School of Education: Graduate - Adelphi University

Adelphi University

2025-26 University Catalog

Jun 26, 2025

Carl Mirra, Associate Professor and Chair, School of Education (Department of Teaching, Learning and Technology)
Harvey Hall, Room 228
p – (516) 877-4137
e – mirra@adelphi.edu

Diana Schwinge, Associate Professor and Chair, School of Education (Department of Expression, Leadership and Inclusion)
Harvey Hall, Room 222
p – (516) 877-4396
e – schwinge@adelphi.edu

Note: Programs are accurate at the time of printing. However, as part of a process of ongoing self-evaluation, programs in the School of Education are subject to change. Please check with an adviser or refer to the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Science’s Web site education.adelphi.edu for updated information.

School of Education

The School of Education is composed of two departments: 1) Teaching, Leadership and Technology and 2) Expression, Leadership and Inclusion. The Department of Teaching, Leadership and Technology includes the Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP), an innovative five-year (B.A.,B.S./M.A., M.S.) teacher education program, and graduate programs leading to teaching certifications in childhood education; educational technology; STEAM; and adolescence education in English, Science, Social Studies, Math and Spanish education. The Department of Expression, Leadership and Inclusion includes graduate programs leading to teaching certifications and advanced qualifications in educational leadership; educational theatre; art education; bilingual/TESOL education; special education; early childhood special education; and literacy.

Our courses and curricula reflect a mission to prepare students to enter the education profession with demonstrable skills and abilities, pride in their chosen profession, commitment to scholarship, a shared wisdom of how students think and learn, and a respect for diversity. The School of Education consists of a dedicated community of scholars with a deep commitment to innovative scholarship and teaching.

The programs in the Education are registered with the New York State Department of Education to recommend initial and professional teacher certification in the certificate title for which the degree is offered. All candidates should apply for certification through Adelphi University in the semester during which they plan to complete graduation requirements.

Grading Policies

The following grading policies apply to all candidates enrolled in the department.

Students must maintain a B average. If a student receives a grade of C or less in a course, it must be counterbalanced with a grade of A. Upon receiving a grade of C or less, students will receive a letter of warning from the program director.
Any student who receives two grades of C+ or less during graduate work will be dismissed from the program.
Upon receiving a grade of C or less, students are responsible for notifying and arranging to meet with an adviser.

Note: The Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences expects all candidates enrolled in eight-week-cycle courses to attend every session in order to receive course credit. Under extenuating circumstances, instructors may allow one excused absence.

Off-Campus Students

All students who attend degree programs at off-campus sites must enroll in at least one required class at the Garden City campus to be in compliance with federal regulations governing off-campus programs.

Adolescence Education Programs

Carl Mirra, Associate Professor and Chair, School of Education (Department of Teaching, Learning and Technology)
Harvey Hall, Room 228
p – (516) 877-4137
e – mirra@adelphi.edu

Esther Kogan, Associate Professor
The School of Education, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences
Harvey Hall, Room 226
p - (516) 877-3682
kogan@adelphi.edu

Our view of adolescence, as well as teacher development, is holistic. That is, we believe values and personal growth should be nurtured as well as skills and knowledge in any formulation of curriculum. Scholarship is at the core of the craft of teaching. One can only help others learn if one values learning deeply and has attained a degree of mastery in the art of learning as well as an in depth knowledge of one’s primary discipline. We recognize learning as a sociocultural dynamic rather than a simple accumulation of information and skills and seek to frame our learning and service within the cultural, historical, and material contexts of the diverse populations of the New York metropolitan area.

Four programs are offered in Adolescence Education: English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Candidates applying to this program are expected to have the appropriate undergraduate preparation in their chosen discipline (a baccalaureate degree or equivalent). Candidates with an appropriate liberal arts background who are certified in areas other than Adolescent (secondary) Education may enroll in this program in order to earn a second certificate and fulfill the graduate degree requirement for professional certification in both areas. Upon application to the program, candidates’ undergraduate transcripts will be evaluated for appropriate disciplinary and liberal arts course work required under New York State regulations. Any deficient course work must be completed prior to the final student teaching semester. Undergraduate course work in content area must be grades of “B” or better for candidates lacking major in content area. Candidates with major must have a 3.0 GPA in major. The School of Education does not waive the student teaching requirement.

Candidates who currently hold certification in one of these 7–12 areas should enroll in a graduate program leading to certification in an area other than Adolescence Education in order to fulfill professional certification requirements for both areas.

The Adolescence Education Program offers four (4) distinct disciplines of study:

MA in English Education
MA in English Education with Dual Certification Track in English 7-12 and Theater P-12
MA in Math Education
MA in Social Studies Education
MA in Science Education

Note: In compliance with NYSED regulations, this program requires a minimum of 100 hours of fieldwork in schools prior to student teaching. To meet this New York State requirement, some courses include 25 hours of fieldwork in schools.

