Curriculum and Teaching Elem Education MA Professional

Master of Arts in Curriculum and Teaching, Elementary Education

With Professional Certification as a Grade 1-6 teacher in New York State


A teacher kneels beside an elementary student's desk and smiles

The Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Teaching with Professional Certification at the Elementary level (MA-CUED) provides students with courses in the study of pedagogy and curriculum. This involves the critical analysis of the foundations for schooling, the theory and history of curriculum, assumptions about subject matter, content-specific instructional practices, and beliefs about children as learners. 

This 32-point program is ideal for early teachers who bring imagination, respect for the capacities of all children and young people, and love of teaching and learning to their work. Students in this program have already earned Initial Certification and wish to remain in the classroom to develop as teacher leaders in their school settings, with their colleagues, and in the field more broadly.

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Admission Information

Displaying requirements for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 terms.

Master of Arts

  • Points/Credits: 32
  • Entry Terms: Summer, Fall
  • Enrollment Formats: Full-Time Campus-Based, Part-Time Campus-Based

Certification

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  • NY State Professional: 1-6

Application Deadlines

Entry Term AvailablePriority DeadlinesFinal DeadlinesExtended Deadlines
SpringN/AN/AN/A
SummerJanuary 15, 2025April 1, 2025N/A
FallJanuary 15, 2025April 1, 2025N/A

Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines, such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.

Application Requirements

 Requirement
 Online Degree Application, including Statement of Purpose and Resume
 Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed
 Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable)
 $75 Application Fee
 Two (2) Letters of Recommendation
 Applicants must hold or be eligible for Initial NY State Certification

For admission-related inquiries, please contact CTadmission@tc.columbia.edu.

For professional certification admission, please submit a resume and: (a) proof of elementary or secondary school teacher initial NYS certification (formerly provisional) or certification from another state, or (b) proof that you have completed an accredited Elementary or Secondary teacher preparation/student teaching program. An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is a minimum requirement. Teaching experience is desirable, but not required.

Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2024-2025)

Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 terms.

View Full Catalog Listing

Curriculum and Teaching Professional Certification in Elementary Education MA / Degree Requirements

 

OVERVIEWThe Master of Arts degree in Curriculum and Teaching with Professional Certification at the Elementary level (MA-CUED) is designed for teachers, administrators, and other educators who have received formal professional preparation in grade 1-6 teaching at an accredited college or university. Students in this program have already earned Initial Certification and wish to remain in the classroom to develop as teacher leaders in their school settings, with their colleagues, and in the field more broadly. The 32-point program involves the critical analysis of the foundations for schooling, the theory and history of curriculum, assumptions about subject matter, content-specific instructional practices, and beliefs about children as learners. This program is ideal for early teachers who bring imagination, respect for the capacities of all children and young people, and love of teaching and learning to their work.  



CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE The MA-CUED program is designed for early career educators currently practicing in, or intending to practice in New York State. Applicants must possess a valid initial license to teach in New York (or a comparable license from another state or jurisdiction), or be eligible for the initial license before beginning coursework. In conjunction with the satisfaction of all other requirements determined by the New York State Department of Education (NYSED), successful completers of the program are eligible for professional certification in New York State in Childhood Education (grades 1 – 6). Graduates will apply for professional certification independently with a recommendation from Teachers College if all program requirements are met. For advice on New York State licensure requirements, consult the Office of Teacher Education (OTE): www.tc.columbia.edu/office-of-teacher-education/



REQUIRED COURSES

 

The program is organized around a core of common coursework and a field experience, dealing with principles, history, theories, and skills of curriculum design and pedagogy. Beyond the common core requirements, CUED students select content pedagogy courses across the College that demonstrate a breadth and range of knowledge essential for elementary classroom educators.

