Admission to the Program:

Students wishing to enroll in the-dual degree program have two entry options:

1. Direct admission to the dual-degree program

Students entering Hofstra as incoming freshmen can apply for direct admission to this dual-degree program. Applicants must have a combined SAT score of 1170 (or an ACT score of 25) and an overall high school GPA of 3.5 (or be in the top 15 percent of their high school graduating class) in order to be considered for admission. Students admitted directly to the dual-degree program as incoming freshmen will be admitted automatically to the M.S. program at the end of their junior year provided that they fulfill the following requirements:

(a) a cumulative GPA of 3.0 following completion of at least 90 s.h. of course work toward their B.S. degree in physical education and health; and
(b) successful completion of PESP 106  and PESP 108 .

2. Admission to the dual-degree program for current Hofstra students

Qualified Hofstra students majoring in physical education (B.S.) or qualified transfer students can apply for admission to the dual-degree program upon completion of the first semester of their junior year of undergraduate work. In order to qualify for admission to the dual-degree program, a student must attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application. Students admitted to the dual-degree program should note that admission to the M.S. portion of the program requires the fulfillment of the following requirements:

(a) a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the time of application to the M.S. program; and
(b) successful completion of PESP 106  and PESP 108 .

Undergraduate students must apply and be accepted and/or transitioned into the graduate program before being allowed to take graduate courses as part of their undergraduate program. In addition, students must complete at least 90 s.h. toward their B.S. degree, with at least 30 s.h. completed in residence at Hofstra, before being permitted to take graduate courses for the M.S. program in health and physical education.

Program Requirements

Students admitted to this dual-degree program will receive a B.S. in physical education and health upon completion of the following requirements:

Graduation Requirements

Graduation with a bachelor of science in physical education and health requires:

1. Completion of all undergraduate criteria above;
2. No grades lower than C- and no unresolved INC grades in professional education and physical education course work; and
3. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better in all course work.

Students not electing to continue into the M.S. program will NOT be eligible for certification for health or physical education.

Graduation with a master of science in health and physical education requires:

1. Completion of all creiteria above; and
2. An overall GPA of 3.0 or better in all graduate course work.

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 Educational Support Services 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. 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), secondary (Grades 7-12) and special subject teachers as well as educational leaders are required to pass the New York State Teachers Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) administered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc., for state certification requirements. Students should consult with the Office of Educational Support Services regarding the appropriate examinations for their area of study.

We anticipate that teacher and school building leader candidates applying for certification on or after May 1st, 2014, will be required to take certain new exams. At the February 2012 meeting, the New York State Board of Regents approved a change to the implementation schedule for the new testing requirements for the initial certification of teachers and school building leaders. Please contact the office of Educational Support Services at Hofstra University at (516) 463-5747 or consult the state website.

For candidates graduating prior to May 2013, 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 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 Office of Educational Support Services. All of these seminars must be completed before the conferral of the degree and recommendation for certification.