 Maps in the Classroom (Math and Science and Social Education)
About
the Culminating Activity:
Completing
a Master’s Project or Thesis is the culminating activity for the Childhood
Education Masters Program. The
project demonstrates candidates’ abilities to conduct classroom-based
research on a topic related to the strand area (Math, Science, Social Education,
or School Technology Specialist). All coursework for the program should be completed before enrolling
in EDU 652 or EDU 699. Refer to the class syllabus and guidelines for EDU
652.
The
masters thesis (EDU 699) option is accomplished in consultation with a thesis
committee. Guidelines for the thesis may be picked up in the Director of Graduate
Studies office. Individuals choosing
the thesis option will register for EDU 699, and will consult with the strand
coordinator who will provide assistance in putting together a thesis committee.
To
be matriculated means you have been accepted into
and are enrolled
in the master’s degree program.
This means that you have applied for admission to the Master of Science
in Education - Childhood Education Program and have been accepted into the Program.
You may only take up to six credits (two courses) before being matriculated
into this program.
The
Childhood/Early Childhood Department faculty review all application materials. The personal statement is scored using
a rubric developed and approved by the Department faculty. An automatic admit is given to applicants
whose materials meet all criteria at the appropriate level. A conditional admit is given in other cases when
a candidate has outstanding evidence in some areas and may be close to meeting
the criteria in one area. Additional
requirements must be met to gain full admission. A non-admit is given in cases where there is not
sufficient evidence that the student would be successful in the graduate program.
The
Graduate Studies Office provides notification of status. If the applicant
is given a conditional admit and coded as a W (for example, CED(W)TECH). A (W) is a full admit for insurance and
financial aid purposes. Once
conditions of acceptance are met, you will be accepted fully into the Program.
It is up to you to provide proof that conditions have been met. If you are accepted without reservation, you will also be notified.
When you are accepted into the master’s program, you will receive
a major code from the Graduate Studies Office.
You must have established full admission before applying for candidacy.
Candidacy is the next step after matriculation.
This is an internal check that students are working in a timely fashion
on their program requirements and maintaining the required 3.0 GPA. Application for candidacy is submitted after you have completed
6 credit hours and before completion of 15 credit hours. There is no fee for this process. You will receive a letter once your candidacy
is approved.
Graduation Requirements
Students
in the program must meet several all-College requirements, in addition to
the program requirements, for completion of their degree program.
1. Total credit hours: Minimum number of credits required for
this program is 33.
2. Cumulative average: A cumulative average of 3.0 for all course
work completed at Cortland is required for graduation. No grade below a C- will be counted toward
a master's degree.
3. Time to complete: All graduate degree requirements must
be completed within five years from the time the first graduate course was
completed, even though such enrollment might have been on a non-matriculated
basis.
This
is a list of frequently asked questions.
Please refer to the program website for additional FAQ’s as the
website will be updated more frequently than this print version.
Admittance
to Closed Courses
Individual
professors in the Department may NOT allow you to enter a closed course. Normally, however, we
require you to wait until the Drop and Add period before each semester to
see if there is any movement in the class into which you wish to enter before
requesting entrance into a closed course.
Appropriate
Courses for Your Degree Program
In
order to determine appropriate courses, you need to consult the degree plan
outline for your particular strand (provided in this manual). You are responsible for knowing which courses need prerequisites.
Change
of Address, Telephone Number, or Name
Please be
sure to notify the Director of Graduate Studies Office AND the Department
if you change your address, telephone number, or name.
This is very important and will help ensure information gets to you
and will allow us to keep your folder in order.
Change
of Status and Change of Strand
If
you decide to change your strand while in the Program, you must file a Change
of Status form and it must be approved before the change becomes official. This internal transfer or change of major
is not automatic; that is, you are not guaranteed a place in another strand
just because you wish to switch programs. You must file the Change of Status form so that you are coded
correctly on the computer network, so your transcript will be correct, etc.
You must also file a Change of Status form if you were admitted as a “W”.
(For example, if you were admitted as a CED(W) TECH, you must fill
out a Change of Status form, so you will become a CED_TECH ).
Class
Cancellations Due to Weather
If
the weather is treacherous, please listen to the radio stations (or watch
local TV stations) in your area to determine if classes are canceled or not. The professor cannot cancel classes. A College administrator determines whether
classes will be held or not; this is done in early afternoon. After the determination is made, the appropriate
radio and TV stations are notified. It is up to you to find out which stations carry the news of
the College closings.
Individuals
at the Director of Graduate Studies, the Department, or the Mohawk Valley
Center will may not know this information – so please consult local
media outlets. It should be noted
that rarely does the Cortland campus close.
Culminating
Activity Registration
All
other courses must be taken before you register for your culminating activity.
The
culminating activity is designed to have you reflect upon and understand the
integration of your introductory, core and strand courses. The culminating activity choices for this
program are the Masters Project (3 credits) and the Masters Thesis. Please see information below about each
option and the requirements for the option.
