Any undergraduate student exploring a career in education may participate in the Pre-Education Advising. This adviser helps students navigate program options and supports students as they prepare for graduate study in education. Graduates of Sarah Lawrence College have pursued careers in education as classroom teachers, principals, early childhood directors, university professors, and education policy makers.
In recent years, Sarah Lawrence students and alumnae have been accepted at the following graduate schools of education:
- The Art of Teaching Program at Sarah Lawrence College
- Teachers College
- Bank Street College of Education
- New York University
- Hunter College
Five-Year Combined BA/MS Degree in Education
We also provide information regarding our unique and cost-saving opportunity to work on a Master of Science in Education while still an undergraduate student at Sarah Lawrence College. Students begin their first year of the Art of Teaching master’s program during their senior year at Sarah Lawrence.
The Art of Teaching master’s program prepares students for the three exams necessary for New York State certification in Early Childhood/Childhood Education, providing them with the flexibility to work in preschools, elementary schools, and middle schools.
The Art of Teaching Program has a unique and effective approach to teaching. It is child-centered, culturally sensitive, and interdisciplinary, focusing on the observation of children. A solid philosophical background in current thinking about educational theory and practice is also central to the Art of Teaching approach.
You will work with children at every point in the program, and you will learn how to be an effective teacher, prepared to work with students from birth to adolescence. The program will connect you with education faculty and alums who can help you find your first job.
Pre-Requisites and Recommended Classes
Consider taking these classes as part of your undergraduate curriculum:
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A Math Course (mathematical reasoning, quantitative methods, number theory and concepts, algebra, analytic geometry, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, data analysis, probability, or discrete mathematics)
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A Science Course (biology, chemistry, earth science/ecology, environmental science, physics)
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A Language Course (including American Sign Language)
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Courses that cover requirements under the following categories:
- Artistic Expression
- Written Expression
- Humanities
- History & Social Science Concepts
As a sophomore or junior, consider taking the following classes:
- “The Developing Child”
- “Children’s Literature: Developmental and Literary Perspectives”
- “Sociology of Education”
What To Do Next
Contact the director of the Art of Teaching Program, Denisha Jones, at djones@sarahlawrence.edu or 914.395.2696. She will answer your questions, interview you, and send you the application form.
You can do this at any point during your time at Sarah Lawrence, but it is essential that you set up a meeting with her before you are in the spring semester of your junior year, because the deadline for fifth year program applications is March 1.
If you want to meet current students and see the Art of Teaching Program in action, join us for the Art of Teaching Film Series, which aims to show current films that broaden our understandings of schools, highlight current issues in society, and spark discussion and dialogue! More information can be found on the event calendar.