Admission Criteria

Applications for admission to the M.S. Ed. in Foreign Language Education and TESOL program are made at the Graduate Admissions Office in the Admissions Center. Students who do not fully meet admission requirements may be required to complete prerequisite courses concurrently with completion of the Certificate Program requirements. Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

1. Possession of a bachelor’s degree with a 2.75 or higher GPA;
2. prior course work in a language in which foreign language education certification will be sought (see Foreign Language Content Requirements below);
3. personal statement describing the applicant’s intent and rationale for entering the program;
4. two letters of reference addressing the applicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession and in the teacher education program course work; and
5. interview with the coordinator of the program.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a student’s potential for success in the program. Candidates may wish to apply even if they do not meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience might compensate.
 

Foreign Language Content Requirements

Students admitted to the M.S. Ed. in Foreign Language Education and TESOL program should possess a bachelor’s degree in Arabic, Cantonese, Chinese, Mandarin, French, Italian, Spanish, German or Russian 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 course work 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 foreign 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 30 semester hours of credit toward the content core by passing both the oral and written proficiency portions of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) examination. The Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Written Proficiency Test (WPT) must both be taken and passed to receive the credit. Candidates are also required to have a passing score on the following New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE): the Content Specialty Test (CST) in LOTE.

Program Requirements – Total Semester Hours: 37

* Field Experiences

Field experiences are required in each of the following courses:
ELED 225 - Teaching English as a Second Language : 25 clock hours with English Language Learners, grades 1-6,
LYST 213A - Introduction to Bilingual and Biliteracy Instruction for ESL Teachers : 30 clock hours in varied settings
SED 291 - Instructional Patterns for Foreign Languages : 25 clock hours in the foreign language classroom, grades 7-12
SED 233 - Curriculum and Instruction in Foreign Languages : 25 clock hours in the foreign language classroom, grades 7-12
SED 267 - Teaching English to Adolescent and Adult Speakers of Other Languages : 25 clock hours with English Language Learners, grades 7-12
SPED 264 - Inclusion in Today’s Schools : 20 clock hours is settings with students with special needs in high needs schools, including placement with economically disadvantaged children (grades preK-12)

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

Graduation Requirements

Graduation for the program requires completion of:

1. All course work for the M.S. Ed. in Foreign Language Education and TESOL Program with an overall GPA of 3.0; no grades below B in required courses;
2. All foreign language content requirements;
3. 37 s.h. course work;
4. A portfolio illustrating the student’s educational course work and professional accomplishments. All course work taken in satisfaction of the certificate requirements must have been completed within a five-year period.
    

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.