Earn both your General Education Certificate and Your Teacher of Students with Disabilities Endorsement (Special Education) with our innovative Special Education Program

The Special Education program is designed to prepare you to work effectively in support and inclusive settings with children and youth with disabilities and their families. We offer an approach that prepares you with an understanding of the foundations and current issues in special education, including federal and state rules and regulations.

Our graduates can effectively use assessment data to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate individualized instruction for students with disabilities. You will learn how to adapt and modify instruction and design accommodations to promote success for students with disabilities in special and inclusive settings.

• Future teachers learn how to work in collaboration with families, community members, general education teachers, and other professionals who work with students with disabilities.
• The learning approach is heavily hands-on and crosses-over into general education so that you understand how all children learn in their different learning styles.
• Our program prepares you to think critically and act responsibly as professionals within the changing field of special education.
• Centenary graduates are highly sought after as Special Education Teachers. Of you recent graduates, 40% have their first position as a special education teacher. (The average for the 24 programs across New Jersey is 10%.)

Areas of Certification

K – 6 Elementary School Teacher certification
For certification as an elementary school teacher, candidates must complete a major in the liberal arts, sciences, or a minimum of 60 liberal arts credits. A liberal arts major means any college major such as philosophy, history, literature, sociology, science, mathematics, or world language that is intended primarily to provide general knowledge and to develop an individual’s general intellectual capacities to reason and evaluate, as opposed to professional or vocational skills. The final determination as to which courses will be counted towards the subject matter is based on professional and content standards found in the NJ Licensing Code. In addition to content and education coursework, candidates must also pass the Praxis II Elementary Education Multiple Subjects Test and edTPA during Clinical Internship.

5 – 8 Middle School endorsement
The Middle School Endorsement (grades 5‐8) can be earned only in conjunction with the Elementary or Secondary Education certifications and cannot be earned on its own. Applicants must complete a minimum of 15 credits in the subject for certification. Centenary University offers certification in English, History, Mathematics, and Science. Special conditions may apply and these will be discussed with each candidate on an individual basis. In addition to content and education coursework, candidates must also pass the appropriate Middle School Praxis II and edTPA during Clinical Internship.

K – 12 or 5-12 Secondary Education certification
The State of New Jersey requires that all secondary teachers be highly qualified in one of the State’s core disciplines or in their certification area in order to be licensed. This certificate allows candidate to teach in either a high school or middle school classroom. Each candidate for secondary teaching certification is required to complete a minimum of 30 credits in a coherent sequence in the subject field of licensure. A coherent sequence includes at least 12 credits the advanced level of study (junior, senior or graduate level). Courses in pedagogy/education are not accepted towards the subject matter preparation. The final determination as to which courses will be counted towards the subject matter is based on professional and content standards found in the NJ Licensing Code. All credits must appear on a regionally accredited 2 or 4‐ year college/university transcript. At Centenary University, the discipline emphasis choices available are: Biology, English, Mathematics (Post Baccalaureate only), or History/Social Studies. For transfer and post baccalaureate candidates, an analysis of all transcripts will allow an advisor to inform the candidate if any credits remain to be satisfied in this category.

Within the 30 credits, candidates for the Teacher of Social Studies certification must complete a minimum of 15 semester hour credits in history to include a minimum of one course in American History and one course in World History. The State of New Jersey defines the field of social studies to include American history, European history, world history, government, political science, sociology, geography, anthropology, and economics.

In addition to content and education coursework, candidates must also pass the appropriate Praxis II content test(s) in their certification area and edTPA during Clinical Internship.

Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement

The Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement allows teachers to teach in special education classrooms and act as in class support teachers. This endorsement must be earned along with a general education certificate (K-6 Elementary, P-3 Early Childhood or of K-12 Secondary). It cannot be earned on its own. As such, the Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement is integrated into the general education certification programs. By taking the required program of study, candidates earn both a general education certification and the Teacher of Students with Disabilities endorsement.

Preschool – Grade Three Certification (P-3)
The P-3 Certification is designed for a candidate who wants an additional certification for teaching in a variety of public school preschool situations. The program provides an integrated view of curriculum and instruction at the early childhood level. P-3 teacher candidates will be exposed to principles, methods, 106 materials, and practices that are intended to stimulate, support and sustain emergent skills in young learners. Candidates who wish to pursue the P-3 certification take the K-6 Elementary School Teacher and Teacher of Students with Disabilities sequence of courses then take an additional 6 credits (three two-credit courses) specific to early childhood education. In addition to content and education coursework, candidates must also pass the Praxis II Early Childhood Education Test and edtTPA during Clinical Internship.

Clinical fieldwork

Fieldwork is an integral part of Centenary’s Education Program. From your first class in your first year through your final year, you will be working with students in various ways. Every education course in the program has a fieldwork component whether it be tutoring, completing a case study, designing and developing an educational game in a classroom, or teaching an entire class. Your fieldwork experience culminates with your Clinical Experience (formerly known as Practicum) and your Clinical Internship (formerly known as Student Teaching). During your final year, you are placed a school at which you will complete a year-long placement. You are mentored by highly effective teachers and a clinical supervisor who has spent many years in school as a teacher, supervisor, and administrator. This experience provides you with a solid background to acquire your first teaching job.

You complete Clinical Experience in your next to last semester and Clinical Internship in your last semester. For your Clinical Fieldwork, you can apply to school districts within a 60 minute radius of Centenary. We’ve developed a network of over 80 school districts that work closely with us to ensure your success.