Degrees for Education

Nearly all students who complete the CTE program earn the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree and are eligible for secondary (grades 7-12) certification to teach agriculture, mathematics, or a science. Although certification in agriculture can be earned at the bachelor’s level, students who aspire to teach agriculture are highly encouraged to complete the M.A.T. Applicants to the M.A.T. must have completed most of an undergraduate major or its equivalent in the area(s) in which they seek certification.

The Cornell Teacher Education (CTE) program prepares teachers to work successfully in a variety of educational settings and with a range of students. In addition to a solid background in subject matter, students develop a broadly based knowledge of the art and science of teaching in secondary schools. Coursework and fieldwork in local educational settings integrate the practical and theoretical aspects of education.

Creating a livable world requires more than just new knowledge and technology; it also requires sustained and expert practice in learning and education. The Adult and Extension Education (AEE) program provides opportunities for graduate students to investigate participatory educational and organizing practices that link learning to the challenge of facilitating global sustainability.

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree program in the field of International Agriculture and Rural Development (IARD) at Cornell University is designed for individuals with professional experience in the developing world.

This interdisciplinary program, based in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), has the flexible design that is needed by development professionals from diverse disciplinary backgrounds.

The IARD program is suited for students who want advanced training but without disciplinary restrictions or emphasis on research methodologies. This is a program for those who want to undertake studies in a broad range of interrelated subjects that is aligned with the interdisciplinary challenges needing to be confronted in developing countries.

The Program in Learning, Teaching and Social Policy (LTSP) is a uniquely multidisciplinary program designed to foster the development of educational leaders, researchers, and practitioners who are prepared to approach issues and challenges in education from multiple perspectives and methodologies. LTSP draws on the disciplinary traditions of sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, science, and the cognitive sciences, as well as interdisciplinary fields such as cultural studies, ethnic studies, and feminist, gender and sexuality studies to address contemporary educational policies, practices and curriculum in the K-12 and postsecondary arenas.

Agricultural Science is taught at the middle and high school levels in New York State and nationally. Building on strong academic disciplines in the agricultural sciences, and with a solid grounding in the psychological, social, empirical, and theoretical bases of educational practice, the Department offers two programs that lead to professional certification in Agricultural Science Education. The undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science Education and the agriculture option in the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) are both offered under the Cornell Teacher Education (CTE) umbrella. In addition, the undergraduate degree offers a non-certification option for persons with interests in instruction in non-school settings such as extension, 4-H, arboretums, and state and national parks. All three of these programs prepare educators for leadership and professional roles in the broad fields of agriculture and natural resources.

Preparing effective teachers, leaders, and researchers; conducting and applying research; and offering accessible local and global outreach.

The Department of Education at Cornell University emphasizes field-based study in educational settings where social, economic, and political pressures interact to help shape policies and practices. The importance of the social and psychological context of learning and an overarching interest in field-based teaching and research are common to faculty members and staff whether they are teaching graduate students in Ithaca, conducting an outreach program in Syracuse, or leading a community-education project in Nigeria.