Childhood Education Program

Shilpi Sinha, Program Director
Harvey Hall, Room 231
p – (516) 877-4144
e – sinha@adelphi.edu

The Childhood Education Program at Adelphi University, committed to the growth and wellbeing of all children, is dedicated to the professional education and personal development of elementary teachers as advocates for children, possessed of moral purpose and vision. We embrace the ideal of working with education professionals, students, colleagues in league with our educational institutions to cultivate intellectually vital, socially just, aesthetically rich and compassionate communities in our universities, schools, towns, and cities. We strive to build an inclusive, caring educational community aimed at “cultivating the humanity” of the whole person: engaging education professionals in scholarly study and open-minded inquiry, socially engaged praxis and community service, creative experimentation and artistic expression, as well as critical self-examination and contemplative practice. Teachers are encouraged and prepared to attend faithfully to the well-being and growth of children by creating such communities with their own students, and engaging them, as well, in these practices.

The curriculum of the Childhood Education Program was designed to reflect this understanding of teaching and vision of education. It features:
- Teachers collaboratively engaging in scholarly study and open-minded inquiry through course work that is interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and inquiry-based.
- Teachers participating in socially engaged praxis and community service through a program that advances critical pedagogy and service learning within a school- community partnership model.
- Teachers exploring teaching as an art, requiring artistic expression and creative experimentation through direct engagement with the arts in arts-based classes, as well as direct experience with diverse teaching practices and possibilities via field-based courses in the pedagogical arts.
- Teachers cultivating their own character in a program that is student-centered, individualized through course work aimed at understanding oneself via autobiographical inquiry, critical self-examination and contemplative practice—engaging teachers in the reflective practice of their craft and the articulation of personal vision through their work.

Note: The M.A. in childhood education is a program for students who do not currently hold certification in childhood education. Upon application to the program, candidates’ undergraduate transcripts will be evaluated for appropriate liberal arts course work required under New York State regulations and to meet national standards in the teaching area. Teacher candidates who have been admitted will receive by mail, from program advisers, a program of study with the results of this transcript review. Any deficient course work must be completed prior to the final student teaching semester. Accepted students must meet with an advisor to discuss requirements and program plan. The School of Education does not waive the student teaching requirement. In compliance with New York State Department of Education regulations, this program requires a minimum of 125 hours of fieldwork in schools prior to student teaching. This program certifies teachers for grades 1–6. It does not meet State requirements for the early childhood birth–grade 2 certificate. Candidates interested in the birth–grade 2 teaching certificate should enroll in our early childhood master’s program.

Two programs of study are offered in Childhood Education:

The Scholar Teacher Education Program (STEP) with a Childhood Education specialization
M.A. in Childhood Education

Literacy Programs

Lori Wolf, Associate Professor, Program Director
The School of Education, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences
Harvey Hall 221
p - (516) 877-4104
wolf@adelphi.edu

(36 or 42 credits)

This program is designed to offer an integrated, theoretically grounded view of literacy and literacy learning that addresses the needs of students and educators in diverse communities. We facilitate rigorous scholarship and research, contextualized learning and service in school and community settings, and opportunities for critical reflection on the role of literacy in society and our responsibilities as educators. This program is designed to enhance the professional preparation of classroom teachers as literacy specialists and to prepare them for leadership roles. Completion of the program will lead to New York State certification as a Literacy Specialist.

This program will enhance the professional preparation of classroom teachers, interventional literacy teachers, clinicians, supervisors, and directors or coordinators of literacy in school districts. Those candidates completing the program of study will be recommended for certification as a literacy specialist, for either a) birth through grade 6 and grade 5 through grade 12 (42 credits); b) birth through grade 6 (36 credits); or c) grade 5 through grade 12 (36 credits). As a part of program requirements, candidates will be introduced to the development of a professional standards-based electronic portfolio. This portfolio will be maintained throughout the program by the candidate and will result in a summative literacy portfolio submitted for review at mid-program and program completion. For more information about the program candidates are advised to see the Handbook for the Graduate Literacy Program and Portfolio Preparation Guide. Please contact the program director for additional information.

Candidates must hold a valid NYS teacher certification for acceptance into the Literacy Education program.

The Literacy Center

The Literacy Center provides an excellent setting for the practicum component of the literacy programs, as well as community service for struggling readers and writers. Under the supervision of our faculty, candidates have the opportunity to strengthen their ability to assess and address the literacy needs of children and provide instruction to promote students’ literacy development. All graduate students in the Masters program must complete two semesters of a supervised practicum in order to qualify for New York State Certification in Literacy. Practicum courses may not be waived.

