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Infant and Family Development and Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education

M.S.Ed, Ed.M

  • Program Overview

    In this program you will specialize in the development of babies and toddlers.

    You will learn how to design programs and environments for very young children, developmental assessment and how to work with their families in a variety of settings. This program is for students who already have initial certification in early childhood education.

    This program culminates in a Master of Science in Education or a Master of Education (for those students with a prior master’s degree in education), and requires 36 credits

    Graduate student working with two small chilren looking through materials in a bin

  • Admissions Requirements

    In addition to the main admissions criteria, there are additional requirements needed to apply for this program:

    • Applicants must already hold a valid New York State certification in General Education at the Early Childhood or Childhood level.
    • You will need to submit scores from the GRE (institution code 2035) or MAT (institution code 3197) before new student registration.

  • Coursework

    View the coursework for this program.

  • Supervised Fieldwork/Advisement

    The heart of the program is a year-long supervised fieldwork experience.

    • Your opportunity to connect theory and practice.
    • You will have a reflective relationship with a mentor and a group of peers.
    • Your experiences will include typically developing children, as well as with children with more specialized needs.
    • You will have the flexibility to do your fieldwork in a paid position or as a student teacher.

    New York State requires all graduate students in this program to have a supervised fieldwork experience in a special education or inclusion setting. Student teachers fulfill this experience through their placement in the fall or spring. Working teachers and assistants may need to enroll in an additional fieldwork placement, where they will be placed by Bank Street in the appropriate setting to fulfill their degree requirements.

  • Career Opportunities

    The early intervention field is creative, and flexible. Our graduates work as:

    • Teachers in nursery schools, child care centers and Early Head Start Programs
    • Early Interventionists in homes and group programs
    • Directors and Educational Directors
    • Developmental evaluators

  • Faculty

Immediately after I graduated college I did not know if I planned to teach or not. I worked as a nanny for three years and learned more about children. I was spending my day with three little girls aged 1 to 5 years. I enjoyed learning about them and watching them grow; they were little sponges that wanted to learn and explore everything. I realized that I did want to continue my education and pursue my master’s degree. I started to research programs and I came across Bank Street. As I was reading about the program I became very excited. I felt like Bank Street’s philosophy paralleled mine. I realized I was very interested in its unique approach to education and the broad spectrum of master’s programs. I thought the focus of hands-on experience and class offerings fit the type of program I wanted. Bank Street’s approach to education focuses not only on the child but also on the family. I really liked the family development aspect of the degree. From the first phone call I made to set up a meeting with admissions to my interview to be accepted into the program, I felt comfortable. I felt like the staff really listened to me and helped me choose the program that would help me reach my goals. I wasn’t just another grad student—I felt like the staff and professors really cared about me as not only a student but as a person. I have not been disappointed. I am proud to say I am pursuing my degree at Bank Street.
Kailey Winans '17

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