A new master’s in Social Studies teaching
For more than 150 years, SUNY Cortland has set the bar in teacher education and has trained many of the state’s Social Studies secondary teachers. Now, the university offers a Master’s in Science in Teaching to provide new pathways into adolescent education:
- For teachers and translators of social sciences: The program is ideal for individuals who hold Bachelor’s degrees in History, Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, Geography or related fields in the social sciences and who are seeking initial certification to teach Social Studies at the secondary level in New York State.
- Strong faculty mentors: Social Studies faculty members are passionate about what they do: exploring new ideas, leading discussions and building professional relationships with students.
- Teaching Informed by Scholarship: Social Studies faculty take pride in methods courses informed by the latest Scholarship in Teaching and Learning of Social Studies. Separately, the M.A. in History program offers courses in the teaching of History. These courses are not a required part of the M.S.T. curriculum, but may be of interest to M.S.T. students. These include: HIS 538: Teaching about Nazi Germany and the Holocaust, HIS 560: Teaching U.S. History, HIS 561: Teaching Global History, and HIS 647: Scholarship of Teaching and Learning of History
- Flexible and manageable: All coursework is offered fully online, and you will be able to complete your field experiences and student teaching in a New York State school district within driving distance of your home.
Learn more about the M.S.T. in Social Studies from Scott Moranda, Professor of History and Coordinator of the Social Studies Adolescent Education program.
In Summer 2026, Tyson Luneau, Assistant Professor of History will begin coordinating the Social Studies Adolescent Education program.
FAQs
Who should be interested in this program?
The big-picture answer is anyone who:
- is passionate about the social sciences, whether history, geography, anthropology or economics
- wants to share their knowledge with secondary students
- hopes to be certified to teach social studies in New York State
More specifically, the M.S.T. program will appeal to potential teachers that want to achieve state certification from anywhere. Methods courses will be online, but M.S.T. students will need to complete your field experiences and student teaching in a New York State school district within driving distance of your home.