Program Sequence and Length
Students plan their programs with an advisor in the School of Education. Because students bring unique knowledge, skills, and experience to their programs, if there is proper planning, they can avoid a rigid sequence within the program of their choice. Students may choose to complete their graduate programs in any combination of semesters up to five years from the date of matriculation. Within this time frame, please note the following:
- Students will normally undertake their clinical experience at the end of the program.
- Students may request an extension of the completion date for their degree program. The Associate Dean of the School of Education will review this request. An extension will not exceed two years, and students may be required to take additional courses to update their program.
Independent Study
Independent study options may be exercised for a limited part of the program. With approval by a faculty member in the appropriate department and by the Graduate Associate Dean of the School of Education, students may design and conduct original study projects or curricula.
New York State Certification
To receive initial teaching certification in New York State, the student must take a test of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAST), an Assessment of Teaching Skills – Written (ATS-W), and a Content Specialty Test (CST). All students seeking certification must meet state Liberal Arts requirements. To meet those requirements, Manhattanville requires a liberal arts major or the equivalent of at least 30 credits in the liberal arts, and coursework in Literature, History, Math, Science, the Arts, Communication, Written Analysis and Expression, and a Foreign Language. More detailed information is available in the School of Education Graduate Catalog. To be certified in states other than New York, the student is urged to find out about the certification procedures of each state by calling the specific State Education Department, Division of Teacher Certification.
Transfer Credits
Matriculated masters and advanced certification program students may transfer credits. Appropriate graduate-level courses completed at other institutions, up to a maximum of six credits, provided that the coursework was taken within the last ten years, is determined by the faculty to be appropriate for their program, may be accepted towards a degree. Each course must have been completed with at least a grade of B+ at an accredited institution of higher learning within a five-year period of matriculation and must be directly related to the candidate's proposed program of study. Candidates should file a written request with the School of Education to have course credits considered for transfer. If at all possible, such requests should be made in advance of taking the course.
Additional credits beyond the maximum of six from selected institutions will be considered in very limited instances at the discretion of the college. We apply this largely to students transferring from our immediate regional competitors, notably LIU-Westchester and Fordham-Westchester.
Writing Assessment
All graduate students must complete the Manhattanville Writing Assessment during their first 6 credits. Students who do not achieve a satisfactory rating may be required to complete the graduate education writing tutorial during their next semester of study or may be prohibited from continuing in the graduate education program. Arrangements to complete the assessment are made through the Graduate Advising Office.
Comprehensive Examination/Final Project/Culminating Experience Report
The New York State Department of Education has mandated that all Master degree candidates must complete a final project as part of their requirements for graduation. For most candidates this will be a comprehensive written examination. With the approval of the School of Education faculty, students in Music, Art, TESOL or Foreign Language Instruction may complete an integrative project in lieu of the exam. Students taking the comprehensive examination must successfully complete it in the semester prior to their final semester. Students who are qualified to do a final project should complete that project in the semester before their final semester. A student who does not pass must retake their exam or revise the final project. Fall and Spring exam/project application deadlines will be available in the School of Education office and on the Manhattanville website. Candidates in Childhood Education will complete a Culminating Experience Report instead of a Comprehensive Examination.
Grades
All education courses must be taken for a letter grade. In all graduate programs, the student must maintain a “B” average (cum. index of 3.00) for graduation. Courses graded below “C” will not be counted toward the degree. The School of Education Review Committee may review the student’s records if he/she has received a grade below “B-”. After such a review, the Committee may:
- Require the student to repeat the course; or
- Ask the student to complete an equivalent course; and
- Refuse to count the course toward the program; and/or
- Deny the student permission to register for further study at Manhattanville's School of Education.
- If the student receives a “C” or below in any student teaching course, he/she may repeat the course only once. Any request for a change in grade must be requested within four months of the posting.
Grievance Procedure for Graduate Students
At Manhattanville, grievance procedures exist for students who feel they have received truly biased or unfair treatment by a faculty member.
If the student and faculty member cannot resolve the problem through direct discussion in a mutually satisfactory manner, the student should bring the matter in writing to the attention of the appropriate department chair (or the Associate Dean for Graduate Advising if the faculty member and chair are one and the same.) This must happen within one semester of the claimed instance.
If the matter cannot be resolved at this level, the student has the right to bring the issue in writing to the Associate Dean for Graduate Advising. This must be done within five business days of the latest communication with faculty or chair. The Associate Dean will convene the Graduate Review Committee, who will make a determination. The Associate Dean will communicate the results in writing to the student.
If the issue remains open, the student may appeal in writing within five business days of receipt of communication from the Associate Dean to the Dean of the School of Education, who will form a grievance committee for a formal hearing. The members of the committee will be the Provost, an Associate Dean, and one faculty member, either from the college or the School of Education. The Dean of the School of Education will serve ex-officio. The decision of the grievance committee will be conveyed by letter to the concerned parties.
The decision of the grievance committee may be appealed to the President only on the basis of procedural unfairness or new evidence that might result in a different decision. Such an appeal must be made in writing within 5 business days after receipt of the letter from the grievance committee.