Getting Credit

Here are answers to several common questions the UFT Teacher Center receives:

• Graduate courses may be taken only for graduate credit. In-service “P” courses may be applied only toward salary differentials. These courses are solely accessible through the Department of Education’s Web site. The NYC Department of Education will not grant credit for any in-service courses taken outside of the city of New York.
• If you are in a master’s or doctoral program, you should check with your college to verify that it will accept particular courses in this educational supplement for credit toward your degree.
• Only the State Education Department can tell you which of these courses will meet your individual requirements. Although the state has approved all of these courses, that does not mean that every course will satisfy your particular requirements, so we urge you to call the state Education Department at 1-518-474-3901 or send an e-mail to TCERT@mail.nysed.gov.
• State Education Department’s new certification requirements: Most classroom teaching certificates require three semester hours in methods of teaching reading. Many require additional semester hours in teaching literacy skills in general. Each individual evaluation form will give the amount of literacy coursework required beyond the three semester hours needed in methods of teaching reading. You may select reading courses listed in this catalog or take the Excelsior (formerly Regents) College Examinations. Write to Excelsior College Examinations, 7 Columbia Circle, Albany, NY 12203-5159; register online at www.excelsior.edu or phone toll-free 1-888-723-9267.
• Although all of these graduate-level courses carry college credit, courses offered by the UFT Teacher Center do not, in and of themselves, lead to a graduate degree, with these exceptions:
• THE COLLEGE OF MOUNT ST. VINCENT
  • Master of Science in Urban and Multicultural Education
• EXCELSIOR COLLEGE
  • Master of Science in Liberal Studies
• MERCY COLLEGE
  • Master of Science in Education
  • Master of Science in Teaching Literacy
• NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
  • Master of Science in Childhood Education — Grades 1-6
  • Master of Science in Instructional Technology
• TOURO COLLEGE
  • Master of Science in Education and Special Education (dual certification)
  • Master of Science in Literacy — Birth-Grade 12