SU School of Education and College of Arts and Sciences offer combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in secondary education

Syracuse University’s School of Education and College of Arts and Sciences are partnering to offer a new combined bachelor’s/master’s degree in secondary-level teacher preparation. The new joint program will lead to teaching certification for grades 7-12 in English, math, science or social studies.

Students in the joint program earn undergraduate arts and sciences degrees in a field related to the subject they want to teach. They concurrently work toward an education master’s degree and begin taking some graduate-level education courses as undergraduates. The joint degree option is designed for students who want to teach but would be challenged to complete an undergraduate degree within four years because of a late career change or a transfer to SU after earning an associate’s degree or for another reason. The two degrees are conferred at the same time after all requirements for both degrees are met, typically at the end of five years.

“Although our childhood-level master’s program may be completed in a year, the traditional master’s programs leading to 7-12 certification take a minimum of a year and a half after the bachelor’s degree,” says Marie Sarno, program specialist with the School of Education’s Teaching and Leadership Programs. “The new combined program offers SU students the option to complete bachelor’s and master’s degrees in less time and with fewer credits than the traditional master’s degree option. It also provides more flexibility in the undergraduate program than the undergraduate teacher preparation degree alone would allow.”

The combined program requires both initial undergraduate admission to the program and subsequent graduate admission for the final two semesters. Both admission stages require a 3.0 grade point average in overall coursework as well as in courses of the subject to be taught. Courses are heavily sequenced, so meeting with School of Education staff early is critical. Some summer study may be required. Graduate Student Tuition Scholarships are also available to combined-degree students during their final two semesters of full-time, graduate-level study.

For more information on the program, contact Sarno at mrsarno@syr.edu. For an appointment, call 443-2685.