Educational Technology Programs

Matthew Curinga, Director
Alumnae Hall - Room 226A
p - 516-237-8623
f - 516-877-4097
e - mcuringa@adelphi.edu

The program in educational technology prepares graduates to teach, design, and develop powerful learning experiences enhanced by the latest digital technologies. Courses combine communication theory, curriculum design, human development, media authoring, and core software development and information systems skills. All graduates complete an integrative project which illustrates their technical and conceptual mastery of these diverse areas. Students also gain field experience by working with experts in a Pre K-12, higher education, or non-school educational technology sites. Graduates in this field work as school technology specialists, teachers, technology trainers, instructional designers, and educational media producers. They typically find work in Pre K-12 school systems, universities, corporate eLearning, educational publishing, and non-profit or government organizations.

Candidates in the Masters of Arts choose between two tracks. The Pre K-12 track allows New York State certified teachers to receive a second teaching certificate as a New York State Educational Technology Specialist. The non-certification track meets the needs of students looking for careers in educational technology in higher education, corporate or public learning, and educational media/software design and production. In addition to the Masters of Arts, the program offers a 5 course advanced graduate certificate in Technology and Open Education.

The Program offers the following plans of study:

M.A. Educational Technology, Pre K-12
M.A. Educational Technology, non-certification
Advanced Certificate Programs in Technology and Open Education

Special Education Program

Stephen Rubin, Ph.D., Program Director
Harvey Hall, Room 238
p – (516) 877-4986
e – rubin2@adelphi.edu

We offer programs for candidates wishing to become special educators. The in-service programs are for candidates who already hold initial (provisional) certification in childhood or adolescence education. For candidates who hold no certification or hold certification in an area other than elementary, adolescence and/or special education, the department offers the dual major in Special Education in Inclusive Settings.

Educational Leadership Program

Lisa Minicozzi, Program Director
e – lminicozzi@adelphi.edu

Leads to NYS Administrative Certification in School Building Leaders. Admission requires a master’s degree. Also qualifies for New York State Certification for School Building Leader (SBL) or School District Leader (SDL) license.

Art Education Program

Courtney Weida, Program Director
Harvey Hall, Room 225
p – (516) 877-4105
e – cweida@adelphi.edu

The goal of the Adelphi M.A. in Art Education is to develop art educators who can understand artistic development across the lifespan and the relationship of the sensory and kinesthetic domains to art making, awaken and support the exploration of ideas, feelings, experiences and materials, appreciate the role the arts can play in opening cross cultural understandings, and maintain a lively commitment to their own artistic practice. The Adelphi program of study in art education includes foundational courses in art education philosophies and theories of learning and development in the visual arts. These major courses are supplemented by courses in child and youth literacies and classroom environment/management. Students also select from an array of exploratory arts courses. Exploring the Arts courses include creative movement, creative speech, creative dramatics, healing arts, educational theatre, Waldorf educational approaches, women in art & literature, creative writing, museum education and art & special education. Beyond the foundational courses and arts electives, students explore curriculum design and assessment, undertake small-scale art education research in the capstone masters seminar, participate in a capstone gallery exhibition and finally complete student teaching. Opportunities for fieldwork and professional development within schools, museums, galleries, community settings, and other spaces of art education are infused throughout the program.

This is a program for candidates who do not currently hold certification in visual arts education. Qualified candidates certified in areas other than the visual arts may enroll in this program in order to earn a second certificate and fulfill the graduate degree requirement for professional (permanent) certification in both areas. Candidates applying to this program are expected to have an undergraduate major or the equivalent in the visual arts. Upon application to the program, candidates’ undergraduate transcripts will be evaluated for appropriate visual arts and liberal arts course work required under New York State regulations. Any deficient course work must be completed prior to the final student teaching semester. The Ruth S. Ammon School of Education does not waive the student teaching requirement.

In addition to the application essay and two letters of recommendation, the graduate program in Art Education requires applicants to submit to the Office of Admissions a visual arts portfolio and a video interview.

The portfolio should contain 15-20 images demonstrating competence in one area of specialization, as well as breadth of studio experience in other media. Images should be submitted as a PDF document with appropriate captions indicating: Your name, Title (if applicable), Date, Size/Dimensions, and Medium. If the PDF file exceeds 25MB, please share it through a file sharing service (Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, etc.) and provide the access link in your application. The portfolio will not be returned.