 

CORE COURSES

C&T 4002 Curriculum Theory and History (3 points)

C&T 4005 Principles of Teaching and Learning  (3 points)

C&T 4052 Designing Curriculum and Instruction (3 points)

C&T 4130 Critical Perspectives in Elementary Education: K-6 (3 points)   

C&T 4200 Fieldwork in Curriculum and Teaching (0-1 point)

C&T 4502 Master’s Project Seminar  (0-1 point)

 

CONTENT PEDAGOGY COURSES

 

In order to ensure breadth of study, MA-CUED students are required to take 3 points in each of the four “core” elementary subject areas: mathematics, science & technology, social studies, and literacy. Selection is made from a wide array of courses within C&T and other TC departments. Students are encouraged to search and propose preferred options to their advisor. The basic criterion for such courses is that they will extend the student’s understanding of the knowledge and skills appropriate to that content area. 

 

The following list contains examples of courses in each content area that will satisfy this requirement. Course availability varies across semesters, therefore the online course schedule should be used for the most current scheduling information. 

 

CONTENT AREAS

MATHEMATICS

  • MSTM 4019  Mathematics Teaching and Learning 

  • MSTM 5010  Mathematics in the Elementary School

  • MSTM 5019  Mathematics in Popular Culture and Media 

  • MSTM 5060  Mathematics in Multicultural Education 


SCIENCE OR TECHNOLOGY 

  • MSTC 4007  Urban and Multicultural Science Education 

  • MSTC 4040  Science in Childhood Education 

  • MSTU 4083  Instructional Design of Educational Technology 

  • MSTU 4088  Introduction to Educational Technology and Learning Science

  • MSTC 5040 Science Curriculum Improvement in Elementary School


SOCIAL STUDIES 

  • C&T 4052 Designing Curriculum and Instruction 

*This course fulfills both the core requirement and the SS content pedagogy requirement. Refer to the course syllabus for directions regarding the Social Studies track assignments. 


LITERACY 

  • C&T 4132 Language and Teaching in the Primary Reading/Writing Classroom

  • C&T 4135 Emergent Bi/Multilingual Learners in Inclusive English-Medium Classrooms

  • C&T 4136 Methods & Materials for Reading Instruction 

  • C&T 4139 Constructing Critical Readers 

  • C&T 4140 Literature for Younger Children 

 

ELECTIVE COURSES

 

The MA-CUED requires a minimum of 6 elective points taken within the C&T Department. 

 

SOCIAL CONTEXT  REQUIREMENT

At least 1 elective course (2-3 points) must address the social context of education, rather than solely the methods and practice of teaching. This course must be a minimum of 2-points; up to 3 points will count. 


The following SOCIAL CONTEXT courses or any of the DIVERSITY courses listed below have been pre-approved to satisfy this requirement. There are numerous other possibilities and students may seek advisor approval to use a course not on these lists.


C&T 4026 Giftedness and Intelligence 

C&T 4032 Gender, Difference, and Curriculum 

C&T 4078 Curriculum and Teaching in Urban Areas

C&T 4161 The Teacher: Social-Historical, Cultural Contexts of Teaching

C&T 5004 School Change

C&T 5050 Education Policy Institute 

C&T 5199 Abolitionist Teaching for Educational Justice

DIVERSITY REQUIREMENT

At least 1 elective course (2-3 points) must address diversity issues relevant to education. This course must be a minimum of 2-points; up to 3 points will count. The following courses have been pre-approved to satisfy this requirement. There are numerous other possibilities and students may  seek advisor approval to use a course not on these lists.


C&T 4000 Disability, Exclusion, and Schooling

C&T 4001 Differentiating Instruction in Inclusive Classrooms

C&T 4010 Immigration and Curriculum 

C&T 4021 Nature and Needs of Gifted Students

C&T 4080 Child Development & Intersectional Identities

C&T 4114 Integrated Curriculum: Diversity, Equity, and Technologies

C&T 4135 Emergent Bi/Multilingual Learners in Inclusive English-Medium Classrooms

C&T 5037 Literacy, Culture, and the Teaching of Reading 

C&T 5535 Black, Latina, and Transnational Feminisms

SPECIAL EDUCATION COURSE

The DIVERSITY requirement is also used to fulfill the NYSED Special Education requirement. A stand-alone Special Education course aimed at developing “the skills necessary to provide instruction that will promote the participation and progress of students with disabilities in the general education curriculum” is required on your academic record (e.g., undergraduate or graduate transcript) by NYSED. 



