Admission Requirements

Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

1. A completed application form to the program.
2. A bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree (or its equivalent) in the content area (or related content area)in which certification will be sought.
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 in each of two categories:
   
   1. undergraduate liberal arts course work,
   2. course work in the area(s) in which certification is sought. Applicants with GPAs between 2.50 and 2.75 may be accepted provisionally, subject to special conditions.
4. A written personal statement of professional intent and rationale.
5. Two letters of reference that address theapplicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession and in graduate course work.
6. An interview and/or portfolio are required for some content areas.

Language other than English majors must submit satisfactory scores on the departmental proficiency examination or equivalent in the language for which certification is sought. Before completion of the first 12 credits of the program it is recommended that students complete the liberal arts component of the teacher certification examinations.

General Education Prerequisites:

1. Three semester hours introductory Psychology of equivalent or established competency in the field.
2. Meet the requirements of the general education for initial certification.
   

Content area requirements in area of specialization:

• 36 s.h. in business related course work including accounting, business law, business policy, computer tools in business, economics, ethics, finance, international business, management, marketing, quantitative  methods, and political science or equivalents or established competency in the field.

• 36 s.h. in English course work including English language, linguistics or general language, American Literature, English Literature and World Literature or equivalents or established competency in the field.

• 36 s.h. in French, Spanish, German, or Russian in college level course work above level four in the respective language including course work in the following areas: culture and civilization, conversation, grammar, composition and a minimum of 9 s.h. in literature or equivalents or established competency in the field

• 36 s.h. in college-level mathematics including course work in differential and integral calculus, higher algebra, higher geometry, discrete or finite mathematics, applied mathematics, probability/statistics, or equivalents or established competency in the field.

• Geology (Earth Science): Including course work in historical and physical geology or equivalents or established competency in the field and additional course work in chemistry, physics, biology and calculus-based mathematics or equivalents or established competency in the field.
• Biology: Including course work in general biology, genetics, comparative anatomy, general ecology, invertebrate zoology, and plant physiology or equivalents or established competency in the field and additional course work in chemistry, physics, geology (earth science) and calculus-based mathematics or equivalents or established competency in the field.
  
• Chemistry: Including inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative analysis, and physical chemistry or equivalents or established competency in the field and additional course work in geology (earth science), physics, biology and calculus-based mathematics or equivalents or established competency in the field.
• Physics: Including general physics, electricity and magnetism, modem physics, optics, thermodynamics, mechanics, and quantum mechanics or equivalents or established competency in the field and additional course work in geology (earth science), chemistry, biology and calculus-based mathematics or equivalents or established competency in the field.

• 36 s.h. in history and the social sciences with a minimum of 18 s.h. in history or its equivalent and 3 s.h. in political science (American Government), 3 s.h in geography, and 3 s.h. in economics or equivalents or established competency in the field.

Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 25

Student Teaching Prerequisites

Students will qualify for admission to Student Teaching, SED 217, or Supervised Teaching, SED 218, when they have satisfied the following requirements:

1. Completion of SED 200, 213, 264, 290–296 Special Methods Series,  LYST 209/215A/217A, and SPED 201/264 with a B or higher.
2. A grade point average of 3.0 or higher in graduate course work.

Applications are obtainable from the Office of Field Placement and are due on May 1 for the succeeding spring semester and February 15 for the succeeding fall semester.

Completion Requirements:

1. Completion of all General Education prerequisites.
2. Completion of all program area requirements.
3. Completion of all content area requirements.
4. Completion of the 25 s.h. course requirement in the certificate program.
5. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work and no grades below B.
6. An electronic portfolio, illustrating the student’s education course work and professional accomplishments.
7. All course work taken in satisfaction of the program requirements must have been completed within a 5 year period.

Teacher Certification Requirements

Upon the successful completion of a teacher education program, students will be eligible to apply for the University’s recommendation for New York State certification. For initial certification, students are required to have  passing scores on each of the New York State Certification Examinations (NYSTCE): the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W) and the Content Specialty Test (CST). Students not receiving passing scores on all three examinations will not be eligible for certification.

It is strongly recommended that students complete the Liberal Arts and  Sciences Test (LAST) and the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W) of the New York State Teaching Certification Examinations prior to student teaching and the Content Speciallty Test (CST) during student teaching.

Additional information pertaining to certification can be obtained from Hofstra’s Office of Certification and Educational Support Services.

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