Academics
 

Go Ahead

  • AdmissionsMolloy College is a selective, affordable liberal arts college on Long Island, New York that offers quality undergraduate and nationally ranked graduate programs.

Professional Education Unit

Division of Education Program - Graduate Education Office - K326 - Kellenberg Hall
516.678.5000 Ext. 6280

Maureen T. Walsh, Ed.D., Dean of the Division of Education Ext. 6376

Joanne O'Brien Ed. D., Associate Dean and Director Graduate Programs in Education Ext. 6693

Vincent Tumminello, M.S., Coordinator Graduate Education - Certifications.  Ext. 6930

Regina Broten, M.S. Director of Field Placement, K217 Kellenberg Hall Field Placement Office. Ext. 6683

Professor Emerita: Karen A. Edwards

Professors: Bernadette M. Donovan, OP,   Audrey Cohan, Andrea Honigsfeld, Marjorie Schiering, Laura Shea Doolan

Associate Professors: Samuel W. Carpentier, Michelle Chamblin, Vicky Giouroukakis, Charles Howlett,  Peter Lynch,
Patricia Hinds-Mason, Vincent Pane, Allen G. Rauch, Susan A. Smith

Assistant Professors: Maggie Blair, Audra Cerruto, EvelynConnolly, Maria Dove, Jacqueline Nenchin, Kevin Sheehan,  Alex Wolochuk, OP 

Instructors:  Maria Esposito

Adjunct Assistant Professors: Margaret Ippolito, Gerardine Johnson, Debra LoVerde, John Picarrella, Margaret Renner

Adjunct Instructors:  Donna Banek,  Danielle Colby, Lauren DeSilva,  Robin Fruman, Gloria Grosso, Margaret Ippolito, Geradine Johnson, , Rickey Moroney,   Margaret Renner, Patricia Roberts, Linda Scalice, Diane Scricca, David Smith, Donna Sowerby,   Leslie Wecksler

Suffolk Center and Extension Sites

Molloy College Graduate Education Division offers courses at Molloy College Suffolk Center on Route 110 in Farmingdale.

A select number of courses are also offered at the following extension sites:

St. Anthony's High School, South Huntington (Suffolk County), The Immaculate Conception Center, Douglaston (Queens County)

These credit bearing courses are included in the degree requirements for the Master of Science Degrees and are taught by professors who teach at Molloy College following the same syllabi as courses taught at the main campus.

Philosophy of the education department - conceptual framework

Founded in the Catholic tradition and committed to the Dominican ideals of truth, academic excellence and openness to diverse world-views, the Professional Education Unit of Molloy College provides a value-centered experience that embraces intellectual, ethical, spiritual and social development in an environment where academic freedom, a spirit of inquiry and respect for each individual's worth and dignity prevail. The Professional Education Unit at Molloy College is committed to the preparation of outstanding teaching professionals with the dispositions, skills and knowledge required to meet the needs of all students they have the privilege to teach. It is the responsibility and goal of the faculty to guide students through pedagogically valid and intensely challenging learning and service experiences that empower teacher candidates to serve as leaders in schools and communities. Faculty recognize that effective teachers have a solid foundation in the liberal arts and sciences, aligned with national, state and institutional teaching and learning standards.

This Conceptual Framework relates directly to Molloy College's Strategic Plan and is supported by the four pillars of Dominican life: prayer, study, preaching and community that we interpret as:

  • Spirituality and Reflection
  • Research and Teaching
  • Service
  • Community

Shared Vision

The Molloy College Teacher Education faculty has derived its vision for the exemplary teacher from the College's mission statement, the four pillars of the Dominican tradition (spirituality and reflection, research and teaching, service and community), comments and input from the Professional Education Unit's Advisory Boards.

The teaching professionals who complete Molloy's teacher preparation programs are distinguished by their ability to exemplify and promote core values in their own teaching. These values include:

  • Belief that all children can learn
  • Learner centered and value-centered curriculum and pedagogy
  • Ethics and spirituality
  • Intellectual curiosity
  • Independence and risk-taking, while promoting collective identity and responsibility
  • Diversity, multiculturalism and pluralism, including divergent thinking
  • Passion for teaching
  • Commitment to students and their communities
  • Civic responsibility through the promotion of social justice and interdependence
  • Commitment to democracy

For the Molloy community, teaching, when performed with integrity and compassion, is both spiritual and transformative.

Molloy teachers are characterized by their depth and breadth of knowledge in the academic content areas and in professional education, their ability to engage others as a community of learners, their enthusiasm for teaching and their commitment to become reflective practitioners, as well as life-long learners. Therefore, the Molloy graduate can be described as a values-based professional helping students or groups of students to:

  • Clarify for themselves the nature of their own questions, in terms they can pursue
  • Interpret their findings, in relation to other knowledge they have generated
  • Pursue a course of action grounded in study, contemplation and reflection

To meet the vision of the education program, Molloy seeks to:

  • Identify, recruit and retain faculty who are eager to represent, support and promote the shared vision and purpose of the professional education program
  • Collaborate with arts and sciences faculty, who are committed to these proficiencies, in developing a strong content foundation for teacher candidates
  • Partner with P-12 schools to collaboratively design teacher education programs, coursework and field experiences
  • Develop comprehensive opportunities for our candidates to assimilate the core values as they become exemplary teachers of knowledge, skills and values/dispositions
  • Regularly assess core values and the programs based on them for continued growth and excellence
  • Utilize the appropriate technology for data collection and strategic planning
  • Embrace diversity and the quest for social justice
  • Integrate relevant and responsible technology into all professional activities

The program goals of the education department are categorized as the knowledge, skills and dispositions which impact on student learning outcomes. Molly College education department benchmark performances and assessments are aligned with New York State Education Department Standards for teacher performance as well as the specific standards of the following professional associations: Association for Childhood Education International, National Council for Social Studies, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council for Social Studies, National Science Teachers Association, Council for Exceptional Children and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages).

