Track I Requirements

Track II Requirements

 I.    Completion of General Education Core
II.    Completion of Health Prerequisites
III.   Completion of Professional Education Core (12-18 s.h.)
IV.   Completions of Competencies (.5 s.h.)
V.    Completion of Master of Science in Health Education (39 s.h.)
VI.   Completion of 100 hours of Field Experience
VII.  Student Teaching (6 s.h.) 

Admission Requirements

Application for admission to the Master of Science in Health Education Programs in the Department of Health Studies and Kinesiology is made to the Graduate Admissions Office. Admission decisions are based on a comprehensive review of the following:

1. Completed application form.
2. Interview with the program director.
3. Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended with a minimum 2.75 grade point average. Upon the recommendation of the Program Director, students with a grade point average lower than 2.75 may be admitted by meeting one or more of the following criteria:
   1. Complete 12 probationary graduate credits maintaining a minimum of 3.0 grade point average.
   2. The GRE may be required of those students with lower than a 2.5 grade point average.
4. Written personal statement describing the candidate’s goals in the teaching profession and in Health Education.
5. Two letters of reference that address the candidate’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession and graduate studies.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in a graduate program. Consequently, candidates are welcome to apply if they do not meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience may compensate.

General Education Prerequisites

Health Prerequisites

Students are required to have a minimum of 12 to 18 credits in health-related content including:

• One course in human biology or anatomy and physiology.
• One course (or certificate) in safety and first aid including CPR.
• One or more courses in one of the following: general psychology, child psychology, adolescent psychology, sociology, statistics, biostatistics, epidemiology, measurement and evaluation or another equivalent course.  

These courses can be met by courses completed at the undergraduate or graduate level at any approved institution of higher education. The student will have met these health-related content courses with a minimum grade of B. This requirement will be determined at the initial interview with the department adviser.

Professional Education Core (Prerequisites and Corequisites) Semester Hours: 12-18

Students with no previous teacher certification or licensure will be required to take the following courses unless able to document previous course work in education. The courses will include: foundations of education, literacy studies, inclusion, and child and adolescent development. Students who hold a valid New York state teaching certificate in another discipline will have met these requirements. However, a determination will be made at the initial interview regarding any education courses needed. These courses are not part of the Master of Science in Health Education degree and can be taken at either the graduate or undergraduate level.    

Competency Requirements

The following competencies are expected of all graduate health education majors:

1. SOE 201     Research Writing/Library Literary Workshop, .5 s.h.
   This workshop is required of all students during the first year of matriculation unless they meet one of the     following criteria with the approval of the faculty adviser:
       a.    Previous related course work with a minimum grade of B,
       b.    A published research journal article.
      *There is a fee equivalent to course credit associated with the above workshops as follows: SOE 201
         equals .5 semester hours each. These workshops do not carry credit toward the degree.
2. Computer Competency: Previous course work, demonstrated competency (or attendance in Hofstra Computer Workshops), covering PowerPoint, word processing, and Internet are required.

Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 39

The program is an initial certification program in health education for all grades, for students with prior certification in another discipline. Students with no prior teaching certification must meet liberal arts and sciences requirements and professional education core requirements. Students with prior certification must meet all liberal arts and sciences requirements. Total semester hours will be determined following transcript evaluation by the Hofstra certification office.   

These represent the requirements of the Master of Science in Health Education and do not include any prerequisites or corequisites described above.

Field Experiences Prior to Student Teaching

• CT 229 - Development and Learning in Childhood and Adolescence Semester Hours: 3

• 20 clock-hour placement, grades PreK-12.

• HED 263 - Field Experience for Health Educators Semester Hours: 1.5

• 50 clock-hour placement in both PreK-6 and 7-12 (25 hours each) health education classrooms including those in high needs districts and in classrooms with students with special needs. This will be required of those students in the no previous certification track if they cannot demonstrate sufficient observation time to meet New York state’s requirement of 100 clock-hours prior to student teaching.

• LYST 209 - Language, Culture and Identity: Literacy Issues for Adolescents and Young Adults Semester Hours: 3

• 10 clock-hour placement in literacy settings, grades PreK-12

• LYST 212 - Family, Community, and School Literacies: Cultural Perspectives Semester Hours: 3

• 10 clock-hour placement in literacy settings, grades PreK-12

• LYST 213 - Introduction to Bilingual and Biliteracy Instruction for Children and Adolescents Semester Hours: 3

• 10 clock-hour placement in literacy settings, grades PreK-12

• LYST 214 - Language and Literacy in Early Childhood and Childhood Semester Hours: 3

• 10 clock-hour placement in literacy settings, grades PreK-12

• SPED 201 - The Exceptional Child Semester Hours: 3

• 20 clock-hour placement in setting with special needs students and high-needs students, grades PreK-12

• SPED 264 - Inclusion in Today’s Schools Semester Hours: 3

• 20 clock-hour placement in setting with special needs students and high-needs students, grades PreK-12

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of all General Education Core requirements.
2. Completion of all program prerequisites and corequisites.
3. Completion of the 39 s.h. course requirements for the Master of Science in Health Education.
4. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work with no grade below B- in required courses.

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. 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., 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 1, 2014, will be required to take certain new exams. Candidates who graduate and apply for certification on or before April 30, 2014, but do not meet all the requirements for an initial certificate on or before April 30, 2014, will also be required to pass the new exams. Candidates will not be permitted to mix and match examinations from the old and new tests. Please contact the Office of Educational Support Services at Hofstra University at 516-463-5747 or consult the state website.

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 Office of Educational Support Services. All of these seminars must be completed before the conferral of the degree and recommendation for certification.

Forms for applying for certification can be found at the Office of Educational Support Services Web page under the certification tab.

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 perspective 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. Fingerprinting can be completed through Hofstra University using LIVESCAN technology, arranged by the Office of Educational Support Services each semester. You may contact us at 516-463-5747 or visit Hagedorn Hall, Room 129. You may also register online. Fingerprint clearance is also required for New York state certification.