The Sarah Lawrence College Art of Teaching program is an integrated Master of Science in Education (MSEd) program of study that leads to triple New York State certification in Early Childhood Education (birth to grade 2), Childhood Education (1st to 6th grade) and Early Childhood Students with Disabilities.
New in 2023
- Additional New York State Certification - Early Childhood Students with Disabilities.
- Dual Degree in the Art of Teaching and Child Development (MSEd/MA)- this new program will take three years to complete and lead to an MSEd degree in the Art of Teaching and an MA degree in Child Development. Learn more here.
- Launching in Fall 2024 - Early Childhood Special Education Advanced Certificate - to meet the ever-growing demand for Special Education certification, SLC will be accepting applications soon for this 17- credit advanced certificate for people who already have their general education certification and are looking for this credential. Learn more here.
- Opportunities for Collaboration and the Flexibility to Decide Your Academic Path - Students enrolled in the Art of Teaching MSEd and the Child Development MA programs will share much of the same curriculum in the first semester. This allows students in both programs to work together collaboratively and build relationships with one another that will last throughout their time at SLC and beyond! An added benefit is that after this first semester, students have the option to change the path they wish to take. Students may decide to pursue the Child Development MA, the Art of Teaching MSEd, or our new, three-year Dual Degree in the Art of Teaching and Child Development MSEd/MA. This provides significant flexibility for students as they explore various potential career pathways.
Why pursue your MSEd in Early Childhood/Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education at Sarah Lawrence?
- Our strong teacher training heritage—we've been educating teachers for over 35 years
- Our renowned leadership in the field of progressive education
- Strong partnerships with a range of schools across Westchester and NYC
- Our Early Childhood Center—one of the oldest laboratory preschools in the country
- Theory and practice inform one another throughout your time in the program. You’ll work with children at every point through student teaching placements at public and independent schools
- We value justice and equity as an essential aspect of education. Diversity and inclusion will weave through your experience in the program. You’ll leave the program with the ability to transfer your learning to many different environments and meet the needs of students from all backgrounds
- You will be part of an intimate intellectual setting and a collaborative community of diverse individuals
- Opportunities to tailor your educational experiences to your own interests through community-based education
Academic Program
Program Overview
- Art of Teaching is a child-centered (birth through 6th grade), culturally sensitive, interdisciplinary teacher education program centered on observation of children.
- The program is committed to public education, including urban schools. Graduates find teaching positions in a range of public and private schools.
- Seminar-style courses provide an intimate intellectual setting in a collaborative community of individuals.
- Graduate students reflect a range of ages and backgrounds. Students discover a great deal about how they themselves learn in every class by recollecting, reflecting on, and sharing their own learning experiences in childhood and as adults. This sharing significantly informs the inquiry into teaching and learning.
- Students learn not only how to observe, but also how to articulate and describe what they see. The “Prospect Descriptive Processes” provide important strategies for observing and documenting children and teaching practices. Patricia Carini, under whose leadership these processes were developed, has been a major influence on the program.
- The program uses a strength-based and individualized approach to working with children with disabilities
- Students work with children at every point in the program—outside the classroom; in their jobs; at the Early Childhood Center; and in fieldwork and student teaching placements at public and independent schools.
- Each student’s work culminates in an oral presentation of a focused master’s project, accompanied by documentation of coursework and work with children in classrooms.
- The program prepares students to integrate the New York State Common Core Curriculum Standards into their practice, and leads to New York State Early Childhood Education (birth to grade 2), Childhood Education (1st to 6th grade) and Early Childhood Students with Disabilities Teacher Certification.
- The program provides ongoing support for alumni and their colleagues through a Saturday Seminar Series.
Program Requirements
The Art of Teaching is designed as one program that offers triple New York certification in Early Childhood Education (birth to grade 2), Childhood Education (1st to 6th grade) and Early Childhood Students with Disabilities.
The triple certification program may be completed in two years and a summer on a full-time basis, or in three years and two summers on a part-time basis.
Given the recent legislation signed by Governor Hochul, the Art of Teaching program is no longer requiring prospective applicants submit GRE or other graduate-level examination scores. We will continue to conduct a holistic assessment of an applicant’s potential based on their personal statement, writing sample, letters of recommendation, and transcripts.
Typical Course of Study
Year One
- Inclusive Emergent Curriculum & Responsive Environments (5 credits)
- Theories of Development (5 credits)
- Observation and Documentation (3 credits)
- Neurodiversity and Special Education: History, Policy, Practice (5 credits)
- Human Development in Context (3 credits)
- Clinical Perspectives: Challenges to Child and Adolescent Development (5 credits)
- Field Work (Early Childhood, 4 credits)
Summer (Online)
- Foundations of Education (3 credits)
- Children’s Literature (3 credits)
Year Two
- Language and Literacy I & II (10 credits)
- Mathematics and Technology I & II (10 credits)
- Practicum Seminar (3 credits)
- Art of Teaching Graduate Seminar (3 credits)
- Student-Teaching (two age/grade levels, 6 credits)
- Master’s Thesis project (2 credits)
Dual Degree in Art of Teaching & Child Development
The collaboration between our Art of Teaching and Child Development programs and across the entire Children, Childhood, and Education Collaborative is long-standing and unique. Over the past several years, we have worked to formalize these collaborations and intersections further to bring prospective students a whole host of ways in which to pursue their studies.We are pleased to announce the launch of a Dual Degree in the Art of Teaching and Child Development. This new program will take three years to complete and lead to a MS degree in Child Development and an MSEd degree in the Art of Teaching and an MA degree in Child Development. Learn more.
Program Accreditation
The Art of Teaching Program at Sarah Lawrence College is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. In 2022, Art of Teaching was awarded full accreditation by AAQEP through December 31, 2028. Full accreditation acknowledges that a program prepares effective educators who continue to grow as professionals and has demonstrated the commitment and capacity to maintain quality.
After reviewing the evidence collected through a process of self-study and peer review, the AAQEP Accreditation Commission issued the decision at its January 28 meeting along with the following rationale:
The Commission evaluated the program’s evidence for each AAQEP standard and determined that all four standards are met. Completers of the program are prepared to work effectively as professional educators who are able to adapt to different contexts and to grow professionally. Guided by a clear and coherent theoretical and philosophical foundation, the provider has the capacity to analyze evidence of its own effectiveness and to make program revisions that benefit candidates. It engages with stakeholders and partners to support candidates’ development and to strengthen the P-20 education system in the region.
“Congratulations to Sarah Lawrence College and to all of the faculty, staff, and stakeholders who have achieved their goal of national accreditation by AAQEP,” said AAQEP President and CEO Mark LaCelle-Peterson. “The program’s clear commitment to developing candidates holistically as people and professionals is shown in its reflective practice and in its persistent efforts to ensure access and support to a diverse group of new teachers.”