Early childhood education degree programs in New York State provide dynamic and varied experiences to future teachers interested in educating young people at one of the most impressionable times in their lives. Development in a child’s early years is shaped mightily by the child’s experiences in life and in school, and future early childhood teachers can help ensure children are given the best start to their education. The state of New York offers several options at its SUNY campuses, as well as many other opportunities at private and independent colleges. To see more accredited early childhood education degree programs in New York, visit Early Childhood Education Degree Programs in New York (A-K), (L-N), and (S-Z).
Nyack College
School of Education
Nyack College describes itself as a non-profit and private university with ties to the Christian faith. The college is affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and is the location of the Alliance Theological Seminary. The college offers classes to a student body of more than 2,700. Around 1,550 of those students are in undergraduate programs, and the remaining students attend classes under the College of Graduate and Professional Programs. The school offers classes on campus in a traditional format, as well as online through the internet. The school is located in Nyack and also has a branch in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education
Nyack College describes this early childhood degree program in New York as one that is highly respected by Christian groups and various schools, from public to charter to public. Some of the topics a student will study include moral and cognitive development in children from a Christian perspective, as well as the foundations of education from historical, social, and philosophical points of view. Some of the areas in which a graduate may study after exiting the program include conducting research in childhood education, mentoring or coaching of children, and working with early childhood educational facilities. Students may also choose to specialize in an area of personal interest as the program offers several concentrations. Those concentrations include communication and the arts, social studies, and health & science. Additional concentrations include English with TESOL emphasis and math/science/technology. Students should expect to experience learning from a Christian perspective from teachers well-versed in the religion.
Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood/Childhood Education
The early childhood and childhood education program at Nyack College provides students with the knowledge required to obtain New York State certification for teaching children up to the age of six. For out-of-state students or anyone interested in living elsewhere after graduation, the program offers reciprocity with most states, which means graduates of the program can teach outside of New York State if they wish. The program is designed to offer students a Christian-centric education, as well as one that places an emphasis on clinical experiences. Students have the opportunity to study abroad, as well as engage in various service-learning opportunities in other countries. Some of the career opportunities students may have the opportunity to seek out after graduation include family support specialist, international and domestic ministries, after-school teacher, and teaching children up to the age of six. From working as a Head Start teacher to finding employment as an international au pair, graduates have many opportunities for fulfilling careers.
Accreditations
- The Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools
Contact
2 Washington Street
New York, NY 10004
Phone: 212-625-0500
Email: admissions@nyack.edu
http://www.nyack.edu/content/EDU-BS-Early-Childhood-Childhood
Pace University
School of Education
A private school founded in 1906, Pace University is located in New York City with two additional campuses Westchester County, which is north of Manhattan. The school was initially created as a school for business education for men and women and was founded by a pair of brothers named Charles Ashford Pace and Homer St. Clair Pace. The school has around 12,700 students attending classes at its various campuses with around 4,400 of those students studying at the graduate level. One of the most popular initial offerings from the university was the Pace Standardized Course in Accounting which was also offered in many other cities including Cleveland, Detroit, and Los Angeles.
Early Childhood Development, Learning, and Intervention, MST
Pace University describes its MST in Early Childhood Development as a degree that’s appropriate for individuals seeking a career change, as well as anyone who wants to teach in a classroom of children below grade three. Candidates in the program will become prepared to take on roles in a variety of areas including work as developmental specialists, classroom teaching, family support professionals, and home visitors. Classes students will take include Early Literacy Learning, Family Professional Partnerships, Blended Curricular Approaches in Early Childhood, and Creating Responsive Early Childhood Environments. To complete the degree, students will complete 45 credits of coursework that will take place inside traditional classroom environments, as well as in “clinically-rich” experiences that will include four internship and student teaching segments. Graduates of the program will be eligible to obtain New York State certification in early childhood education, as well as in early childhood education of students with disabilities.
Accreditations
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education
Contact
One Pace Plaza
New York, NY 10038
Phone: 1-800-874-PACE
Email: admissions@pace.edu
Queens College, City University of New York
Division of Education
Queens College is part of the City of New York system of universities and occupies an 80-acre campus in Flushing, Queens. More than 18,000 students attend Queens College, and the university has been dubbed one of the best values for its cost by “Washington Monthly,” which ranked the school second overall. The university’s mascot is the Knight, and students who play sports play as the Knights in NCAA Division II games. The school’s official colors are blue and silver. In the 1800s, the school was once the site of a one-room schoolhouse known as Jamaica Academy and was opened in 1937 as a free college in Queens.
