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.

*Footnote

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 Office of Certification and Educational Support Services the semester in which the student is graduating. Students 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), elementary (Grades 1-6) and secondary (Grades 7-12), special subject teachers and educational leaders are required to pass the New York State Teachers Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) administered by Pearson Education, for state certification requirements. Students should consult with the Office of Certification and Educational Support Services regarding the appropriate examinations for their area of study. Beginning in May 2013 graduating students will be required to pass new Performance Assessments and revised Content Specialty Tests.

It is strongly recommended that students complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) prior to student teaching, and the Assessment of Teaching Skills Written (ATS-W) and the Content Specialty Test (CST) during student teaching. Students not receiving passing scores on these examinations will not be eligible for certification.

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.

New York state legislation also requires all persons seeking certification as special education teachers or school administrators working in special education to have training in the area of children with autism. All of these requirements must be completed before the conferral of the degree and recommendation for certification.

Additional Information

• Program Costs
• On-Time Completion Rates
• Median Loan Debt