Admission Requirements

Applications for admission to this program are made at the Office of Graduate Admission.  Students who do not fully meet admission requirements may be required to complete prerequisite courses concurrently with the completion of the program requirements.  Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria.  The department understands that any criterion may not reliably predict a student’s potential for success in the program.  Students may consider applying even if they fail to meet one of the criteria listed below but feel that other aspects of their experience might compensate.  An Admissions Counselor will review all individual cases before being referred to the graduate program for further review.

1. Possession of a bachelor’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all undergraduate coursework or its equivalent (e.g., a 3.0 in a completed graduate program).  We encourage you to submit all transcripts from your undergraduate work and any graduate work for consideration.
2. *A Bachelor of Arts degree from an accredited college or university with a major, concentration, or the equivalent in one or more of the liberal arts and sciences.  Coursework must include at least three (3) credits in the following: Math, Science, History/Social Science, and  English with a grade of C or above.
3. Prior course work in a language in which a World Language education certification will be sought.  (See Foreign Language Content Requirements below.)
4. Personal statement describing the applicant’s intent and rationale for entering the program.
5. Two (2) letters of reference addressing the applicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession and the teacher education program coursework.
6. An interview with the coordinators of the program.

* Candidates with a degree from outside of the United States will need to have coursework in the following:

• Concepts in History/Social Science (3 s.h.
• Scientific Processes (3 s.h.)
• Mathematical Processes (3 s.h.)
• Literature, Analysis, and Written Expression (6 s.h.)

Acceptable courses must have a grade of C or above.  Students who completed their education outside the United States must have a foreign credential report submitted directly by an acceptable organization. 

World Language Content Requirements

Students admitted to the MSEd in Languages Other Than English and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program should possess a bachelor’s degree in Arabic, Chinese/Mandarin, French, German, Italian, Russian, or Spanish, or a minimum of 36 s.h. in college-level course work above level four, in the respective language distributed over the following areas:

• Culture and civilization - minimum 6 s.h.
• Conversation - minimum 3 s.h.
• Grammar - minimum 3 s.h.
• Composition - minimum 3 s.h.
• Literature - minimum 9 s.h.
• Electives in the target language –minimum 12 s.h.
• Advanced coursework in the above areas or special topics such as phonetics, grammar, or linguistics (with advisement)

Candidates who do not possess a bachelor’s degree in a World language and are native speakers or skilled and proficient in languages other than English may demonstrate their knowledge in an alternative manner. Candidates can earn a maximum of 24 semester hours of credit toward the content core, bypassing both the oral (OPI) and written (WPT) proficiency portions of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) examination. To pass these two examinations, candidates must be placed in Advanced High or Superior in both the OPI* and the WPT*. As stated in the summary of the American Council on Education (ACE) for Official ACTFL Ratings, the levels Advanced High or Superior in OPI and WPT are worth the equivalent of 12 semester hours each.

In order to fulfill the 36 semester hours requirement in the target language, candidates must take an additional 12 credits on the undergraduate level in the content area above level 4 distributed over the following areas:

• Culture/Civilization – minimum 2-3 s.h.
• Grammar – 1-3 s.h.
• Literature – 1-3 s.h.
• ​Elective in the target language – 1-3 s.h.

Students who wish to fulfill the credits mentioned above off campus must first seek approval from the director of program support in the School of Education .

*Candidates seeking certification in Chinese or Mandarin meet the content requirements by taking a combination of Mandarin/Chinese OPI and WPT ACTFL exams.

Program Requirements – Total Semester Hours: 40

Field Experiences

A minimum of 150 clock hours of college supervised field experience is required.

• ELED 225 - Teaching English as a Second Language in the Elementary Classroom Semester Hours: 3

• 25 clock hours with English Language Learners, grades 1-6

• LYST 213A - Introduction to Bilingual and Biliteracy Instruction for ESL Teachers Semester Hours: 3

• 30 clock hours in varied settings

• SED 267 - Teaching English to Adolescent Speakers of Other Languages Semester Hours: 3

• 25 clock hours with English Language Learners, grades 7-12

• SPED 264 - Inclusion in Today’s Schools Semester Hours: 3

• 20 clock hours in settings with students with special needs in high-needs schools, including placement with economically disadvantaged children (grades preK-12)

• SED 291L - Internship in Secondary World-Language Education Semester Hours: 1

• 50 clock hours supervised, in the foreign language classroom, grades 7-12

Graduation Requirements

1. Successful completion of all course work for the MSEd in Languages Other Than English and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program with an overall GPA of 3.0; no grades below B in required course.
2. Completion of all general education prerequisites.
3. Completion of all World Language Content Requirements (see above).
4. Completion of 40 s.h. course work.
5. A portfolio illustrating the student’s educational coursework and professional accomplishments.
6. Completion of all required Educational Law Seminars.
7. All coursework taken in satisfaction of the certificate requirements must have been completed within a five-year period.

Teacher Certification Requirements

Upon successfully completing a Hofstra state-approved teacher education program, students are eligible for the University’s recommendation for New York state certification. A request for recommendation must be submitted to the School of Education Dean’s Office during the semester in which the student is graduating. There will be opportunities to attend a certification workshop during the student’s final semester to receive all the necessary information regarding applying for certification. Individuals who apply directly to New York state for certification are responsible for learning about and satisfying the certification requirements set by the state. It should be noted that such requirements may differ from those in Hofstra’s registered programs.

All prospective early childhood (birth-grade 2), childhood (grades 1-6), adolescent (grades 7-12) and special subject, students with disabilities, gifted, TESOL, bilingual, literacy, speech and language disabilities teachers, as well as school leadership candidates, are required to pass the New York State Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) administered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc., including the Educating All Students Test (EAS) and, Content Specialty Test(s) (CST). Prospective School Leaders will be required to take the appropriate leadership exams. For more information regarding state testing, please contact the School of Education Dean’s Office or visit www.nystce.nesinc.com.

In addition to fulfilling the required courses of study, the Commissioner’s Regulations mandate that all prospective teachers, pupil personnel, and education leaders receive instructions regarding:

1. Identification of Child Abuse and Maltreatment
2. Fire and Arson Prevention
3. School Violence Prevention and Intervention
4. Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Drug Abuse
5. Highway and School Safety/Prevention of Child Abduction
6. Training in Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention is required under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

New York state legislation also requires all persons seeking certification in special education, speech and language disabilities, or school administrators working in special education to have training in the area of children with autism.

Hofstra University offers the above-listed educational law seminars through the School of Education Dean’s Office. All of these seminars must be completed before the conferral of the degree and recommendation for certification.

Fingerprinting
Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE), requires that applicants for teaching and administrative and pupil services personnel certification and prospective employees of covered schools (school districts, charter schools and BOCES) must undergo fingerprint supported criminal history background check. However, many school districts and institutions across the metropolitan New York area now require that all student teachers, observers, interns, or externs receive fingerprint clearance before being placed in educational settings that are required for this degree program. Therefore, we recommend you apply for fingerprint clearance upon acceptance to the program. Fingerprint clearance is also required for New York state certification. For information on how to register to be fingerprinted, visit http://www.hofstra.edu/Academics/colleges/soeahs/CESS/cess_requirements_fingerprints.html.