Center of Pedagogy

Graduate Initial Teacher Certification Programs

Initial Instructional Certification Programs Offered
Application and Admissions Requirements
Certification
Portrait of a Teacher
Additional and Advanced Certificates
Retention in the Program
Program of Study for Subject Area Certification
Program of Study for Early Childhood or Elementary Education
Information Sessions

A student with a baccalaureate degree may pursue an initial New Jersey teaching certificate at MSU. Fully certified teachers may obtain additional teaching field endorsements or advanced certification at MSU. The Center of Pedagogy's Teacher Education Program oversees graduate programs at the University that lead to initial teacher certification. The Teacher Education Program also oversees the Teacher of Students with Disabilities program. All other programs - i.e., those leading to additional/advanced certification - are handled by the College of Education and Human Services and the office of Graduate Admissions and support services.

To learn more about certification programs offered via the Teacher Education Program, we invite you to attend an information session. Click here to view dates. For information regarding the Ed.D. in Pedagogy, see Doctoral Programs.

Montclair State's Teacher Education Program has a number of distinctive features. The Center of Pedagogy oversees teacher education functions including a network of partner schools which provides real world settings where students complete their field experiences with a programmatic emphasis on teaching for critical thinking. The Program was awarded the Christa McAuliffe Showcase for Excellence award by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for its collaboration with public schools and in 2002 was awarded the American Association for Colleges of Teacher Education Best Practice Award in Support of Diversity. It is a member of the National Network for Educational Renewal and Teachers for a New Era Learning Network. The commitment of the faculty in the Teacher Education Program is to the enculturation of students into a political and social democracy, the moral dimensions of teaching, as well as competence and knowledge both in pedagogy and the content to be taught.

Requirements for certification are subject to change by the New Jersey Department of Education regulation and University policy. Students should consult with their advisors on a regular basis.

Initial Instructional Certification Programs Offered

Application and Admissions Requirements

In addition, applicants to the M.A.T. and Post Baccalaureate Programs may be required to take the appropriate Praxis II Subject Assessment test prior to being admitted into the Program. Full matriculation requires passing the Praxis. Click here for specific program Praxis requirements.

In addition to transcripts and GRE and Praxis II scores, two recommendations from school or college faculty, or administrators, must be submitted. It is expected that students will be able to demonstrate proficiency in the use of the English language.

In selecting students for the graduate level Initial Instructional Certification Program, Montclair State University uses criteria which are related to the kinds of knowledge, abilities, dispositions and character we expect graduates of our Program to possess. The Portrait of a Teacher is a model toward which students in the Program strive. In making decisions on acceptance to the Program, faculty consider such criteria as GPA, knowledge of content of major area of study, commitment to teaching and its varied responsibilities and communication abilities, both written and oral. These criteria enable faculty to assess the likelihood that candidates will achieve the goals inherent in the Portrait of a Teacher.

All students should note that admission to the University to take courses does not guarantee admission to the Teacher Education Program, and that any courses taken prior to admission to the Program are taken at the student's own risk.

Certification

Additional and Advanced Certificates

Students already holding teaching certificates may apply to the University to take coursework leading to additional endorsements or advanced certificates. They are not eligible for the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program. However, other education-related master's programs are available and are described on links under the Office of Graduate Admissions and Support Services.

Portrait of a Teacher

The Montclair State University community is committed to the continuing development of teachers who exemplify the character, dispositions and habits of mind reflected in this portrait. They:

1. Have expert knowledge of the disciplines they will teach and can use various strategies, including media and technology, for creating learning experiences that make the subject matter accessible and meaningful to all students.
2. Understand how children and adolescents learn and develop in a variety of school, family and community contexts, and can provide learning opportunities that support their students' intellectual, social, and personal development.
3. Understand the practice of culturally responsive teaching. They understand that children bring varied talents, strengths, and perspectives to learning; have skills for learning about the diverse students they teach; and use knowledge of students and their lives to design and carry out instruction that builds on students' individual and cultural strengths.
4. Plan instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, families, communities, and curriculum goals and standards; and taking into account issues of class, gender, race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, age, and special needs in designing instruction.
5. Understand critical thinking and problem solving, and create learning experiences that promote the development of students' critical thinking and problem solving skills and dispositions.
6. Understand principles of democracy and plan and carry out instruction that promotes democratic values and communication in the classroom.
7. Understand and use multiple forms of assessment to promote the intellectual, social, and physical development of learners and to inform instruction.
8. Create a community in the classroom that is nurturing, caring, safe, and conducive to learning.
9. Are reflective practitioners who continually inquire into the nature of teaching and learning, reflect on their own learning and professional practice, evaluate the effects of their choices and actions on others, and seek out opportunities to grow professionally.
10. Build relationships with school colleagues, families, and agencies in the community to support students' learning and well-being, and work to foster an appreciation of diversity among students and colleagues.
11. Possess the literacy skills associated with an educated person; can speak and write English fluently and communicate clearly.
12. Develop dispositions expected of professional educators. These include belief in the potential of schools to promote social justice; passion for teaching; and commitment to ensuring equal learning opportunities for every student, critical reflection, inquiry, critical thinking, and life-long learning, the ethical and enculturating responsibilities of educators, and serving as agents of change and stewards of best practice.
    

Retention in the Program

Students who are accepted into the Teacher Education Program are evaluated periodically. Students are responsible for reviewing the Teacher Education Program Handbook to determine criteria used to determine eligibility for student teaching and the University's recommendation for certification.

Program of Study for Subject Area Certification

• PSYC 101 General Psychology I: Growth and Development
  
• EDFD 200 Psychological Foundations of Education
  
• PSYC 560 Advanced Educational Psychology (PSYC 560 is required for the MAT program)
  
• Human and Intercultural Relations Course
  

• CURR 599 Curricular and Social Dynamics of Schooling
  
• EDFD 520 Development of Educational Thought
  
• A course in teaching reading
  
• CURR 5_ _ Educational Elective
  
• A course in teaching for critical thinking
  
• Major Departmental Methods Course(s)
  
• CURR 500 Fieldwork in Education
  (A Fieldwork Application must be filed with the Center of Pedagogy a Full semester before enrolling in this course. Deadlines apply, refer to E. below.)

Course requirements in teaching field (major) are provided by departmental advisor.

• CURR 511 Supervised Student Teaching
  OR CURR 514 In-Service Supervised Graduate Student Teaching
  
• CURR 502 Seminar in Professional Education
  
• CURR 528 Teaching for Learning
  
• Departmental (major) Seminar (if required)

A comprehensive exam is required for the MAT Program. Students should consult their advisors for details regarding this exam. Information is also available in the Curriculum and Teaching Department.

Program of Study for Early Childhood (P-3) and Elementary Education (K-5) Certification