Requirements

Students who wish to teach and meet the department’s academic and professional requirements may elect a certification plan. Completion of this more intense program qualifies for initial certification in four areas: early childhood (birth-second grade), childhood (first-sixth grade), students with disabilities: early childhood (birth-second grade) and students with disabilities: childhood (first–sixth grade). After receiving their bachelor’s degree, students must apply for certification in all four areas, as well as pass several certification exams and complete two workshops to receive state certification.

Child study majors begin coursework in their freshman year at the Dillon Child Study Center. Students are expected to complete most of the core curriculum by the end of their sophomore year, but it is desirable to save at least one humanities course for their senior year. The general education core requirements include the following disciplines:

HUMANITIES

All child study majors must take eight humanities courses to fulfill the general core requirements: one art course, one music course and one English literature course; SPC 102 and SPC 224; one year of college-level foreign language (two courses) and one classics, philosophy or religious studies course.

HISTORY AND SOCIAL/BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

All child study majors must take one American history course and three of the following: New York State history, world history, introduction to psychology and/or introduction to sociology.

SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

All child study majors must take two lab science courses and two non-computer mathematics courses.

WRITING

All child study majors are required to take ENG 103 (Writing for Effective Communication).

AREA OF CONCENTRATION

Each student is also required to have an area of concentration of 30 credits chosen from one of the following disciplines: Art, English, history, human relations, mathematics, psychology, science, Spanish, social science, sociology or speech communication. Once a student identifies an area of concentration, he/she is responsible for fulfilling the requirements of the concentration. The student should meet at least once a semester for advisement with the chairperson/associate chairperson of the concentration to ensure that he/she is taking the appropriate courses to complete the concentration.

NON-CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Students who wish to obtain the B.A. degree in child study but do not seek New York State Certification may elect the degree plan, which requires 30 credits in child study, all of the above-mentioned non-child study course work, but no student teaching.

Visit the Child Study Curriculum page for more detailed information on the child study program on the Brooklyn Campus.

E-PORTFOLIO INFORMATION

All students in the teacher education programs are required to purchase, create and maintain an e-portfolio using the Anthology system. The assignments required for this teacher education program will be discussed in class.

STUDENT TEACHER EVALUATION

Student Teacher Evaluation form
The Summative Evaluation form for student teaching is completed by the cooperating teachers and student teaching supervisors.