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) B-2
The early education graduate degree at Queens College is a 36-credit program designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree in a different area than education. Individuals seeking employment in education will benefit from the program’s emphasis on proactive teaching and the teacher’s ability to enhance the quality of a student’s education. The program is described as a progressive experience in which a variety of learning opportunities are integrated into the coursework including pedagogy, assessment, and curriculum-focused coursework. Students will also participate in student teaching in two placements as part of the New York State requirements for future certification. All students begin their studies in the fall semester with the student teaching experience occurring in the second fall semester. Students can enroll in full-time or part-time study and may choose to extend their education by one semester if an extension certification in bilingual, B-2, or 1-6 education is desired.
Accreditations
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
Contact
Queens College, CUNY
65-30 Kissena Blvd.
Queens, NY 11367
Phone: (718) 997-5302
Email: eece@qc.cuny.edu
http://www.qc.cuny.edu/Academics/Degrees/Education/Elementary/GraduatePrograms/Pages/MATReq.aspx
Saint Bonaventure University
School of Education
St. Bonaventure University is affiliated with the Catholic Church and is a Franciscan institution. The school has a total student body of around 2,400 and has been offering classes since it was founded in 1858. The school participates in NCAA Division I games with its 14 varsity teams, and the school’s official colors are brown and white. The campus is located in the small region of Allegany in Cattaraugus County in New York. The school was founded by a financier in Utica named Nicholas Devereux who believed that the city he founded needed religious instruction. The school almost closed in the mid-1990s but was saved by an increase in student numbers and upgrades to the campus.
Elementary & Early Childhood Education Major
St. Bonaventure University’s early childhood education degree program in New York prepares students for teaching in a way that honors the Franciscan traditions of service to others. Students in the program will take classes that prepare them for certification in Childhood Education for New York State. Students who have graduated from the program have gone on to work in a variety of school districts across the country due to the program’s adherence to nationwide standards in teacher education. The campus’s Certification Office helps students obtain the information necessary to become certified in other states when students wish to work outside of New York. The curriculum of the program focuses on areas like classroom management, educational research, developmental learning theories, and pedagogy. The program also requires extensive time spent in the field since the university’s professors believe that the best preparation comes from work in actual classrooms during student teaching and internship opportunities.
Accreditations
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Contact
St. Bonaventure University
3261 West State Road
St. Bonaventure, NY 14778
Phone: (716) 375-2000
Email: sbuinfo@sbu.edu
https://sbu.edu/academics/elementary-early-childhood-education/sitter-tompkins-ann-marie
St. Thomas Aquinas College
School of Education
Sitting on a 60-acre campus in Sparkill, New York, St. Thomas Aquinas College is one of several schools around the nation named for the medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas. The Dominican Sisters of Sparkill founded the school in 1952. The school is a private institution with approximately 2,400 students attending classes. There are three schools within the college that offer 35 majors in the areas of arts, sciences, business, and education. The school also offers a variety of minors, dual degree options, and specializations within each major. The college has 18 varsity teams that participate in NCAA Division II games, and the school’s official colors are maroon and gold.
Bachelor of Science in Education degree in Early Childhood and Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 6)
The faculty at St. Thomas Aquinas College believe that early childhood learning and education are essential for success in later life since most of a child’s brain development occurs before the age of five. This early education degree program in New York also offers students the chance of earning dual certification if they wish. The school focuses on providing students with hands-on experience inside classrooms. In many cases, students will begin participating in the required 100 to 150 hours of off-campus classroom work their freshman year in school districts close to the college. These field experiences will allow students to observe the teaching process before they begin their official student teaching in later years. Students formally apply to the student teaching program during their second year in college and must maintain minimum standards to remain enrolled, such as maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.5 in general education courses.
Accreditations
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Contact
St. Thomas Aquinas College
125 Route 340
Sparkill, NY 10976
Phone: (845) 398-4100
Email: schoolofeducation@stac.edu
State University of New York at Potsdam
School of Education & Professional Studies
SUNY Potsdam is part of the State University of New York system and is considered one of the oldest colleges in the United States with its establishment in 1816. The university houses three colleges including the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Education and Professional Studies, and the Crane School of Music. The school has around 3,900 students attending classes, and just over 500 of those students are at the graduate level. The campus is considered rural and covers 240 acres in the village of Potsdam, which is in St. Lawrence County. The school’s founder originally created it as an academy for teacher education.
BA in Childhood/Early Childhood Education
This bachelor of arts early childhood education degree program in New York requires that students complete between 126 and 131 credit hours to graduate. Some of the classes students will take include Principles of Education, Early Childhood Literacy, Teaching Students with Special Needs, and Early Childhood Mathematics Methods. The university has several policies that students must adhere to in order to remain in the program. The program is divided into blocks, and whenever a student is unsuccessful in completing a block, he or she will need to repeat the courses and meet with the Teacher Education Advising Coordinator. During the time spent in the program, students will participate in student teaching opportunities and field experiences, which are required to secure teacher certification in New York State. The teacher education program at SUNY is the oldest such program in the state university system and counts itself as one of the first programs ever offered at the college when it was still an academy.
