Become a fully certified teacher in New York in just a single year with our 30-credit science education master’s degree program.
When you join Adelphi’s STEAM Science Education program, you’ll earn a master’s degree in education, become accredited to teach in your discipline and learn creative teaching methods that combine design and art with STEM (science, technology, engineering, math).
A master’s degree in science education focused on STEAM teaching gives educators a competitive edge through real-world training in innovative approaches to urban education, design thinking, digital arts and problem-solving. It’s an ideal springboard for early career teachers seeking their New York state teaching certification as well as recent graduates interested in using their STEM background to become certified science teachers. Once you earn your MA in Science Education: STEAM Teaching and Learning, you’ll be qualified to pursue a range of rewarding career paths.
If you agree that teaching and learning should be playful and creative, we think that the STEAM MA will be a great way for you to learn new things and become part of one of the most vibrant maker-educator communities in New York City.
Matthew Curinga, EdD
Associate Professor, Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences
The MA in Science Education: STEAM Teaching and Learning is powered by collaborative initiatives that lead to rich service- and project-based learning experiences.
Our science education STEAM program’s urban focus invites students to engage with the unique opportunities and challenges of teaching math, science and computer science in schools today. Courses are offered at our exciting new Manhattan Center in NYC, while your practice teaching can be in New York schools of your choice. You’ll also hone your creativity at our STEM-focused research and practice institute.
The MA in Science Education: STEAM Teaching and Learning allows you to choose your teaching expertise in science, math or computer science, then dives into creative ways of helping students engage in STEM. You will learn how to make sense of school culture and student identity and develop powerful instructional skills. Three maker lab-based courses will focus on integrating ideas across STEM using art and design, giving you a strong foundation in design thinking, learning theory, and educational technology and equity. In only 12 months, you will be prepared to teach science in New York, with all your accreditation criteria met. Your final MA project challenges you to create and design your own STEAM teacher workshop, to be piloted on campus or at a partner school.
The Manhattan Institute for STEM and the Imagination, commonly called MIXI, is housed at Adelphi’s Manhattan Center in the heart of New York. MIXI periodically hosts STEM-related events that are open to the public and would also be of particular interest to faculty and tocurrent or prospective students of the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences master’s degree programs in STEAM Teaching and Learning.
Adelphi’s eighth consecutive winner of an Inspiring Programs in STEM Award provides scholarships, mentoring, internships and career preparation for high-achieving, low-income students from local schools majoring in STEM fields.
All candidates for the science education master’s degree program must submit the following:
Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and proof of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution to pursue a master’s degree in Science Education: STEAM Teaching and Learning.
A master’s degree in science education can lead to a variety of career options: teaching K-12 up through higher education or working in leadership positions such as principal or instructional coordinator. Further pursuits include curriculum development, educational research or educational consultancy.
Science education is a key part of any STEAM program. Integrating the sciences into a holistic, problem-based learning approach builds practical skills with real-world applications in both critical and creative thinking. Such an approach also makes science more accessible and engaging for students by highlighting its connections to technology, engineering and the arts, fostering a deeper and more applied understanding of scientific concepts and practices.
Adelphi’s STEAM approach brings together scientific inquiry, engineering design, creativity and hands-on making to deepen candidates’ understanding of core science ideas. Our maker-lab model encourages students to explore phenomena through building, testing, modeling and iteration—practices that closely mirror how science is actually done. This strengthens future science teachers’ ability to design instruction that is phenomenon-driven, investigation-rich and accessible to diverse learners. STEAM-based approaches also have a strong record of broadening participation in the sciences, particularly for girls and underrepresented minorities, by making scientific thinking more tangible, relevant and engaging.
Working as a science teacher in New York requires a bachelor’s degree in a science-related field (or 30 approved credits in one of the science disciplines), successful completion of a New York state-approved teacher preparation program and passing the required state certification exams and child safety workshops.
Adelphi’s MA in Science Education: STEAM Teaching and Learning (grades 7–12) prepares candidates in biology, chemistry, earth science and/or physics through an innovative 30-credit program that can be completed in just one year. The hybrid design combines synchronous and asynchronous online learning with in-person coursework at our convenient Midtown Manhattan location.
