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Academic Programs

Cross-Age: Early Childhood and Childhood General Education

MSEd

  • Program Overview

    Are you interested in teaching children across a full range of grades? The Early Childhood and Childhood Dual Certification Program has been designed for you!

    This program prepares you to teach pre-school through 6th grade. Your coursework, fieldwork, and advisement process will help you build a sound foundation in child development, subject matter pedagogy, and the historical, philosophical, and cultural contexts of contemporary education.

    In this program, you will have the option to complete your fieldwork as a working teacher or a student teacher. Student teachers work with experienced mentor teachers in diverse school communities and classrooms throughout New York City where they will have opportunities to create and implement meaningful and engaging curricula for a broad age range of children. Working teachers have the option of using their place of employment as their fieldwork site, provided they receive approval from their program director.

    This program culminates in a Master of Science in Education and requires 46-47 credits.

    This program is open to international applicants.

    Graduate student working with children

  • Admissions & Tuition

    This program has options to begin in the fall, spring, and summer.

    The summer and fall applications are currently open.

    Application Deadlines

    • Applications are reviewed in rounds to ensure you receive a timely decision.
    • You will have five business days after the application deadlines to finish providing any missing required materials. Incomplete applications will be moved to the next round for consideration.
    • In some cases, applications submitted after the final deadline will be reviewed on a space available basis.
    • We strongly encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. This guarantees the most timely admissions decision and the broadest consideration for scholarships and financial aid.

    Summer 1, Summer 2

    Round Application Deadline Materials Deadline Application Release
    1 January 2, 2026 January 7, 2026 February 4, 2026
    2 February 1, 2026 February 6, 2026 March 6, 2026
    3 February 1, 2026 March 6, 2026 April 2, 2026

    Fall

    Round Application Deadline Materials Deadline Application Release
    1 February 1, 2026 February 6, 2026 March 2, 2026
    2 March 1, 2026 March 6, 2026 April 2, 2026
    3 April 1, 2026 April 6, 2026 May 4, 2026

    Admissions Criteria

    No prior teaching certification is necessary for this program.

    Please review How to Apply for full details on the application process, admissions criteria, and application requirements.

    Tuition

    At Bank Street, tuition is charged per credit. The Cross-Age: Early Childhood and Childhood General Education program requires 46-47 credits for completion. Read more on our Tuition page

    Financial Aid

    The majority of Bank Street students receive some type of financial aid. We strongly recommend applying early and submitting your FAFSA at the time you apply for the broadest consideration for scholarships and financial aid. Read more on our Financial Aid page

  • Curriculum & Courses

    View the coursework for this program.

  • Supervised Fieldwork

    Supervised fieldwork/advisement lies at the heart of a Bank Street education. Through sustained experiences in the field, supervision from core faculty, and close collaboration with peers, our graduate students develop the ability to connect theory to practice and to reflect deeply on their own growth as educators.

     

    STUDENT TEACHERS

    In this program, you will:

    • Complete one academic year of supervised fieldwork experiences (Fall & Spring semester).
    • Have four placements across grades in public, independent and/or childcare settings in New York City.
    • Be assigned a faculty advisor once you enter fieldwork.
    • Have monthly advisor visits to your fieldwork placements.
    • Have at least two meetings per month with your advisor (one at your placement and one at the College; more if needed).
    • Participate in weekly Conference Group meetings with your advisor and a cohort of approximately eight graduate students.


    WORKING TEACHERS

    For those completing fieldwork as working teachers (assistants and head teachers):

    • You’ll be supervised by a Bank Street faculty member who is an experienced teacher and advisor.
    • You’ll complete one academic year of supervised fieldwork experiences, always starting fall.
    • You’ll be supervised at the school where you will be or already are a full-time faculty member, in the pre-K-6th grade range.
    • You’ll keep the same job at your school for the entire fieldwork year.
    • You’ll participate in an approximately eight member weekly conference group, be observed working with children once a month, and have twice monthly individual meetings with your advisor.
    • Your advisor will guide you through coursework.
    • Meet NYS age ban requirements by completing your coursework and through two additional supervised fieldwork experiences.

  • Certification & Careers

    Certification

    When you successfully complete the program, you will receive a master’s degree and be recommended for New York State certification in Early Childhood Education, Birth – Grade 2 and Childhood Education, Grades 1-6, provided you complete all other State certification requirements. Read more on our Certification page

    Careers

    After graduation, students secure head, associate, or assistant teaching positions in public, charter, and independent schools in New York City and beyond with children grades pre-K through 6. Some students who demonstrate prior experience and interest in a particular content area (such as mathematics) may seek teaching positions in 6th grade classrooms in middle schools.

    Additionally, students who are currently in associate or assistant teaching positions can move to head teacher positions. Head teachers who continue in their positions often develop teacher/leadership roles in public, charter, or independent schools.

    Students at Bank Street have full access to our robust Career Services, including the CareerConnect job site, opportunities to attend job fairs and workshops, and connections to our alumni network nationwide.

  • Faculty

I chose Bank Street because I wanted to continue my education in an environment that welcomes the exchange between learners and facilitators, adults and children, theory and practice. Bank Street’s programs emphasize reflection and have presented me with a space where I can share [my experiences] with my colleagues while being challenged to think deeply about the current issues in education and the ways that progressive pedagogy and the developmental-interaction approach can continue to inform my work as an educator.
Jennifer Bourque, GSE ’17
As a Latina immigrant, I understand how important it is for students of color to have teachers who look like them, and understand firsthand the varying experiences they have on a daily basis. At Bank Street, I continue to get the tools needed to best serve that community of students.
Lucelys Gonzalez
What I appreciate most about my program at Bank Street is the balance between coursework and fieldwork. There is the expectation that the theory that you learn in class will be applied in a real setting, which has truly prepared me for professional practice.
Amanda
Allison Klein

Alum Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Allison Klein, GSE '15

Allison Klein’s background as an elementary teacher and understanding of child development inspired her to start a successful toy business that promotes learning through imaginative play and helps children cultivate fundamental skills.

Read Her Forbes Profile

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