Enrollment in a combined pathway allows highly qualified, Empire State University students to work on the Master of Arts in Teaching while completing their bachelor’s degree. Up to 12 credits of designated master’s courses are incorporated into the bachelor’s degree program and will count toward both the bachelor’s and master’s degree. 

The Pathways

• B.A./B.S. in Cultural Studies to MAT in Adolescent Education Leading to Initial New York State Teaching Certification in English Language Arts or Spanish
• B.A./B.S. in Science, Mathematics and Technology to MAT in Adolescent Education Leading to Initial New York State Teaching Certification in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics or Mathematics
• B.A./B.S. in Historical Studies to MAT in Adolescent Education Leading to Initial New York State Teaching Certification in Social Studies

ADMISSION

Admission into the combined programs is highly selective. To be considered for admission into a combined pathway, applicants must complete an undergraduate application and meet the following requirements:

• Minimum 3.2 GPA (recalculation of up to the last 60 credits earned); and
• Transferring no more than 92 credits at the time of application

In addition to the above, to be offered official admission¹ candidates must have completed 60 or more undergraduate credits including 30 credits in content area requirements with a C or better.

Please see the Undergraduate Admission page for a complete listing of materials required to complete an undergraduate application.

¹

Candidates who have less than 60 undergraduate credits and/or still need to complete any of the content requirements can be accepted conditionally. To become officially admitted, conditional admits must maintain a minimum 3.2 GPA and complete all of the content requirements by 108 credits at the latest. Candidates who do not meet the requirements will be dismissed from the combined pathway and allowed to complete the bachelor's portion.

Curriculum

The combined pathway requires 154 credits total, of which 42 are master’s credits leading to the MAT. Students must meet all college, AOS and relevant concentration guidelines, as well as the state specified content and liberal arts and sciences general education requirements (different than and in addition to the SUNY General Education Requirements) within the undergraduate credits as follows: 

• successful completion of 30 credits in the designated content area (see Content Requirements tab)

With 60 credits in requirements, the program requires careful planning that should begin in the first term of a student’s undergraduate career at Empire State University. The teaching content area and the state’s requirements for general education are incorporated into the undergraduate degree program based on the certification area that the student intends to seek. The student and the primary mentor should consult with the director of teacher education in planning an undergraduate degree program so that these requirements are met in undergraduate study and that the 12 credits of master’s courses from MAT program also are included in the degree plan. Students must meet the graduate requirements for academic progress and minimum grade point average in their master’s level courses to remain in the combined program.

The four graduate courses that will be taken during undergraduate study are:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
EDUC 6010	Middle Childhood & Adolescent Development	3
EDUC 6005	US Schools in Social Context	3
EDUC 6015	Exceptionalities: Individualizing Learning	3
Teaching & Learning (choose one):		3
EDUC 6020	Teaching & Learning: English
EDUC 6025	Teaching & Learning: LOTE
EDUC 6030	Teaching & Learning: Math
EDUC 6035	Teaching & Learning: Science
EDUC 6040	Teaching & Learning: Social Studies
Total Credits		12

The remaining required courses of the graduate degree can be found on the MAT in Adolescent Education pages of this catalog.

Content Requirements

Biology

Students must have 30 credits in the content area. Examples of acceptable Biology courses include: cell biology, biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, comparative anatomy, genetics and evolution, biological diversity, human biology, botany, zoology, microbiology, immunology, and marine biology.  At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required.

• Biology Template 

Chemistry

Students must have 30 credits in the content area. Examples of acceptable Chemistry courses include: courses in matter and atomic structure, energy, chemical bonds and molecular structure, chemical reactions and quantitative relationships. Examples: general chemistry, organic chemistry, environmental chemistry.  At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required.

• Chemistry Template

Earth Science

Students must have 30 credits in the content area.

Examples of acceptable Earth Science course titles include: space systems, atmospheric systems, geological systems, and water systems. Upper level courses such as: structural geology, hydrology, geochemistry, tectonics, biogeography, mineralogy, geomorphology, advanced meteorology, climatology, astronomy, planetary motion, planetary geology and astrophysics.  At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required.

• Earth Science Template 

English

Students must have 30 credits in the content area.

Examples of acceptable English courses include: literature, poetry, writing, speech, grammar or linguistics. At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required. It is recommended that applicants have at least six credits in literature. 

• English Template

Spanish (LOTE)

Students must have 30 credits in the content area. Examples of acceptable Spanish courses include: those that carry the departmental prefix for that language and may include language and literature courses. Culture, civilization, and film courses are acceptable when offered by the language department as part of a concentration in that language and, because they are taught in that language, require a level of competence in the language.  At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required.

• Spanish Template 

Mathematics

Students must have 30 credits in the content area. Examples of acceptable Math courses include: mathematical reasoning, quantitative methods, number theory and concepts, algebra, analytic geometry, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, data analysis, probability, statistics, and discrete mathematics.  At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required.

• Math Template 

Physics

Students must have 30 credits in the content area. Examples of acceptable physics course titles include: mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves, sound and light, quantum theory, atomic and/or nuclear physics, modern physics, heat/thermodynamics and relativity.  At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required.

• Physics Template

Social Studies

Applicants must possess a bachelor's degree with a major in the content area or have a bachelor's degree and 30 credits in the content area.

Students must have 30 credits in the content area. The 30 semester hours of content must include:

• at least 3 credits in Micro or Macro Economics
• at least 3 credits in Government
• 21 semester hours in:
  • United States History
  • World History
  • Geography (at least 3 credits)

At least 6 credits of upper-level coursework are required.

• Social Studies Template 

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