EDU
652 Masters Project. It is expected
that when you sign-up for this course you will FINISH your action research
project, complete the written component and have it approved by the instructor
in that semester.
EDU 669 Masters Thesis: This option is primarily
for those students who plan at sometime in the near future to continue their
education in a doctoral or CAS related program. This
Degree
Plan
Since
you should know the frequency of courses and the prerequisites for courses,
you should set up a degree plan. Due
to the number of people registering for courses, you may not get the courses
you want exactly when you want them.
Courses that are required and are offered only in certain semesters
should be planned for. You should
first take the introductory courses, followed by the core courses and strand
courses. Introductory courses
are usually offered spring, summer and fall semesters. Core courses are usually offered two times per year and Specialty
Strand courses usually only once per year (with the exception of EDU 652 Master’s
Project which is offered spring, summer and fall semesters).
Dropping
a Course
If
you have to drop a course, you need to obtain a Change of Schedule form and
follow the instructions. Before
you drop a course, please consider what the results will be to both your timeline
for graduation and your certification as well as your financial picture.
Electives
Electives
in the CED programs are fairly restricted. You are required to take one liberal
arts and sciences elective in the childhood education program–which
one is to be determined in consultation with your advisor. This course should closely relate to your
strand area.
Five
(5) Year Rule--State and College
As
long as you hold provisional certification, New York State allows you five
years to complete your master's degree from the time you surrender your Certificate
of Qualification and receive your Provisional Certification (usually done
at the beginning of your first full-time teaching position). Additionally, you must complete the required tests, number
of years teaching, and workshops during this period to obtain permanent certification.
Any questions that you have concerning this deadline must be discussed
with the State Education Department or the Certification Officer at your local
BOCES–that person is the official spokesperson for the State. Some of your questions may be answered by going on the World
Wide Web to the NY SED web site. At
this time, the address is www.nysed.gov.
The
College's five-year rule has little to do with the State’s time rule.
The College policy is that you must complete your graduate work “within
five years after the date of the first graduate enrollment, even though such
enrollment may be on a non-matriculated basis. ”
Full-time
Status
A
graduate student who takes 9 hours per semester during Fall and/or Spring is considered full-time.
(However, if you are receiving financial aid grants as a full-time
student, you may be required to register for 12 hours.)
During the two summer sessions, the maximum is seven hours for each
session. You may, under certain circumstances,
take more than the maximum allowable hours, but you must receive prior approval
from the Director of Graduate Studies.
Grade
Point Average
The
minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) needed to remain in graduate school is a
3.0. If your GPA falls to a 2.8-2.99, you will
be placed on probation; if your GPA falls below a 2.8, you will be dismissed.
No grade below a C- can count towards your degree.
Incomplete
Received as a Grade
If
you did not finish coursework for one of your courses due to extreme circumstances,
and you received an “INC” as the grade, you have the maximum of
one calendar year in which to make up the work. If your instructor decides you have an extreme circumstance
and grants you an incomplete, you will need to put together a statement as
to how and when you will complete the work and get it to your instructor. You should not wait for the whole year;
you should make up the work as soon as you possibly can. Work from a specific course should be
made up in consultation with the professor of that course. A few weeks after submitting the necessary
work to complete the course, you should call the Registrar’s office
to confirm that a grade has been submitted. If not, please contact the professor for the specific course.
Work not made up within the calendar year automatically converts to
an “E” (failing) grade.
Incomplete
Received as a Grade in Master Project Due to the abuse
of the incomplete in this course in the past, please note that an incomplete
will only be granted with EXTREME circumstances for this course and with consultation
of the Instructor and approval of the graduate coordinator.
If you think that you will not be able to complete your project in
the semester that you plan to register for the course, then delay registering
until you are ready to devote time to compete this project.
There could be several reasons for
not receiving items from the College:
The first reason could be that you are not matriculated (admitted to
the program). The second reason
could be that you have never been put on the mailing list; check with the
Registrar's Office if you are not receiving correspondence from the College. Another reason could be that you moved
or changed your name and neglected to inform the College. A final reason is that we have your address
listed incorrectly; please notify the department for a correction.
Length
of Time to Obtain a Master’s Degree
Anyone
with provisional certification has still 5 years to get permanently certified. During this five-year time, you need to
meet all requirements for permanent certification, which includes getting
a master’s degree. Take
advantage of this five-year time and begin early.
It is better to take one course every semester (2-3 a year, if you
count summer) and take about three years to complete your degree. This gives you time to truly process what
you have learned and become comfortable with the information you are assimilating
into your schema. Additionally,
it allows you to have all the prerequisite courses taken before you enroll
in more advanced courses.
Letters
of Verification
Sometimes
other State Education Departments require you to submit a letter stating you
have graduated from an accredited institution, at what level, and so forth.
If you need this letter for CERTIFICATION
purposes, please contact the off ice of the Director of Graduate Studies.
If
your principal (or district) wants
a letter saying you are enrolled in a program for payroll purposes, contact
the Department. Be very specific
as to whom the letter needs to go and what it needs to say.