The video interview (5-7 minutes) should address:

Your identity as an artist and intended impact on future students
Your time management strategy for online learning, including how you’ll schedule independent work before engaging with professors and peers
Your plan to accommodate 25-50 hours of part-time fieldwork (2-3 hours weekly during K-12 school hours) in semesters 2-3
Your preparation for full-time student teaching (full school day, approximately 7-8am to 3-4pm) during your final semester

Submit the video file in MP4 format through the same file sharing service as your portfolio, if applicable.

Graduates from Adelphi’s B.F.A. are waived from this admissions requirement. Recent graduates (2004 to the present) from Adelphi’s B.A. in Art are also waived from the portfolio requirement. All candidates waived from the admissions portfolio requirement are expected to meet with an Art Education advisor during their first semester of graduate study to share their visual arts portfolio.

Candidates who currently hold visual arts certification should contact artedma@adelphi.edu for more information about this program.

Educational Theatre

Diane Caracciolo, Associate Professor, Program Director
Alumnae Hall, Room 226
p – (516) 877-4099
f – (516) 877-4097
e – caraccio@adelphi.edu

Adelphi’s programs in Educational Theater have deep roots in the arts as education movement, providing graduates with a network of opportunities to introduce and enhance the use of theatre in schools, cultural institutions, theatre companies, and non-profit organizations. Our programs prepare the performing arts major for multiple roles in the world of theatre education as teaching artists, theatre educators, artistic directors, and arts education coordinators.

Master of Arts Programs

We offer two fully online Master of Arts programs. The M.A. in Educational Theatre, P -12 is a teacher certification program designed to address the needs of performers who are interested in earning NYS certification in theatre P -12. We also offer an M.A. in Educational Theatre, Storytelling, and the Arts, a non-certification program designed to nurture educators without a theatre major who would like to learn how to integrate dramatic play into their pedagogy.

Both programs offer a deeply experiential and field-rich curriculum that provides educators and theatre professionals with a theoretically grounded wealth of techniques to help bring learning alive and awaken the imagination of students of any age. The curriculum addresses the potential of the arts to differentiate instruction and to address the special needs of students with disabilities, as well as to enhance the education of second language learners.

The M.A. in Educational Theatre, P-12 is 33 credits and culminates with a student teaching semester taken at the end of the program. Applicants for this program must have successfully completed an undergraduate major in theatre or the equivalent. The 33 credit non-certification program in Educational Theatre, Storytelling, and the Arts parallels the certification program, but does not require the final student teaching semester or health course. The non-certification program is open to all interested graduate candidates, regardless of prior study.

Students in the certification program may need to make up undergraduate deficiencies in theatre courses required for teacher certification in New York State. Additionally students in programs leading to NYS teacher certification in theatre must take and pass the two required tests of the New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE).

Advanced Certificate Program

This fully online advanced Certificate in Educational Theatre program is designed for individuals who already have a master’s degree and wish to attain a New York state teaching certification in theatre P-12. The program of study requires 12 credits (four courses). If the applicant has no prior New York state teaching certification, there is an additional 6-credit student teaching course required. All applicants must have the prerequisite 30 credits in theatre (undergraduate and/or graduate) to earn New York state certification in theatre in addition to passing scores on two tests of the New York State Teacher Certification Exam (NYSTCE).

Bilingual Education and TESOL Programs

Daryl Gordon, Program Director
Harvey Hall, Room 220
p – (516) 877-4393
e – dgordon@adelphi.edu

The philosophical framework embraced by the programs in TESOL and Bilingual Education at Adelphi University combines theory, practice, and understandings that are embedded with an awareness and sensitivity of gender, race, class, and ability in P–12 school-age children. Both programs are committed to preparing teachers and related support professionals to meet the needs and demands of diverse communities.

TESOL Programs

Candidates for a Masters in TESOL are required to develop and maintain a standards based portfolio throughout their program of study to assess the candidate’s proficiency in meeting the TESOL standards and demonstrate how they apply these national standards to the College of Education and Health Science’s core values.

Early Childhood and Early Childhood Special Education Programs

Barbrina Ertle, Program Director
Harvey Hall, Room 223
p – (516) 877-4064
e – bertle@adelphi.edu

In keeping with New York State regulations, candidates who wish to become early childhood special educators must also hold content core certification in early childhood (birth through grade 2)

Program of Study

We offer four programs; each designed to meet the unique needs of candidates who have had different levels of preparation. All programs are offered at our Garden City and Manhattan campuses.

Note: These programs are not available for candidates who hold initial certification in students with disabilities birth-grade 2. Students with such certification must take a graduate program leading to a different certification, such as childhood special education, literacy or TESOL, in order to achieve professional certification.

Candidates should meet with the program director for recommended course sequences, fieldwork, and other program requirements.

Programs

Certificate

Major

NYS Licensure

Non-Certification

Special Education Studies: Non-Certification Track, M.S.

Other Programs