We maintain high standards for our students and are committed to helping them become teachers who will make a difference in the lives of children. Graduates of this program are prepared to teach in the regular elementary classrooms and in a variety of settings serving students with special educational needs. The program of study in Secondary Education integrates teacher preparation with an academic major in the secondary-school subject area. To meet the remaining requirements for initial certification in New York State, all teaching candidates must pass qualifying N.Y. examinations and must also meet a foreign-language requirement. Under an Interstate Agreement, the NYS initial certificate facilitates receiving teaching certificates in the majority of states.
Students apply to the program during spring of sophomore year.
The following courses comprise the professional-education sequence for the psychology major in elementary and special education. During freshman and sophomore years, students meet with both advisors to design their program of study and to ensure that they will meet the requirement for admission to the secondary program in their junior year. The Teacher Education Department and Psychology Department sponsor a graduate program in educational psychology. Outstanding undergraduate special-education students may want to consider an accelerated program that combines the program with the M.A. in Educational Psychology. The accelerated program may be completed in 9 semesters and one summer.