Admission Requirements

Applications for admission to a Master of Arts (M.A.) program in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching are made to the Graduate Admissions Office. Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

1. A completed application form to the M.A. program.
2. New York State Initial Certification in Adolescence Education, valid for teaching one of the social studies in grades PreK-12. (Applicants who have Provisional Certification rather than Initial Certification should see the appropriate graduate program director for program alternatives.)
3. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 in each of two categories:
   1. Overall undergraduate course work;
   2. Course work in the content area in which certification will be sought.
   3. Students with GPAs between 2.5 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 the applicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession and in graduate course work.

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

Matriculated students must complete a minimum of 24 s.h. of the M.A. program in residence at Hofstra. No more than 12 s.h. of graduate course work leading toward the M.A. degree may be completed prior to matriculation in the program.

Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 33

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 while in the program. Grades of D or lower will not be counted toward the graduate degree but will be included in determining the grade point average.

The major in Social Studies Education consists of a minimum of 33 semester hours of course work, including each of the following:

Graduation Requirements

1. Completion of the 33 s.h. course requirement in the M.A. program with no fewer than 24 s.h. in residence.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 in overall graduate course work.
3. Satisfactory completion of a Departmental approved curriculum project.
4. All course work taken in satisfaction of the degree requirements must have been completed within a five year period.

Teacher Certification Requirements

Footnotes

*A minimum of 50 clock hours of college supervised field experience is required in this cognate area. Students are placed in the settings specific to the foci of their base teaching certificates. All field experiences are incorporated into the course curricula. Placements are arranged by the Office of Field Placement. Department policy is to place students in districts other than those in which they currently reside or in schools that they attended.

To be eligible for the Certification extension in Gifted Education and Bilingual Education students are required to have passing scores on the appropriate New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE). Please contact the Advisement and Certification Office for specific certification requirements.