Direct admission to the dual-degree program (BA and MSEd)

Students entering Hofstra as incoming freshmen may apply for direct admission to the dual-degree program. In order to be considered for admission, applicants must have an overall high school GPA of 3.5 and must also submit scores on a nationally normed admission test (such as the SAT or ACT). A 1240 or better on the critical reading and mathematics sections of the SAT (or an ACT score of 25) is recommended.  Students admitted directly to the dual-degree program as incoming first-year students will be admitted automatically to MSEd In Secondary Special Education Generalist program, provided that they attain the minimum requirements noted below.

1. Achieve an overall GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.0 in Psychology courses at the time of entry into the MSEd program, or upon completion of 90 semester hours of course work toward their BA degree;
2. 3 s.h. of SPED undergraduate prerequisites;
3. Two letters of reference;
4. Personal essay outlining professional goals and objectives;
5. Interview; and
6. Fulfillment of all the undergraduate degree requirements with the exception of the s.h. and major requirements.

Students who fall below the minimum requirements as stated above for first-year direct admission may be dropped from the direct admission dual-degree program, and lose their guaranteed slot, but may reapply to the dual-degree program as juniors, or may apply to the MSEd in Special Education program through the regular graduate admissions process upon completion of the baccalaureate degree.

Admission to the dual-degree program for current Hofstra students

Applicants must have an overall GPA of 3.0 in order to be considered for admission. To maintain eligibility for graduate school matriculation at the end of the junior year, students admitted to this program must have completed the following requirements:

1. A minimum of 97 s.h. of undergraduate courses (at least 94 s.h. in liberal arts courses with an overall GPA of 3.0, including a minimum of 12 s.h. in liberal arts electives outside the Department of Psychology );
2. Submission of scores on a nationally normed admission test (such as the SAT or ACT);
3. All University requirements, including WSC 001  and 002 ;
4. All requirements for the BA , including distribution and language requirements;
5. All requirements for the Psychology major as specified below.

Undergraduate students must apply and be accepted into the MSEd Secondary Special Education Generalist program before being allowed to take graduate courses as part of their undergraduate program. Students should apply to the graduate program, indicating the desired option, through the Graduate Admission Office. Students expecting to begin their studies in September should apply by March 1 of that year.

BA in Psychology Degree Requirements

Students admitted to this dual-degree program will receive a BA in psychology upon completion of the following requirements:

1. All BA requirements are described in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section  of the online Bulletin. In particular: Successful completion of a total of 124 s.h., including 109 s.h. of undergraduate course work (94 s.h. must be in liberal arts courses, including 21 s.h. in liberal arts electives outside the Department of Psychology ) and 15 s.h. of MSEd in Secondary Special Education Generalist graduate course work;
2. The specific major requirements are described in the BA major in Psychology  section of this Bulletin, with the exception of substitutions that have been approved for this dual-degree program.

MSEd in Secondary Special Education Generalist Degree Requirements

Students admitted to the graduate portion of the dual degree program will receive an MSEd in Secondary Special Education Generalist upon successful completion of the following requirements:

1. Completion of 19 s.h. of Special Education course work;
2. Completion of 3 s.h. of Field Experience;
3. Completion of 3 s.h. of Practicum
4. Successful completion of SPED 310.
5. Completion of all required education law seminars including training in the area of children with autism.

Teacher Certification Requirements

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. 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 at 516-463-5747 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 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 are now requiring that all student teachers, observers, interns, or externs receive fingerprint clearance before they are placed in educational settings that are required for this degree program. Therefore, we recommend that 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.