Note: The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and its Education professors have decided not to pursue reaccreditation when the CTE program accreditation expires December 31, 2013. After that students completing the Cornell education minor, which will continue to be offered, will be able to matriculate in the Ithaca College MAT program under an articulation agreement. Cornell professors are working with Ithaca College to expand certifications areas to include biology, physics, chemistry, earth science and agriculture. The popular Education minor will continue to be an excellent option for students who want to apply their Cornell education by pursuing careers in all fields of education. Read more.

Backed by a world-class faculty in science and agriculture and by teacher educators intensely devoted to teaching, Cornell prepares the kind of science teachers who exemplify the motto: Those who can, do. Those who can do more, teach. Hallmarks of our program are small classes, intensive advising, and many opportunities for campus teaching experience through Cornell's extensive community outreach and teaching assistant programs.

Certification Areas

Cornell offers New York State teacher certification in the areas below. Through interstate reciprocity agreements, our graduates are able to teach in public schools not just in New York but throughout the country.

• Agriculture K-12
• Biology 7-12
• Chemistry 7-12
• Earth Science 7-12
• Physics 7-12
• General Science Extension (entitles holder to teach 7th and 8th grade "physical science" and "integrated science" courses)
• Grades 5-6 Extension (entitles holder to teach science to younger students)

Requirements At a Glance

• Minimum of 30 credit hours must be completed at Cornell while enrolled in the M.A.T. program. (Note: The semester of student teaching, with accompanying seminar and portfolio, counts for 15 hours.)
• Education courses:
  • Educational Psychology
  • Social and Political Context of American Education
  • Engaging Students in Learning (general intro to curriculum, assessment, pedagogy)
  • Engaging Students in Science Learning
  • Language, Literacy, and Schooling
  • Inclusive Secondary Education (students with disabilities)
  • Choice of multiculturalism-in-education course
• Content-area courses (at least 30 credit hours) in one of our certification areas that meet specific requirements for depth and breadth. (Although most of this requirement is typically met as an undergraduate, you may round out your content-area courses once you are a graduate student.)
• One semester student teaching (6 credit hours)
• Seminar and portfolio accompanying student teaching (9 credit hours)
• Demonstration of basic foreign-language proficiency
• Teacher certification exams for New York State (one on general academic knowledge and skills, one on your knowledge in the content area of certification, and one on your skill in planning, implementing, and evaluating instruction)

Applying to the M.A.T./Certification Program

• Current Cornell undergraduates
• All other applicants

Financial Support

Competitive sources of funding for those pursuing teacher certification, especially in high-need areas such as the sciences and for under-served areas of the country, are available.

For Cornell undergraduates who are from New York State and who are from historically under-represented backgrounds, the CSTEP program offers competitive funding to cover certification exams, test preparation, and travel related to networking and job search.

All Cornell undergraduates interested in becoming certified teachers can apply for similar funding through CPOP, a sister program of CSTEP.