- What is the deadline to apply for graduate study in education?
- When do the graduate programs in education begin? Can I begin a program in the fall or spring semester?
- Can I complete the program on a part-time basis?
- I am lacking several prerequisites. What effect will this have on my chances for admission?
- How do I apply for a graduate assistantship?
- I'm already an experienced teacher. Is this program suitable for me?
- Can I participate in a varsity sport while in the program?
What is the deadline for applying to the graduate programs in education?
Please see current deadlines for application here. Applicants who desire an earlier admission decision can apply as early as December.
Can I begin the graduate program in the fall or spring semesters?
Both our M.A.T. and M.S. graduate degree programs begin in the summer; the Program Orientation for newly-admitted grad students is held on the Tuesday after Memorial Day. We offer intensive, 13-month programs, and admit just one cohort of students each year to each program. If you miss our application deadline for the summer start to the programs, then we recommend that you complete any prerequisite coursework you might need, and complete your application in full by March of next year. (Note: You can apply in the fall, and we will review your application then so that you will know your admission status by the end of the fall semester.)
Is it possible to complete the graduate programs in education on a part-time basis?
No. Our two graduate programs in education are designed specifically to be intensive, 13-month programs that require a full-time commitment. We do try to schedule the summer and fall semesters so that courses and field experiences occur on four weekdays, thus enabling students to work part-time if necessary. In the spring, our students complete two full-time student teaching placements, five days per week.
Because our graduate programs are so intense, there is little time during the program to complete additional coursework. As a result, applicants with substantial missing coursework are generally encouraged to wait a year before applying. We do sometimes admit students who have not yet completed prerequisites; in these cases, admission requires completion of any missing courses according to a plan established by the graduate program chair.
The one prerequisite in education that we definitely require prior to the start of the program is the completion of a school-based field experience of approximately 50 hours. At IC, we offer an undergraduate course, EDUC 21910 Early Field Experiences: Theory and Practice (with a 50-hour field experience), multiple times during the academic year, including the two-week May Session, just prior to the start of the graduate programs. Admitted students who have not yet completed this prerequisite by May are required to enroll in EDUC 21910.
I would like to apply for a Graduate Assistantship. How do I do that? And how hard is it to get one?
Graduate Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis to academically-talented applicants with undergraduate grade point averages of 3.0 or higher. The chances of being offered a Graduate Assistantship vary, depending upon the number of GA applications each year.
Application for a GA role involves
- Completing the GA section of the online application
- Submitting two additional letters of recommendation (beyond the regular two letters required as part of your application for admission)
- Submitting a current copy of your resume
I am already a certified teacher. Are your graduate programs suitable for me?
If you are a certified teacher interested in earning certification in another area, then you may be interested in our graduate programs. For example, if you are certified in English 7-12 and would now like to earn your certification to teach grades 1-6, you would be eligible to apply to our graduate program in Childhood Education. Please note, though, that our programs include a full semester of student teaching, and our coursework is designed to prepare our students for initial certification in an area.
If you are an experienced teacher looking for a more advanced graduate program in education, then please return to this website in the future. We are currently planning a third graduate program which will be designed specifically for experienced teachers.
The two graduate programs in education are intensive, 13-month, professional programs that require a full-time commitment. During the fall semester, our students are enrolled in 12 graduate credits and participate actively in field experiences in public schools. Several of the required courses are offered during the late afternoon and evening hours. During the spring, our students complete two full-time student teaching internships.
IC student teachers in the School of Humanities and Sciences are not allowed to participate in a varsity sport, musical ensemble, or theatrical production at Ithaca College.