New Five-Year Master’s Plan lets students accelerate learning and earn two powerful credentials

The School of Education and the School of Science and Engineering at SUNY New Paltz have collaborated to develop the new Five-Year Master’s Plan, a program of study that enables students to earn a BA in geology or chemistry and an MAT in adolescence education in just five years.

Enrollment is now open for the first class of Five-Year Master’s Plan students, beginning fall 2016.

The accelerated plan of study comes as a response to popular demand, from students and parents who seek a pathway to fulfilling jobs in education and science, as well as from school districts reporting a growing need for talented educators in STEM subjects.

The Five-Year Master’s Plan has been meticulously designed to offer a rigorous course of learning that fully prepares enrollees for careers in science and education alike. That it does so in just five years means New Paltz students with a passion for science can now gain a highly marketable set of professional skills while saving thousands of dollars in graduate school tuition.

“These new Five-Year Master’s Plan programs address a critical need in school districts in our region and across the state: increasing the number and quality of science teachers who are able to deliver content-rich instruction with rigor and creativity,” said School of Education Dean Michael Rosenberg.

How does it work?

• Enroll in the Five-Year Master’s Plan and begin taking foundational science courses as a first-year student
• Maintain a 3.0 GPA as you take embedded education courses and pursue your BA in geology or chemistry
• Qualify for early admission to graduate program – take the GRE and apply in junior year
• Earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in four years, while taking education courses to prepare for accelerated graduate study
• Complete the Master of Arts in Teaching program, including all student teaching requirements, in just one final year

Graduates of the Five-Year Master’s Plan will leave New Paltz with the credentials to find fulfilling work as a scientist or a secondary-level science teacher, while also qualifying for PhD study in either field.

Both science and science education are forecasted to offer a robust and rewarding array of job opportunities in coming years, according to the most recent publication of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH). Schools around the country are reporting difficulty filling teaching positions, particularly in the sciences, and this trend is expected to increase as the “baby boomer” generation advances toward retirement.

The OOH also predicts that job growth in the physical sciences is likely to outpace average growth across all occupations in the U.S. through 2024.

More information about the chemistry and geology Five Year Master’s Plans are available online.