Return to: Graduate Programs Offered

Office: Second Floor, Hagedorn Hall
Telephone: (516) 463-5740, Fax: (516) 463-6461, E-mail: soeahs@hofstra.edu

Hofstra University prides itself in having an “all-University approach” to teacher education. Since 1935 our history has been one of a four-year liberal arts college that early on expanded to serve the needs of such future professionals as engineers, business people and professional educators. At the undergraduate level, students in the School of Education and Allied Human Services enjoy dual studies between liberal arts and sciences and professional studies. For those students whose initial professional education occurs on the graduate level we require the prior completion of a degree appropriate to the field of study and with an emphasis on a broad distribution of courses across the liberal arts and sciences. Thus, the task of achieving a general education with its breadth and depth has been achieved either at Hofstra or at another university. We assume this task has already been successfully completed and devote the bulk of our efforts to the professional education of the graduate student. Thus, for the graduate component of the initial programs, our goals include:

1. The education of a well-rounded individual in professional and general education;
2. The professional training of entry-level professionals who will serve the public and independent schools of the area and nation;
3. The development of analytic skills and sound judgments applied to content and also to professional issues; the ability to make warranted and thoughtful decisions about curriculum issues and student-related issues as well as issues relating to the conduct of the school/agency/organization and the profession;
4. To set the groundwork for continued learning throughout the student’s professional career. The goals of our advanced programs are given in greater detail in each department’s publications.

• Curriculum and Teaching
• Counseling, Research, Special Education, and Rehabilitation
• Foundations, Leadership, and Policy Studies
• Health Professions and Family Studies
• Literacy Studies
• Physical Education and Sport Sciences

The faculty of the Hofstra University School of Education and Allied Human Services are dedicated to the preparation of reflective and knowledgeable professionals who use scholarship to inform their practice. Collectively, we strive towards a more just, open and democratic society as we collaborate with and learn from children, adolescents, and adults in diverse social and cultural settings.

We encourage and support the scholarship and practice of our colleagues and students in their professional lives; our endeavors include research that contributes to the knowledge base for both educators and health and human services professionals. Thus, it is our intent to establish the School of Education and Allied Human Services as a place which nurtures communication, collaboration, and leadership both at Hofstra and in community settings.

A Program is a coherent sequence of course work and fieldwork designed to develop the professional competence of degree candidates. Programs offered by the School of Education and Allied Human Services are classified as either preprofessional or professional. 

Preprofessional Programs

Preprofessional programs are for students seeking their first teaching certification whether at the undergraduate or the graduate level or are preparing for entry-level positions in selected allied human services fields (non-school based).

Professional Programs

Professional programs are designed for individuals already certified (provisional or initial) to teach and those experienced as teachers (e.g., in private schools) and who wish to pursue advanced studies in a specialized field of education, and those who wish to pursue advanced studies in a specialized field in selected allied human services. Consult individual departments for advisement and specific program information.

The School of Education and Allied Human Services is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). This accreditation includes basic and advanced levels of professional education programs offered at the institution. The master’s program in creative arts therapy is approved by the American Art Therapy Association. The master’s program in rehabilitation counseling is approved by the Council on Rehabilitation Education.

All field placements and student teaching are arranged by the Office of Field Placement in the School of Education and Allied Human Services. Preprofessional programs include at least 100 clock hours of field experiences related to course work, followed by student teaching. Candidates will be provided with experiences in a variety of communities, including high needs schools as defined by the New York State Education Department, and opportunities to interact with each of the following populations: socioeconomically disadvantaged students, students who are English language learners, and students with disabilities. Experiences will be provided across the appropriate developmental levels of the certification.

Applications for student teaching are due by March 1 for fall student teaching and by October 1 for spring student teaching. Application seminars are scheduled each semester to guide students through the application process, and address questions and special needs. Student teaching is full-time, full semester. Most student teachers will have two student teaching placements across two levels of the certification. Weekly seminars are held for student teachers and their university supervisors. All seminars mandated by the New York State Education Department will be scheduled during the student teaching semester, including child abuse and maltreatment; school violence prevention; safety education; and fire and arson prevention.

In professional programs, candidates who are seeking an additional certification are required to complete at least 50 clock hours of field experiences and at least 20 days of student teaching with students across the range of developmental levels of the certification, including the variety of communities and student populations cited above. See your program adviser for specific details.

Students enrolled in a human service program have a combined learning  xperience. Hofstra has affiliation with numerous agencies, hospitals, schools and rehabilitation centers on Long Island and the New York metropolitan area. Each program, in accordance with the guidelines of its profession, sets up fieldwork and internships and provides supervised clinical practice in either school or non-school based settings. Students are advised by faculty in their program as to which site location will provide an optimal learning experience.

Hofstra University’s School of Education and Allied Human Services programs are registered with the New York State Education Department. Studies offered at the bachelors, masters, advanced certificates, and/or doctoral levels are provided in the following teaching areas: early childhood (birth - grade 2); elementary education (grades 1 - 6); middle childhood education; secondary education (grades 7 - 12); special education; all grade subjects, including physical education, health education, fine arts education, music education, TESOL, bilingual, and literacy. Non-teaching areas include pupil personnel services and education administration.

