Education Major

Education majors complete graduate-level courses as part of our undergraduate degree program — saving you time and money on your path to professional certification.

And you’ll learn from experienced educators who bring real-world insights directly from New York City schools into your classes.

As a NYSED-approved teacher preparation program, we ensure you're on track for initial certification in New York State.

How to Declare an Education Major

As a degree that leads to initial teacher certification upon graduation from NYSCAS, this is a demanding major. You cannot automatically enroll as an education major after acceptance to NYSCAS. If you would like to enroll as an Education major you will need to:

1. Speak to your advisor and let them know you are interested
2. Complete your liberal arts courses, college writing and two education courses (201 and 209). You will need a grade of B or above in your college writing and education courses.

After you complete the above requirements, your advisor can provide an application for the Undergraduate Education Application ("Application for Acceptance and Continuation in the Undergraduate Education Program"). To continue, and graduate, as an education major, you will need to maintain your major GPA. 

NYSCAS can assist you with employer-based grants such as EIP (DOH) and Career Training Program (DOE), helping to give you the best opportunity to receive all the funding available to you.

Choose Your Path: Preschool/Early Elementary or Primary Grades

As an education student, you'll become adept at:

• Creating engaging learning environments for all students.
• Differentiating instruction and offering supports for varied student needs.
• Applying culturally responsive teaching practices.
• Using assessments and data to guide your teaching decisions.

While you gain these skills, you’ll be able to choose your area of focus. NYSCAS education majors graduate with a liberal arts concentration and the option to choose from two specialized tracks:

• Early childhood education. Prepare to teach in preschools, daycare centers, and pre-kindergarten to second-grade classrooms, where you'll focus on developmentally appropriate practices and teaching through play.
• Childhood education. Learn to teach all elementary subjects, including language arts, math, science, social studies, and the arts, in a variety of grade school settings.

Both tracks lead to dual certification in general and special education.

NYSCAS offers all of this while streamlining the major to require just 120 credits, making it more manageable for working professionals.

Learn from Educators Who've Been Where You Want to Go

Your professors are experienced educators who bring real-world insights into every class. NYSCAS faculty includes:

• Teacher mentors and instructional coaches
• Principals and school administrators
• Veteran classroom teachers
• Curriculum specialists
• Former superintendents

These connections to New York City schools mean you'll learn what really works in today's classrooms — and build a network that can help launch your teaching career.

Course Spotlight: Universal Design for Learning

Originally inspired by accessible architecture (like curb cuts that help people with wheelchairs, strollers, and wheeled luggage), Universal Design for Learning is a powerful approach that helps you create lessons that reach all types of students. You'll learn to:

• Identify potential barriers to student engagement.
• Develop multiple ways for students to access learning materials.
• Create different ways for students to demonstrate their understanding.
• Apply these principles to your student-teaching experiences and in your career.

These skills are invaluable in New York City classrooms, where you'll work with students from a range of backgrounds, ability levels, and languages spoken.

What You'll Learn (and When You'll Learn It)

Our curriculum is carefully crafted to give you what you need to get you in front of the classroom and working with students as a skilled educator.

Year 1: Build your foundation

• Develop an understanding of how children develop and learn.
• Explore principles of educational psychology.
• Learn how the education system is structured.
• Complete your general education requirements.

Years 2-3: Develop your skills as an educator

• Practice creating effective lesson plans for different types of learners.
• Learn various methods for teaching specific subjects.
• Understand how to support students with special needs.
• Observe experienced teachers in real classroom settings.
• Begin graduate-level education courses.

Year 4: Launch your teaching career

• Complete student teaching placements in local classrooms.
• Build your professional teaching portfolio.
• Prepare for teacher certification exams.
• Network with school leaders to learn about job opportunities.
• Apply for your initial teaching certification.

Hands-on Learning: Student Teaching Experience

As an upper-level student, you’ll find that your student-teaching experience is often where it all clicks — the theories and methods you've studied come together as you lead real lessons with real students.

You’ll get the chance to:

• Apply your learning in New York City classrooms.
• Work directly with experienced mentor teachers.
• Practice teaching diverse groups of students with varying needs.
• Develop your own teaching and classroom style.
• Build a professional portfolio that showcases your teaching skills.

Many students even find that their student teaching placements lead to job offers after graduation.

Alumni Spotlight: Casey's Entrepreneurial Spirit Supports Neurodivergent Learners

Casey Winderbaum always knew that she loved helping children who learn differently. A 2021 NYSCAS education major, she went on to get her master’s degree and to teach special education. After working in the field, Casey realized that students who learned differently could make major strides in less time with consistent one-on-one tutoring.

“They don’t need to fit into a mold,” Casey says. “We can shift our approach to teach children in the way their brains work best.” This insight led her to launch her own business, Casey’s Special Education Services. She now employs more than 20 special education teachers who deliver specialized instruction across the Washington, D.C., area.

Casey credits NYSCAS professors for encouraging her to do graduate-level work as an undergrad. One in particular stood out for the time the professor took in guiding Casey: “She took the time to really mentor me, while urging me to think about how I would continue to advance my career after leaving Touro.”

A Degree Program That Fits Your Life

A majority of our education majors are working paraprofessionals. Many are balancing jobs and family responsibilities while earning their degrees. That's why we offer:

• Evening and weekend classes.
• Online and hybrid course options.
• Support for Department of Education employees using tuition vouchers.
• Clear pathways to certification and advanced degrees.

Pathways at Touro: Fast-track Your Advanced Education Degree

Want to accelerate your education career? NYSCAS education majors benefit from pathways that fast track your progress toward an advanced degree. These programs let you:

• Take graduate courses as part of your undergraduate degree.
• Apply credits to both degrees.
• Complete your graduate degree faster.
• Move ahead in your career sooner.

Graduate School of Education pathway:

As a NYSCAS education major you complete 5 graduate-level education courses that count towards a Touro Graduate of Education (GSE) master’s degree. That means you are nearly halfway toward completing a master’s in education at GSE. In as little as one additional year, you can finish your master’s in education, saving time and money. In addition, your graduate application fee will be waived.

Touro’s Graduate School of Education (GSE) offers a wide range of master’s programs that may extend or expand the certification area that you earned in your bachelor’s program. Some possibilities that you may pursue through a GSE Pathway include:

• Professional certification in your grade band.
• Initial and professional certification in an extended grade band or subject area, such as teaching literacy, mathematics education, educational technology, TESOL or Jewish childhood education and special education.
• Certification in school counseling or school leadership.
• An advanced certification in a specialty area such as bilingual education, gifted and talented education, teaching students with autism and disabilities, TESOL, or teaching literacy.

Other Touro master’s programs:

Some of the other Touro master’s program where you may choose to continue are:

• Applied Behavior Analysis (School of Health Sciences )
• School Psychology (Touro University Worldwide)
• Social Work (Graduate School of Social Work)