Entrance & Program Requirements (effective Fall 2016)
- Students may be admitted directly into the Early Childhood & Childhood Education program, or they may enter during their first year. Those who enter the program at a later point may need more than eight semesters to graduate.
- Students must choose an academic concentration, some of which have their own entrance criteria.
- Students must meet the following requirements (assessed at three different checkpoints) in order to continue in the program:
- 3.0 GPA overall; 2.5 GPA in academic concentration
- Minimum grades of “B” for Composition I & II (ENG160 & ENG180 or equivalent); “C” for required foundation courses (EDS340, EDS371, MAT140, MAT240, GEO273, foreign language); and “B-“ or “S” for required EED and SPE education courses
- 30 hours of independent fieldwork (classroom observations; paid or volunteer work with children in schools, camps, daycare centers; coaching; tutoring, etc.)
- Fingerprints on a NYS TEACH account
- Passing score on writing sample (to be evaluated by Early Childhood & Childhood Education faculty for organization and appropriate English grammar and usage)
- Completion of state-mandated workshops (Child Abuse, SAVE, DASA) and Child Protection Policy modules
- Satisfactory dispositions assessments and lesson/unit planning skills
Transfer Students
Due to the highly structured and sequenced nature of the Early Childhood & Childhood Education (B-6) program, students who intend to transfer to New Paltz must plan their transfer coursework carefully. Several General Education requirements should be fulfilled under advisement by specific courses that also serve as education foundation courses. Students in an AA/AS degree program should complete all, or nearly all, New Paltz education foundation courses prior to transfer, so that upon matriculation at New Paltz they may begin junior-year education methods courses.
Transfer students may use American Sign Language courses to fulfill their General Education and Early Childhood & Childhood Education foreign language requirements.