Upon the successful completion of a Hofstra state-approved teacher education program, students are eligible for the University’s recommendation for New York State certification. Certification applications must be submitted to the Advisement and Certification Office in the semester in which the student is graduating. Certification seminars are held each semester. The Advisement and Certification Office has three main recommendation groups: May, August, and December, and a January interim group. Hofstra University confers degrees on three dates: May 31, August 31, and December 31.

Upon the conferral of your degree, the Advisement and Certification Office will issue a laminated Letter of Completion, valid for fifteen (15) weeks while your application is being processed by the State Education Department. Students should expect to receive their certificate approximately eight (8) weeks after the necessary paperwork has been submitted to the state.

The Office also provides students with a Letter of Eligibility to Substitute Teach. Students must meet certain criteria, as defined by the Commissioner’s regulations. Please contact the Advisement and Certification Office for more information.

In addition to fulfilling educational requirements, the New York State Education Department requires that all prospective teachers being recommended from teacher education programs receive instruction in the following seminars: Child Abuse and Maltreatment; Substance Abuse; Fire and Arson Prevention; and Safe Schools Against Violence (Project SAVE) in accordance with the Education Laws.

All prospective early childhood (birth – grade 2), elementary (grades 1 – 6), secondary (grade 7 – 12) and special subject teachers are required to pass the New York State Teachers Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) administered by the National Evaluation Systems, Inc. These tests include the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), Assessment of Teaching Skills Written (ATS-W), and the Content Specialty Test (CST). Students should consult with their program adviser and/or the Advisement and Certification Office regarding the appropriate examinations for their area of study. Hofstra University has maintained an overall passing rate of 96% on these examinations.

Effective July 1, 2001, all applicants for certification and school district employment must undergo fingerprinting and clearance. Contact the New York State Education Department for fingerprinting sites. Hofstra University offers dates for fingerprinting for currently enrolled Hofstra students. Contact the Advisement and Certification Office for more information.

New York State has interstate contracts with 42 other states and jurisdictions. Persons prepared in one of the contract states and who meet the contract requirements of the interstate agreement are eligible for initial certification upon application with each individual state. New York State is also a member of the Northeast Common Market that offers a Northeast Regional Credential (NRC) to applicants. For additional information on interstate reciprocity, students should visit the Advisement and Certification Office.

Some states, not part of the interstate reciprocity program, offer either full or partial reciprocity privileges to persons who are graduates of NCATE accredited institutions. States not participating in either of the above reciprocity systems will accept certification applications and evaluate them on an individual basis.

As a part of the continuing effort to improve teacher preparation, the New York State Board of Regents adopted amendments to the Commissioner’s Regulations which directly relate to teacher education program requirements, as well as changes in teacher certification titles effective February 2, 2004.

Students may obtain detailed and current information about program and certification requirements in various educational specializations from the School’s Advisement and Certification Office.

Hofstra University and faculty in the School of Education and Allied Human Services are committed both to attracting excellent candidates, as well as assisting them in locating employment upon graduation. Candidates for Teacher Education are strongly encouraged before enrolling in a given program, to review the employment prospects in their chosen field. Such opportunities differ among teaching areas and within regions of the country. Data about the profession, including supply and demand by region and certification area, are routinely available and updated regularly on such Web sites as www.jobbankusa.com,, www.highered.nysed.gov, and Education Week’s comprehensive, online teacher’s job bank at www.edweek.org. These sites and others contain a wide array of resources for job seekers in teaching and other careers.

Potential candidates for teaching careers, as well as those nearing graduation, should visit the Hofstra Career Center in the M. Robert Lowe Hall on the Hofstra Campus. Wide ranges of services are available to future educators. Such services include: career counseling in job hunting, assistance with resume building, mock interviews, a job referral service, special Career Center notices, and lists of school districts that cooperate with us in conducting on and off campus interviews. Most students, especially those hoping to gain employment with area schools, use the Hofstra Career Center to focus their search and coordinate initial interviews.

Alternately, students who expect to seek employment out of New York State have been drawn to an increasing list of web sites that offer details of specific job vacancies, as well as other information. These data may be found by visiting the Hofstra University web site and clicking on “Career Services.” Students will find a list of special web sites with direct links to such organizations as the New York State Education Department, New York City schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Academic Employment Network, and eleven other dedicated employment sites. At Hofstra, education majors find an excellent and dedicated faculty, outstanding career support services, and extensive electronic links to education career information and employment opportunities.

Hofstra University Passing Rates: 2002 - 2003

                                                 Hofstra University          Statewide



NYSTCE Test Field/Category          Number Tested   Number Passed   Pass Rate    Pass Rate

Professional Knowledge/Pedagogy ATS-W   617             599            97%         97%

Other Content Areas, LAST               612             597            98%         96%

Summary Totals and Pass Rate            624             599            96%         95%

Return to: Graduate Programs Offered