FIELDWORK

 

Core courses are strengthened through field experience that allows students to observe and critically reflect on the principles, history, theories, and skills of curriculum design and pedagogy. The field experience expects an alert and critical attention to social, ethical, and professional challenges facing educators, children, and young people in schools. Fieldwork will also prompt deepened thoughts, new insights, curiosities, and interests that will enhance readings and discussion in core courses and often leads to inquiry questions that catalyze the Integrative Project. Program staff work with teacher collaborators in New York City schools to place students in classrooms aligned to their area of licensure. One goal of the placement is to demonstrate a breadth and depth of experience across the spectrum for childhood education certification.

 

FIELDWORK 

COURSE 

Students gain field experience through a 1-point course, C&T  4200: Fieldwork in Curriculum and Teaching, to be taken over two semesters prior to or concurrent with the master’s project seminar. Students are required to register for 1-point in the Fall, and 0-points in the Spring semester. Through the course, students engage in 50-hours of independent observation and reflection on instructional practices, interactions between and among students and teachers, critical issues, curricular enactments, and design activities. These field experiences are not supervised. 


*Note: The C&T 4200 course is only applicable for students who have not previously taken the 4-credit version of C&T 4005: Principles of Teaching and Learning.

 

INTEGRATIVE PROJECT

 

As a culminating activity in the program, MA-CUED students design and conduct a disciplined and substantial inquiry into an issue, problem, and question of particular interest that emerges from fieldwork and classroom practice. The integrative project may take multiple forms, such as practice-based research, curriculum analysis, and design, an arts-based creation, or an academic paper synthesizing and critiquing prior research. Students are encouraged to think creatively and incorporate multimodality in how they design their inquiries and share their new knowledge. In all cases, an end goal is for students to arrive at a well-grounded, articulated perspective and/or a set of recommendations for their own practice and continuing thought. The C&T Programs hold a joint showcase at the end of the academic year in May to share final projects and celebrate inquiry with friends, family, students, and faculty.

 

INTEGRATIVE PROJECT SEMINAR

The two-semester seminar, C&T 4502: Masters Project, is the primary site for support in conceptualizing, designing, and carrying out the integrative project. Only 1-point is earned for the course, but the work is substantial and spans two consecutive fall and spring semesters. To the extent possible, the seminar sequence is taken towards the end of a student’s studies. Full-time students ordinarily take the seminar sequence beginning in their first fall semester. Part-time students who plan to complete the degree in two or more years will ordinarily begin the seminar sequence in their second fall semester. 



ADVISING

 

All students are assigned a faculty advisor prior to commencing studies at Teachers College. Advisor consultation is required for initial course selection and approval before registration. Newly admitted students receive a comprehensive Program Guide with instructions to draft a Program Plan before contacting their assigned faculty advisor.



TIMELINE

 

The master's degree has a flexible timeline to allow students to determine their schedule for completion. Students work with their advisor to plan a course schedule that maps to their desired graduation timeline. The program can be completed in 16-months with full-time study. A 16-month accelerated timeline opens the opportunity to take courses during the summer. A two-year timeline allows students to deeply engage in coursework and take the time to fully benefit from the rich experiences and community offered by a Teachers College education. The program may also be taken part-time at your own pace. Part-time students have five years to complete the program. 



GRADUATION

 

Degrees are awarded in October, February, and May, but TC holds one commencement ceremony in May. Students will be permitted to attend the May commencement ceremony after the completion of all coursework and the integrative project. 



PROGRAM GUIDE

 

Additional information about all program requirements is available in the MA-CUED Program Guide provided to all enrolled students.

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