Paperwork
for Course Approval for Your District
If the district in which you teach
requires you to submit paperwork for course approval before you register for
courses, it is always a good idea to include a list of several required courses,
as you are not guaranteed to get a spot in your first-choice class.
Pass/No-Credit
Option
Courses
taken on a Pass/No-Credit basis MAY NOT count towards your degree.
Taking
a 400 Level Course for Graduate Credit
You
may NOT take a course from the 400 level for
your master’s degree. The
New York State Education Department and this Department require that all course
work for graduate programs be at the 500-600 level.
Transferring
Coursework to Cortland
It
is difficult to transfer courses into the CED programs due to the specific
requirements of the courses as they work together to complete a program. If you wish to attempt to transfer courses
in to the graduate program, you may do so after you have been approved for
candidacy and only if the courses are from an accredited institution. A total of 6 hours may be transferred. Courses you wish to have transfer
in must match exactly, in the new programs, with our outcomes and standards. Be forewarned that it may be very difficult
to transfer any coursework.
For
courses taken prior to establishing candidacy, use the form entitled "Request
for Acceptance of Graduate Courses Already Completed at Other Institutions."
For courses that you will be taking after candidacy has been established,
you must receive prior approval for the course to make certain it will fit
into your program. You may obtain
prior approval by submitting the form entitled "Request for Prior Approval
to Transfer Graduate Coursework from Another Institution." Courses must be from an accredited institution
in order to be considered for transfer credit. You may request the transfer of credit
forms from the Director of Graduate Studies Office or from the office at Mohawk
Valley.
When
sending in the appropriate form for transferring a course, you will also need
to send the syllabus and catalog description of the course. If you have not taken the course, you
need only to send the catalog description of the course and your form; you
will need to mail the syllabus
as soon as possible.
You
must send an official transcript to the Director of Graduate Studies when
your coursework is completed.
You must have made a grade of B or better in the course in order for
it to transfer in.
The courses may not be any older than five years from your first graduate registration at Cortland.
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION– MATH
& SCIENCE STRAND
(Record date of completion of a course
on the line provided).
|
Completed |
Course |
Title |
Prerequisite |
|
_________ |
EDU
671 |
Issues
in Foundations of Education |
Student
Teaching |
|
_________ |
EDU
651 |
Understanding
and Conducting Educational Research |
Student
Teaching |
|
_________ |
EDU
660 |
Curriculum
Analysis in Education |
EDU
671, EDU 651 |
|
Completed |
Course |
Title |
Prerequisite |
|
_________ |
EDU
522 |
Readings,
Research, and Teaching Innovations in Math and Science |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
|
_________ |
EDU524 |
Democracy
and Social Education |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
|
_________ |
EDU
539 |
Reading
and Writing Across the Curriculum |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
|
_________ |
EDU
551 |
eLearning
and the American Classroom |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
Phase III Specialty Strand Courses and Culminating Activity
|
Completed |
Course |
Title |
Prerequisite |
|
_________ |
EDU610 |
Advanced
Topics in Math Education |
EDU
522 or concurrent |
|
_________ |
EDU
648 |
Seminar
in Elementary Science Education |
EDU 522 or concurrent |
|
_________ |
A
& S Elective |
1
Arts and Sciences Course at the 500-600 level related to strand area |
varies |
|
_________ |
EDU
652 or EDU
699 |
Master’s
Project (3 credit hours)
Master’s
Thesis (6 credit hours) |
All
other coursework completed |
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION– SCHOOL
TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST STRAND
(Record date of completion of a course
on the line provided).
|
|
Course |
Title |
Prerequisite |
|
_________ |
EDU
671 |
Issues
in Foundations of Education |
Student
Teaching |
|
_________ |
EDU
651 |
Understanding
and Conducting Educational Research |
Student
Teaching |
|
_________ |
EDU
660 |
Curriculum
Analysis in Education |
EDU
671, EDU 651 |
|
Completed |
Course |
Title |
Prerequisite |
|
_________ |
EDU
522 |
Readings,
Research, and Teaching Innovations in Math and Science |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
|
_________ |
EDU524 |
Democracy
and Social Education |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
|
_________ |
EDU
539 |
Reading
and Writing Across the Curriculum |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
|
_________ |
EDU
551 |
eLearning
and the American Classroom |
EDU
660 or Concurrent |
Phase III Specialty Strand Courses and Culminating Activity
|
Completed |
Course |
Title |
Prerequisite |
|
_________ |
EDU
630 |
New
Media in the Classroom |
EDU
551 or concurrent |
|
_________ |
GRY
520 |
Maps
in the Classroom (substitutions
available – see advisor) |
|
|
_________ |
A
& S Elective |
1
Arts and Sciences Course at the 500-600 level related to strand area |
varies |
|
_________ |
EDU
652 or EDU
699 |
Master’s
Project (3 credit hours)
Master’s
Thesis (6 credit hours) |
All
other coursework completed |
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION– SOCIAL
EDUCATION (SOCIAL STUDIES) STRAND
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