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Become a Teacher
With dual certification in Childhood and Early Childhood Education, you’ll have more choices as you build your teaching career.
Education Bachelor’s Degree Highlights
Learn from people who have been there: Undergraduate education majors at Russell Sage College learn from current classroom teachers and full-time education professors, with a range of experience and expertise.
Hands-on practice before your student teaching: You’ll take general education courses and subject-specific courses alongside other education majors, and you’ll participate in fieldwork and practicums in preschools and elementary schools as you prepare for student teaching.
Choose your concentration: As a Childhood and Early Childhood (B-6) Education major, you will select a concentration in English, History, Science, or Foreign Language.
High school students can start their bachelor’s early: Our partnership with East Greenbush Central School District allows students in grades 9-12 to earn up to 30 college credits. Graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Childhood Education or Physical Education from Russell Sage College in just three years, saving time and money.
Get a head start on your master’s: You may also take graduate courses in your junior or senior year, toward a master’s degree in Literacy Education, a master’s degree in Special Education or a dual master’s degree in Special Education/Literacy. Regular, individual check-ins with your faculty mentor make it easy to identify the opportunities that best fit your goals.
We’re accredited: Russell Sage College is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation, a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The Childhood/Early Childhood Education bachelor’s degree program has been awarded full accreditation by AAQEP.
Looking to teach middle school? Check out our Childhood and Early Childhood Education with Extension (B-9) program.
Find all of this at an institution recognized for its education programs, small cohesive class cohorts and supportive, accessible faculty.
Your Future with a Childhood/Early Childhood Education Bachelor’s Degree
Initial Teaching Certification in New York
By completing this Childhood Education/Early Childhood Education degree, you’ll be eligible to become certified by New York state to teach students from birth through sixth grade (or ninth grade with the Middle School extension).
After graduating, you’ll be able to apply for teaching positions. You’ll also have to sit for a series of tests and obtain a master’s degree to earn professional certification.
Over the past three years, 100% of our Childhood Education graduates have found positions after graduation. They are classroom teachers, literacy specialists, and school administrators in districts near Albany, New York, and throughout New York state.
According to US News and World Report’s “Best Jobs” rankings, the median annual wage for elementary school teachers was $60,940 in 2020. The same rankings indicated the average salary for elementary teachers in New York was $84,380, placing New York among the five states with the highest average salaries for elementary teachers.
Graduate Studies with a Childhood/Early Childhood Education Degree
A graduate program at Russell Sage is the next step for many elementary education majors with initial certification who would like to pursue a master’s degree and professional certification.
Programs include:
Special Education (MSEd)
Literacy Education (MSEd)
