Undergraduate Programs

Stephanie Squires, Ph.D., Dean

Anna Cicirelli, Ed.D., Associate Dean

The Caulfield School of Education offers a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Secondary Education. It also offers various options to become certified in many academic areas. The undergraduate program in Education provides pre-professional training for teaching on the pre-school, elementary, middle school, and secondary school levels.

General Entry and Exit Requirements
Students seeking admission to the undergraduate programs apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program normally second semester of sophomore year.

Admission criteria include:

• 3.0 minimum grade point average
• successful completion of ED-490: Sophomore Clinical Experience and Seminar
• successful completion of either ED-160 or ED-170/ED-203
• entrance interview and recommendation of School of Education Faculty
• taking and passing the Praxis I Core Exam
   

Exit requirements include:

• 3.0 minimum overall grade point average 
• exit interview conducted in Student Teacher Seminar
• Praxis Exam in the specialized area that the student wishes to be certified in
   

New Jersey Certification Requirements

Elementary School Teacher certification requires students to complete:

• core curriculum requirements (minimum of 60 credits in liberal arts)
• coherent sequence and major in Elementary Education²
• required passing of Praxis I and Praxis II exams¹

Middle School Teacher certification requires students to complete:

• core curriculum requirements (minimum of 60 credits in liberal arts)
• coherent sequence and major in Elementary Education
• 15 credits in approved program in each subject endorsed on the middle school level; the credits may be included in the academic major, core curriculum or electives
• required passing of Praxis I and Praxis II exams¹

Secondary School certification requires students to complete:

• core curriculum requirements 
• academic major (minimum of 30 credits in subject area to be taught) and minor in Secondary Education
• required passing of Praxis I and Praxis II exams¹

¹  Note: All students will be required to take and pass the Praxis exam before being permitted to student teach.

²  Elementary Education majors can also take required courses for Pre-School-3 Certification.

Areas Of Certification

Elementary Education Program

• Elementary Classroom Teacher (K-6)
• Pre-School-3 Certification

Elementary Education Program with Middle School Certification (15 credits are required in subject area for middle school certification. Core courses can be included in the 15 credits.)

• Teacher of Middle School Science
• Teacher of Middle School English
• Teacher of Middle School Social Studies
• Teacher of Middle School Mathematics

Secondary Education Program with Subject Area Endorsements

• Teacher of Art
• Teacher of Comprehensive Business
• Teacher of Biological Science
• Teacher of Mathematics
• Teacher of General Business
• Teacher of Physical Science
• Teacher of English
• Teacher of French
• Teacher of Italian
• Teacher of Spanish
• Teacher of Social Studies
• Teacher of History
• Teacher of Chemistry
• Teacher of Physics
• Teacher of Physical Education
• Teacher of Health
• Teacher of Physical Education and Health

Dr. Jennifer Ayala, Director

MAJOR AND MINOR REQUIREMENTS

Requirements for Elementary Education Major (Grades K -  6 and Pre-School-3)                                  

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

All Elementary Education students who wish to receive a State of New Jersey Teaching Certificate (K-6) will also take the courses necessary to be certified as Pre-School-3 teachers.  Elementary Education students must complete the following courses. Students who wish to take a course out of sequence should check with their departmental advisor.

Courses required for P-3 Certification

Requirements for Elementary Education Major (Grades Kindergarten to 6)

with Middle School Certification (Grades 6 to 8)

Degree of Bachelor of Arts

All Elementary Education students who wish to receive a middle school teaching certificate are required to follow the educational sequence outlined above for Elementary Education majors. In order to receive Middle School Certification, the student must take a sequence of courses (15 credits minimum) in the area in which they wish to teach. Students also need to successfully pass the Praxis II exam in the subject area in which they wish to teach.

Special Notes on Core Curriculum Requirements for Elementary Education Majors

¹

The recommended Mathematics Core Requirement is MA-108/MA-109 Math for Educators, I and II or MA-105/MA-106 or MA-102/MA-103.

²

CS-150 Introduction to Computers and Information Processing is recommended as part of the Core Natural Science Requirement.

Requirements for a Minor in Secondary Education

Since for Secondary Education students the academic major is also specific preparation for the subject teaching certificate, the student must choose an academic major that is taught at the high school level. In addition to an advisor from the department of the academic major, all Secondary Education minors must confer with an advisor in the School of Education and declare Secondary Education as a minor. Secondary Education minors must complete the following 25 credits:

Health and Physical Education

Please see the Health and Physical Education website for curricular information.