Accreditations
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Contact
SUNY Potsdam
44 Pierrepont Avenue
Potsdam, NY 13676
Phone: (315) 267-2000
Email: admissons@potsdam.edu
https://www.potsdam.edu/academics/SOEPS/education/advising/CEC
State University of New York at Fredonia
College of Education
Like other universities offering early childhood education degree programs in New York, the State University of New York at Fredonia was once one of the state’s teacher’s colleges. Founded in 1826, the school once specialized in music education, but it expanded significantly in its two centuries of operation to include majors in a variety of fields including science, education, music, and communication. The school has around 4,900 students attending classes with a small group of around 270 students enrolled in graduate-level programs. The small town campus covers 249 acres and was built in 1968 by a pair of local architects in Fredonia.
-Bachelor’s in Early Childhood Education
Classes in early childhood education at SUNY Fredonia are designed to ensure students can obtain certification to teach in New York State after graduating from the program. Students explore topics on child development, developmentally appropriate practices, and the unique educational needs of young learners. Future teachers will complete several field-based experiences in local schools, and each experience will be linked with a matching class on campus. Students will spend around four hours each week for two months in a classroom engaged in work as an instructional assistant. The university focuses on providing students with small class sizes that allow for greater interaction between faculty and students. Assignments are designed to create enhanced understanding of the topics discussed, as well as to offer experiential learning in various areas. Some of the jobs students have sought after graduation include early childhood center teacher, school building and district administrator, children’s museum educational coordinator, and toy manufacturing researcher.
Master of Science in Education: Literacy Education: Birth-Grade 12
The degree program in literacy education at SUNY Fredonia is designed for teachers who are already certified and are interested in obtaining an advanced degree. The program requires that students complete a practicum, literacy capstone project, and extensive assessment training. Courses require work on a variety of child and adolescent literacy topics like pedagogical strategies for struggling readers, literacy development, and literacy theory. The program is guided by the Four Pillars of Understanding, including Knowledge, Diversity, Pedagogy, and Professionalism. Understanding these pillars helps students engage in effective learning and reflection of topics covered. Students must complete at least 36 credit hours of graduate-level coursework, as well as 150 total hours in two field-based practicum sessions. Some of the classes students will take during their time in the program include Introduction to Literacy Instruction, Advanced Literacy Assessment, and Social Foundations of Literacy. Students will also need to complete a capstone or thesis project in literature to complete this early childhood education degree program in New York.
Accreditations
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Contact
Department of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education
E268 Thompson Hall
The State University of New York at Fredonia
Fredonia, NY 14063
Phone: (716) 673-3701
Email: Cl@fredonia.edu
http://home.fredonia.edu/coe/early-childhood
State University of New York at Geneseo
College of Education
SUNY Geneseo was established in 1871 and is a public, liberal arts college. The student body is comprised of 5,600 undergraduates and just under 100 postgraduates. The school was founded as the “Wadsworth Normal and Training School” before it joined the state system of colleges in 1948. While attending school at SUNY Geneseo, students may choose from 48 different undergraduate majors or five graduate programs. Some of the most popular programs at the university include those in education, business, and the social sciences. As with most liberal arts colleges, all students must complete the same general education courses, as well as courses focused on their area of study to obtain their degree.
B.S. in Education in Early Childhood and Childhood Education
This early childhood education degree program in New York is divided into six different blocks of similar courses. All candidates in the program must complete 100 hours of field experiences before they begin student teaching in order to gain practical experience while enrolled in school. Classes students will take in the program include The Reading and Writing Processes, Teaching Science and Math to Children, and Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Students may concentrate in one of several liberal arts areas as they obtain their degree. Some of those concentrations include theater, political science, mathematics, music, and Latin American studies. In addition to the time spent participating in field experiences, students will also participate in two student teaching experiences that will last around seven weeks each. Student teaching is considered the final and capstone experience in becoming a teacher. All student teaching placements are supervised and occur in a variety of diverse communities.
Accreditations
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
Contact
The State University of New York at Geneseo
1 College Circle
Geneseo, NY 14454
Phone: (585) 245-5000
Email: web@geneseo.edu
https://www.geneseo.edu/education/undergrad_programs
Future teachers have many options for specializing in an area of education that interests them, and early childhood education is a dynamic and valuable area on which to focus. New York State has several options for anyone interested in becoming a teacher with classes at small schools, large schools, rural locations, and urban locations. Students who wish to participate in early childhood education degree programs in New York should begin their journey by contacting prospective schools for more information.
Related Resource: 20 Best Online Master’s in Early Childhood Education
