About the Program
Master of Arts
Degree Requirements
Master of Arts (34 and 38-point programs)
Methods—New York State requires a minimum of 12 points of methods courses. The methods coursework is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the Teaching of English. The Teaching of Reading, The Teaching of Writing, and Writing: Nonfiction courses are usually taken at the beginning of the program to facilitate students’ understanding of subsequent courses. English Methods follows, integrating various methodologies while addressing language and curricular components. An additional methods course allows students to concentrate on a specific topic of interest.
Required courses include:
• A&HE 4057 English methods (3)
• A&HE 4058 Teaching of reading (3)
• A&HE 4151* Teaching of writing (3)
• A&HE 5518** Teaching English in diverse social and cultural contexts (2-3)
*Taken as a 6 point block with A&HE 4156, Writing: Nonfiction
**A&HE 5518 meets both the College-wide and the New York State diversity requirements.
In addition, students must choose at least one topic-specific methods course:
• A&HE 4152 Literacies and technologies in the secondary English classroom (3)
• A&HE 4155 Critical issues in the secondary English classroom (2-3)
• A&HE 4157 Writing: Fiction and personal narrative (3)
• A&HE 4158 Writing: Poetry (3)
• A&HE 4550 Teaching of poetry (3)
• A&HE 4551 Teaching of Shakespeare (3)
• A&HE 4552 Curriculum and assessment in the secondary English classroom (2)
Content– Content coursework consists of writing and literature requirements:
Writing: This requirement is met by taking the six point writing block:
• A&HE 4151 Teaching of writing (3)
• A&HE 4156 Writing: Nonfiction (3)
Literature: At least one literature course with-in the program is required. Courses include: Cultural perspectives, Feminist perspectives, Adolescent literature, Critical approaches to literature, and Literature and teaching.
Breadth Requirement
Breadth courses are intended to broaden students’ knowledge of the history of education, philosophies of education, and educational issues and practices beyond their particular area of concentration. All students must take at least three breadth courses (courses not designated “A&HE”). Breadth points must be used to meet the New York State requirements for classes in History/Philosophy of Education, Disabilities/Special Education and Human Development/Psychology if these have not been taken in previous college-level coursework. These courses may be taken as pass/fail.
Breadth courses must meet the following criteria:
• They must not possess the “A&HE” prefix;
• They must be Teachers College courses;
• They must be for a minimum of 2 points each.
Electives– Electives provide students in the 34-point program the opportunity to explore particular interests as they design their own programs in consultation with an academic faculty advisor. Electives can be any graduate level courses at Teachers College or Columbia University and a student may take as many points as needed to finish his or her degree program. If students in the 38-point program meet all of their degree requirements through required coursework, electives are not needed.
Master’s Seminar– All M.A. students are required to enroll in the A&HE 5590, Master’s seminar. Students in the 38-point program enroll in A&HE 5590 the same semester they enroll in phase 2 of A&HE 4750, Supervised teaching of English. Students in the 34-point program enroll in A&HE 5590, during their final semester. All students work with an academic faculty advisor to design and complete their master’s projects.
Student Teaching– Students in the 38-point Teaching of English program have two separate semesters of student teaching. As required by New York State, one of these experiences is in a middle school and the other is in a high school. Most placements are made in urban public schools in New York City. Commuting to one of the outer boroughs should be expected.
Student teaching experiences differ by semester. In the first (Phase 1) semester, a pair of students may be placed in a classroom under the direction of a single cooperating teacher. The cooperating teacher has primary responsibility for designing the curriculum. While students do not have the major responsibility for designing or organizing the course of instruction, they are active participants in the classroom and school communities. Although the Phase 1 experience varies, students are engaged in observation, group work with students, conferencing, and teaching. During this semester, students understand, appreciate, learn from, and coach students as readers and writers. In their second (Phase 2) semester, students work one-on-one with a cooperating teacher and are expected to take on full responsibility for designing lessons and assessing learning.
During both semesters, the student teaching experience is accompanied by A&HE 4750, Supervised teaching of English and A&HE 4751, Fieldwork and observation in secondary English. These courses facilitate the development of skills and strategies that are needed for successful teaching. They also serve as a forum to address needs, issues, and problems that may arise. In addition, supervisors from Teachers College visit student teachers on at least four occasions each semester. Supervisors talk with student teachers before and after each observation and consult with them on an individual basis regarding their progress.
