Graduate Programs in Education

King Graduate School (KGS) programs offer students the opportunity to make meaningful, innovative contributions to their field of study through applied research and project-based learning. As a result, our graduates are well-prepared to meet the unique challenges of urban communities, both in the U.S. and around the globe.

New York’s strength comes from its diversity. We have one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse states in the country, a fact that’s reflected in our schools. In order to harness the full potential of these young learners, we need teachers — and they need teachers — who know how best to serve them.

The education programs at Monroe’s King Graduate School are dedicated to training those teachers: people who aren’t merely instructors but who are advocates for diverse students and their communities. Whether you’re already a licensed teacher or looking to start a more meaningful career, our graduate programs can help you become the kind of teacher that every student deserves.

ECE — Early Childhood Education

CE — Childhood Education

Master of Arts in Teaching for Licensed Teachers

To earn a Professional Teacher Certificate in New York State, all teachers must earn their master’s degree within five (5) years of their initial licensure. With our dual-certification MAT program for teachers, you can do more than satisfy a state requirement: you can expand your grade-level licensure or additional certifications. We offer three distinct degree pathways for teachers who want to specialize in early childhood education (ECE), childhood education (CE), or both:

Urban/Special Education (ECE) (Birth-Grade 2): certification in both general education and special education
Urban/Special Education (CE) (Grades 1-6): certification in both general education and special education
General Education (ECE/CE) (Birth-Grade 6): dual certification in general education only

With a combination of hybrid and online classes, the 33-credit MAT for Teachers offers flexible study options designed to work with the already-demanding schedules of professional teachers. MAT candidates can complete their fieldwork in the schools where they already teach.

Master of Science in Education, Teaching Emerging Bilingual Learners, K-12

There’s a pressing need for qualified bilingual teachers nationwide, especially in New York State, where nearly 9% of all public school students are Emergent Bilingual Learners (EBLs). If you’re bilingual in both English and Spanish, and you’ve already earned your NYSED Initial Teaching Certificate in any grade band, then the MSEd for Teaching EBLs can help you become a champion for bilingual students.

You’ll receive high-level coursework covering contemporary theories and practices of multicultural and bilingual education. You’ll also get to apply that knowledge via fieldwork opportunities in both culturally and linguistically diverse classrooms. Upon completion, you’ll be prepared to earn a Bilingual Teaching Extension in line with your initial certification from the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

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Advanced Certificate

If you’ve already completed your MAT or MSEd but still need an enhanced skill set, our advanced certificate programs can help you get there. Monroe University King Graduate School offers two advanced certificate programs for teachers:

These 15-credit programs, aligned with the New York State Education Department’s (NYSED’s) Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework, will show you how to create inclusive classroom environments that prioritize students’ holistic well-being and how to implement content instruction that meets NYSED’s Next Generation Learning Standards.

As a professionally licensed teacher, you’ve seen the unique challenges that students face in the classroom. With an advanced certificate, you can help them not only to meet those challenges, but to rise above them.

Master of Arts in Teaching for Career Changers

If you’re not already an NYSED licensed teacher, you can change careers and change lives — and you can do it more quickly than you think. By earning your master’s degree in teaching, you can fulfill both the education and fieldwork requirements to earn your Initial Teaching Certificate from the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in less than two (2) years. Like the MAT for Teachers, the MAT for Career Changers offers three different pathways to certification so you can begin your teaching career with a greater range of options:

Urban/Special Education (ECE) (Birth-Grade 2): certification in both general education and special education
Urban/Special Education (CE) (Grades 1-6): certification in both general education and special education
General Education (ECE/CE) (Birth-Grade 6): dual certification in general education only

You’ll focus on students’ social, cognitive, and emotional growth; how to create safe, equitable learning environments; and how to effect positive systemic change as an advocate for your students, their families, and their communities.