The University offers programs to prepare students to become teachers of academic subjects in secondary schools (grades 7 through 12) and to become teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) in grades Pre-K through 12. Stony Brook’s teacher certification programs are registered and approved by the New York State Education Department.
Students complete the requirements of either a departmental major or an interdisciplinary major in addition to teacher certification requirements. Students should consult their major (or prospective major) department as early as the second semester of the freshman year to determine if the major includes the teacher education option and to obtain guidance in completing teacher education program requirements along with the requirements for their major program.
Teacher preparation programs are offered in the following subject areas:
A. Certification for Grades 7 through 12
B. Certification for Grades Pre-K through 12
Students qualifying for certification must satisfy the following requirements:
The university-wide approach to teacher education adopted by Stony Brook provides graduates of our teacher preparation programs with the intellectual vigor of an academic major as well as a valuable professional credential that qualifies them to teach in New York State and many other states in the country. Stony Brook students have consistently scored higher than the state average on each of the sub- tests of the National Teacher Examination (NTE).
Stony Brook students preparing for teacher certification take their courses with the same faculty who teach undergraduate and graduate students in the academic departments and interdisciplinary programs, and have the same opportunity for contact with renowned professors in each teaching field.
Clinical placements for Stony Brook students are available in an interesting cross section of cooperating school districts that draw upon school populations with a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, including culturally diverse students, students with disabilities, and gifted and talented students. Many schools are engaged in innovative and experimental programs in education.
The teacher preparation programs are closely monitored by an active and dedicated Teacher Education Committee and a Teacher Education Advisory Council consisting of university faculty and representatives from public school districts on Long Island.
The campus Office of Teacher Certification advises prospective teacher certification candidates in Stony Brook programs on procedures for obtaining New York State teacher certification. Clearance and applications for the certificate are processed by the Office of Teacher Certification, which keeps all documentation pertaining to these services on file and makes it available to students for in-state and out-of-state certification purposes, and to prospective employers.
Certification is not automatic. Upon successful completion of the University’s program, the student must apply for state certification by completing the necessary application forms available from the Office of Teacher Certification (632-7055), complete the certificate requirements for Training in Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting, and pass the New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE). The Career Development Office (632-6810) helps students in two ways. Through its credentials service, recommendations supporting students in their applications for jobs are kept on file. Copies of these recommendations are sent to prospective employers upon request. The office also posts announcements for teaching jobs available in local schools and schools around the country.
For liberal arts graduates who do not already have a teaching certificate, the University offers specially designed Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree programs in selected academic areas. At present, the University offers MAT degree programs in Social Studies, Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, English, and Foreign Languages (French, Italian, German, Russian), and is developing proposals for MAT programs in Spanish and Mathematics.
The University also offers a number of graduate degree programs that are particularly appropriate for teachers. Teachers holding provisional New York State teacher certification can complete a master’s degree in a “functionally related” field (as defined by the New York Sate Education Department) in order to satisfy the master’s degree requirement for permanent New York State teacher certification.
These "functionally related" graduate degree programs include the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, offered by the School of Professional Development and Continuing Studies; the Master of Arts in TESOL, offered by the Department of Linguistics; and any of the master’s degree programs offered by the related academic department in a subject taught in the public schools — e.g., biological sciences, chemistry, earth and space sciences, English, foreign languages (French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish), mathematics, physics, and social studies (anthropology, economics, history, political science, and sociology).
The University offers two advanced graduate certificate programs leading to New York State Certification in educational administration. The School Administration and Supervision (SAS) and the School District Administration (SDA) programs are designed to meet the needs of teachers who wish to enter the field of administration/supervision or wish to advance in the various areas of school district administration. Through its School of Professional Development and Continuing Studies, and in collaboration with the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Education, and the Superintendents Center, it offers the required graduate level courses and mentored experiential training needed to meet the requirements for both the SAS and SDA certificates.
Complete listing of undergraduate and graduate Teacher Education Programs at Stony Brook
For additional information about Teacher Education Programs at Stony Brook, see the Professional Education Program (PEP) site.
This page last revised by September 23, 2002 Glenn A. Richard (Glenn.Richard@sunysb.edu)