For candidates who are new to the teaching profession and who are enrolled in programs leading to initial certification, an innovative course of study which is sufficiently flexible to benefit the adult learner is provided. These candidates who are changing careers or returning to teaching acquire a pedagogical knowledge base on which to continuously build effective teaching skills and strategies and learn how to become effective classroom facilitators who meet students' diverse needs. This program encourages learning from observation, participation and research in order to ascertain "best practices". Field experience culminating in full time student teaching is the capstone of this program.

The Education Department views the candidates and faculty as interactive, supportive and has as its primary mission the success of candidates. A student-centered philosophy is the key to the Master of Science Programs. This includes a one-on-one advisement process and closely monitored, individualized, in-depth field supervision which includes placement in diverse settings and in high-needs schools.

The Molloy College mission statement directly impacts the Education Department and provides the rationale for the Masters Programs. The philosophy of the College states, "In an environment where academic freedom, a spirit of inquiry and respect for each individual's worth and dignity prevail, students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the challenges of modern life. Graduate education fosters a high level of scholarly inquiry for expansion of knowledge, self-enrichment and achievement of personal and professional goals." Based upon this philosophy, Molloy College has an established and well-respected Education Department committed to the preparation of knowledgeable, creative and challenging teachers.

Objectives

To prepare teachers who are:

  • Knowledgeable in all content areas of the elementary school curriculum or specialists in specific subject areas of the secondary school curriculum, cognizant of New York State Learning Standards and able to implement them in all subject areas
  • Effective teachers of students with different learning styles, diverse abilities, varied ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds and students with learning disabilities and special needs, students for whom English is a new language, within inclusive settings which meet the needs of all students
  • Efficient classroom managers who employ a variety of methods and techniques and successfully engage students in their own learning
  • Responsive observers of child/adolescent development, psychology and pedagogy in order to employ activities which motivate student learning at various levels of physical, psychological and social maturity
  • Instructional designers who utilize various types of assessment, including performance based and individually designed evaluation strategies, to improve curriculum and meet the needs of all students
  • Innovative users of technology which enhances and supports curriculum
  • Promoters of parental involvement and collaborators with other teachers, school administrators and cultural institutions, higher education partnerships and other entities who exert significant influence in students' lives
  • Leaders in evaluating and improving curriculum, teaching techniques and school environments
  • Reflective practitioners who study and evaluate educational research in order to implement best practices for student learning
  • Life-long learners who engage in action research which will benefit the teaching/learning experience for all students

Admissions Requirements for Graduate Education

For admission to graduate education programs:

  • Applicants for admission and matriculation are required to possess an appropriate Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Candidates who wish to pursue a program leading to professional certification must possess initial New York State Teaching Certification and have the pre-requisites required by New York State Education Department for the professional certification. (Specific pre-requisites are listed under each program description.)
  • Candidates who are entering the teaching profession and seeking initial certification must have taken appropriate major courses in content areas and liberal arts concentration to satisfy the requirements of the New York State Education Department for teacher certification and must have attained a minimum grade of "C+" in these courses. Any candidate who needs to complete prerequisite courses is required to do so as soon as possible.
  • No credit is given for life experience.
  • CLEP examinations may not substitute for course work.

In addition, applicants must:

  • Submit an official transcript of all undergraduate work and any prior graduate courses taken. Transcripts will be evaluated according to New York State Education Department regulations and upon approval of the Program Director, Molloy College will accept up to a maximum of six graduate transfer credits having a grade of "B" or better from another accredited college or university. These credits must have been completed within the last five years and must correspond in content to courses offered in the Molloy College Graduate Education Program.
  • Complete the graduate degree program application including an essay re: personal academic goals.
  • Have achieved a minimum of 3.0 overall grade point average in undergraduate work. (Students having a G.P.A. between 2.8 and 3.00 may be accepted on probationary status and may be required to take the Graduate Record Examination or fulfill additional basic entry requirements.)
  • Possess computer skills related to application software, information processing and internet access.
  • Submit three letters of reference from former college professors and/or professional associates.
  • Participate in a personal interview with the program director.
  • Evidence appropriate dispositions necessary for becoming a professional educator who can successfully teach all students in inclusive classrooms. Applicants who lack necessary dispositions may be counseled to choose another profession.
  • Attend an orientation session.
  • Submit an acceptable writing-on-demand sample. If the sample does not meet the acceptable criteria, the candidate is required to attend remedial sessions in the Writing Lab.
  • Provide proof of immunization.
  • Completion of six graduate credits in this program with grades of "B" or better is required before permanent matriculation. Students are not permitted to take more than 6 credits before achieving permanent matriculation. Nine credits per semester is considered full-time in graduate programs.