What exams do I need to take, and when?
For admission to the English Education program, you should submit test scores for the ALST (Academic Language Skills Test). To be admitted to Student Teaching, you must submit scores for either the EAS test (Education All Students) or the ELA-CST (Content Specialty Test).Passing both exams is required for certification, but not for graduation.
How many courses am I allowed to take per semester?
For graduate students, we advise no more than three courses per semester. Most of our courses require anywhere from 10-30 hours of fieldwork, so the time demands can be high. Two courses (6 credits) are the minimum required to qualify for financial aid.
Do you offer summer courses? What about January intersession courses?
We offer English Education courses only during the Fall and Spring terms, but some foundations courses and electives are offered in January and the summer.
How often to you offer courses? Do I need to take them in a specific order?
We offer courses in our program only once a year. Foundations courses are offered each semester, and sometimes in January and summer. Our courses do not have prerequisites, so there is no specified order except for the Thesis course (EDSE 7200I) and Student Teaching (EDSE 7600G), which you must take during your final one or two semesters.
What will the fieldwork entail?
You are required to complete 100 hours of fieldwork before Student Teaching, in at least three different schools and three different grades (from 7-12). When you are in the field, you can expect to work with experienced teachers to design lessons and units, work with individual students, small groups, and whole classes, assess students' work, and develop your classroom management skills.
When do I do my student teaching? Can I keep my fulltime job while I student teach? Can I take classes while I student teach?
You will do Student Teaching during your last semester before graduation, and you must APPLY to student teaching during your next-to-last semester. Student Teaching puts you in schools for three full days and two half days each week for 15 weeks, and you will not be able to maintain full-time employment at the same time. We allow students to take additional courses while student teaching on a case-by-case basis.
How will I be placed for fieldwork and student teaching?
For fieldwork, your instructor will help you find appropriate placements, but if you already have a relationship with a specific school, you might be allowed to do your fieldwork there. The Office of Clinical Practice will place you for Student Teaching, but they will consider any request you make for a specific school.
What are the requirements for graduation? for certification?
For graduation, you are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0, complete all courses required for your program (including Student Teaching if that's required), and complete the DASA workshop. If you meet all these requirements and graduate from the program, we recommend you for certification, and NY State will complete the certification process once you have passed all four certification exams.
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Last Updated: 04/04/2022 11:47