Initial State Licensure

The Stony Brook Teacher Education Program is an approved New York State program. If you complete our program, the University will recommend you for initial licensure, which is ultimately granted by the New York State Department of Education, not Stony Brook. In addition to completing the Stony Brook program requirements described previously, teacher candidates must also satisfy the following New York State and/or Stony Brook University requirements to receive the initial license. These certification requirements are valid as of the beginning of the current academic year.

1. Credits in Content Area

• Undergraduate: completion of requirements for academic major with a minimum of 36 credits in the specific cognate field.
• Graduate: 12-15 additional credits in content area through MA or MAT programs.

2. Education Courses

• Completion of all education courses required by the individual programs.
• 100 hours of pre-service clinical experience (at least 15 hours of which include a focus on understanding the needs of students with disabilities or special needs).
• Stony Brook Teacher Education Preparation Program requires one semester (75 days) of supervised student teaching.
• Stony Brook Teacher Education Preparation Program one year of a language other than English at the college level (TESOL requires 2 years of language study).
• New York State requires all teacher candidates who are applying for initial certification to pass several standardized tests: Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST), Educating All Students Test (EAS), and a relevant Content Specialty Test (CST).** Students should visit the NYSTCE site to get an overview of the fields of knowledge assessed on these tests, and for the most up-to-date information pertaining to these requirements. It is also recommended that students contact their program director for guidance in this process.
• Completion of Child Abuse; Substance Abuse; School Violence Prevention; Autism Recognition, Referral and Control; and Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention (DASA - Dignity for All Students Act)  seminars.
• Fingerprinting*
• In order to receive an institutional recommendation, all students must submit a FERPA release form and information sheet to the Teacher Certification Office. This is mandated by Federal Law as Stony Brook may not release any information on a prospective candidate for license without this written release. Candidates for license must also access the TEACH online system to apply for license. This online application is in addition to and distinct from any information imparted by the University on a student’s behalf to New York Education Law now permits Non-resident Aliens to qualify for an initial license. Individuals with United States Citizenship or Permanent Resident status may qualify for a Permanent or Professional New York State Teaching For additional information, please visit the NYSED certification page dealing with citizenship.

Please note that in many cases Stony Brook requirements are more rigorous than the basic New York State requirements. Candidates are required to comply with Stony Brook regulations in order to complete the program.

* Currently, the State Education Department asks if applicants for certification have ever been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic violation. Conviction does not automatically prevent a person from becoming a teacher. However, if you have an issue, you should consult with the New York State Education Department and/or an attorney before applying to a teacher education program.

**As of April 27, 2022, the NYS Education Department eliminated the edTPA as a certification requirement.  Effective September 1, 2023, in lieu of the edTPA, all students in teacher preparation programs will be required to complete a teacher performance assessment.  This assessment will be developed, administered, and evaluated by Stony Brook University instructors.