About the Program

Accredited: Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (formerly NCATE)

Enrollment in all teacher education programs follows the guidelines for "Admission to Teacher Education Programs" found in this catalog. Applicants who do not yet meet all admissions criteria should consult with the department.

Teachers with New York State initial teaching certification in childhood and/or early childhood education may apply for admission to the master’s program in curriculum and instruction. Students who successfully complete this master of science in education program will receive a college recommendation for Professional NYS Childhood and Professional Early Childhood Certification.

Candidates should consult the Teacher Certification website for current seminars and workshops.

About the Elementary Ed, Literacy, Ed Ldrsp Department

302 Bacon Hall
1300 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-5916
Fax: (716) 878-6033
https://elementaryeducation.buffalostate.edu/

Admission Requirements

1. A bachelor’s degree in early childhood and/or childhood education from an accredited college or university with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale).

2. A well-crafted statement addressing the following:

a. Your strengths as a teacher.

b. Professional challenge(s) you encountered during your first classroom teaching experiences or field experiences that you hope to address in your graduate work.

c. How your graduate program can help you grow as a teacher. If you know which concentration you are selecting, please describe your reasons for selecting it.

The statement will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

i. Organization
ii. Conventions of language
iii. Content

Note: Please refer to the rubric provided with the application materials for the statement prompts and specific evaluation criteria.

3. Professional resume

4. Two letters of reference that attest to the applicant’s potential as a graduate student. Please note that one references should be from a college professors/instructor.

These are the minimum criteria for admission; satisfaction of these criteria does not guarantee admission to the program. In addition, all applicants should review the Admission to a Graduate Program section in the catalog.

Additional Admission Information

Each applicant will be evaluated in terms of his or her baccalaureate degree, academic performance, letters of recommendation, experiential background, and substance and quality of the personal statement. Please refer to the Graduate Admissions Committee rubric (attached to the supplemental application information) used for evaluating applications.

Program Requirements

Required Courses (6 credit hours)
EDU 501 SEMINAR FOR THE REFLECTIVE TEACHER (to be taken as first course) 3
EDU 620 TEACHING AND LEARNING IN DIVERSE CLASSROOMS 3

Content Courses (12 credit hours)
Courses can be taken any time in your program after or concurrent with EDU 501
EDU 513 THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE IN LITERACY INSTRUCTION 3
EDU 651 THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE IN MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION 3
EDU 654 THEORY RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION 3
EDU 671 THEORY, RESEARCH, AND PRACTICE IN SCIENCE INSTRUCTION 3

Required Culminating Course (3 credit hours)
EDU 690 MASTER'S PROJECT 3

Concentration/Electives (9-12 credit hours)
Can be taken any time in your program after or concurrent with EDU 501
Select one from the following concentrations or design a 9-credit curriculum concentration by advisement: 9-12
Literacy
Early Childhood
Gifted/Talented
Educational Technology
Educational Leadership

Total Credit Hours 30-33


1 Prerequisites may be required for some courses. Other courses may be accepted through advisement only. Students who select the Gifted and Talented concentration do not need an elective to obtain the 33 required credits for completion of the program.

Literacy Concentration*
EDU 535 TEACHING WRITING: B-12
EDU 609 RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN ADOLESCENT LITERACY
EDU 611 EARLY LITERACY INSTRUCTION
EDU 612 DEVELOPING LITERACY THROUGH LITERATURE
*Does not lead to Literacy certification.

Early Childhood Concentration
Appropriate for those without Early Childhood Certification

EDU 543 CURRICULUM FOR THE YOUNG CHILD
EDU 626 INTEGRATING THE CONTENT AREAS IN THE TEACHING OF YOUNG CHILDREN
EDU 528 FAMILIES AND EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
or EDU 611 EARLY LITERACY INSTRUCTION

Gifted/Talented Concentration
If you select this concentration and complete the other NYSED requirements for Gifted and Talented certification, Buffalo State will recommend you for certification.

EDU/CRS 509 INTRODUCTION TO THE GIFTED, TALENTED AND CREATIVE LEARNER
CRS 559 PRINCIPLES IN CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
EDU/CRS 621 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN GIFTED, TALENTED, AND CREATIVE EDUCATION
EDU 619 PRACTICUM IN GIFTED, TALENTED, AND CREATIVE EDUCATION

Educational Technology Concentration
EDU 672 ADVANCED EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY FOR K-6 CLASSROOMS
EDT 500 FUNDAMENTALS OF TECHNOLOGY LITERACY
EDT 601 INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES
EDT 603 INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND PROBLEM SOLVING WITH TECHNOLOGY
EDT 604 AUTHORING FOR EDUCATORS
EDT 614 EDUCATIONAL GRAPHICS AND ANIMATION

Educational Leadership Concentration
EDL 559 PRINCIPLES IN CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
EDL 607 SITE-BASED LEADERSHIP
EDL 683 FACILITATION OF GROUP PROBLEM SOLVING