In the teaching trade, our craft is the human mind, the human conscience; we are responsible for shaping the minds of young people. We mold souls and help construct individuals. While content, test scores, college and career readiness all matter, a teacher should never forget that the true purpose of teaching is growing young people’s minds. The responsibility is immense, as is natural with anything involving matters of life and death, but the reward is even greater.

Natalie Rodriguez-Nelson ’18

The program offers students the opportunity to earn New Jersey state subject area licensure that enables them to teach at the middle and/or secondary school levels in the following academic areas: art, English, mathematics, music, the sciences, social studies, and world languages. Certificates can be transferred through reciprocity agreements between those states and the State of New Jersey. After completing the Program in Teacher Preparation, students qualify to have their credentials submitted to the State of New Jersey for the Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing.

Students must take and pass the appropriate PRAXIS examination(s) for the subjects and levels for which they are seeking certification. A listing of the tests can be found at NJDOE Listing of PRAXIS Test Requirements.  Students completing Practice Teaching in the fall must take the PRAXIS examinations no later than the November administration, and those completing Practice Teaching in the spring must take the examinations no later than the March administration.  More information about PRAXIS and the administration dates and sites, can be found at [www.ets.org/praxis/].