/College of Arts and Sciences
Department of English

Teacher Education: English

What is the Teacher Preparation Program?

The English Teacher Education Program prepares English teachers for grades 7-12, with an optional extension for grades 5-6, and is offered in conjunction with the Department of English. It is run through D-TALE, which is Stony Brook's home for all programs that lead to New York State certification for K-12 teaching and administration.

Why it's beneficial

  • English Degree: You will not only have a certification to teach, but also a degree in English.
  • Certification. Graduates earn New York State Initial Certification in Adolescence English Education, which allows them to teach grades 7-12 across New York and in over three dozen other states (reciprocity details vary by state). 
  • Experienced faculty. Many instructors are retired secondary English teachers. 
  • Standards alignment. The program's goals follow the National Council of Teachers of English standards and the New York State English Language Arts Learning Standards. 
  • Placement options. Through the SUNY Urban Teacher Education Center, students can choose to complete their student teaching requirement in New York City. 
  • Accreditation. Stony Brook's teacher education programs have full AAQEP accreditation through June 30, 2030. 

Pathways to Certification

  • BA in English with Teacher Education. Undergraduates must major in English. Admission into the Teacher Preparation Program is open to current Stony Brook undergraduates only. 
  • Five-year accelerated BA-MA. This option includes English teacher certification and is available to qualified students. This would be in combination with the BA in English with Teacher Education. 
  • Second bachelor's. This is the preferred route for people whose first degree was not in English.
  • MAT in English. Applicants need a completed undergraduate degree with at least 36 credits in the content field. This option is for students who did not complete teacher education within the bachelors. The MAT program is entirely managed by the School of Professional Development not the Department of English.

English Teacher Education Program: Requirements and Guidelines

The Teacher Education Program is managed between the School of Professional Developments Distributed Teacher and Leader Education Program (DTALE) and the Department of English. 
  • Total: 77 credits across 21 courses. 
  • Courses are divided into three areas of concentration: The English Major, Teacher Prep English Content Courses, and Teacher Prep Professional Courses. All 9 of the Teacher Prep Content Courses also meet requirements of the English Major and are meant to map over one another. Please see Course Requirements further down this page for detailed information. 
  • Upper-division credits: At least 56 credits will be applied to the upper division 300 level or above requirement. 
  • The program fulfills these SBCs: HUM, HFA+, USA, ESI, WRTD, SPK, CER, EXP+
    Other SBCs may also be fulfilled depending on which courses you choose where a requirement offers more than one option, such as Literature by People of Color or Non-Western Literature.

Admission first requires a meeting with the English Academic Coordinator (charles.j.edwards@stonybrook.edu) and a meeting with the Director of English Education (chelsey.barber@stonybrook.edu)

*The application process will be managed by the Director of English Education*

  • Major requirement: You must be an English major to apply.
  • Grades: Every course must be passed with a C or better.
  • GPA: You must keep a 3.0 GPA to stay in the program and to receive certification.

The program fulfills these SBCs:

  • HUM, HFA+, USA, ESI, WRTD, SPK, CER, EXP+

Other SBCs may also be fulfilled depending on which courses you choose where a requirement offers more than one option, such as Literature by People of Color or Non-Western Literature.

  • Final three semesters: Methods 1, Methods 2, and Student Teaching must be taken in that order during your last three semesters.
  • Before student teaching: All undergraduate coursework must be finished before you begin student teaching.
  • During student teaching: No other courses may be taken while you are student teaching.
  • English Major Sequence: EGL 204, EGL 301, EGL 380 have to be taken in 3 separate semesters. 

The Director of English Teacher Education must approve enrollment in the following:

    • Methods 1
    • Methods 2
    • Student Teaching
Academic Program Coordinator will approve enrollment in the following: 
  • EGL Undergraduate courses
  • EGL Graduate Courses

  • Only students in the BA/MA program may take graduate courses.
  • If you are not in the BA/MA program and must take a graduate course to meet a requirement, that course counts only toward your undergraduate degree. It cannot be applied to a later graduate degree at Stony Brook.

These are completed outside your regular coursework but are required for certification.

  • State exams: You must pass two state tests: the Educating All Students Test (EAS) and the Content Specialty Test (CST). Take them during or before your Methods courses.
  • Fingerprinting: Your fingerprints must be recorded with New York State. Complete this during or before your Methods courses.
  • Required seminars: New York State requires all prospective teachers to complete four seminars:
      • Child Abuse
      • Substance Abuse
      • School Violence Prevention
      • Harassment, Bullying, and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention (DASA – Dignity for All Students Act)

Literary Analysis and Argumentation | 3 credits

English Major

Teacher Prep Requirement

Course

Introductory Course 

Introductory Course 

EGL 204

Three Survey Courses | 9 credits | One Survey must be EGL 205 or EGL 217

English Major Requirement

Teacher Prep Requirement

Course (one for each requirement)

Survey 1

British Literature Survey

EGL 205 or 206

Survey 2

American Literature Survey

EGL 217 or 218

Survey 3

Critical Theories and Pedagogies 

EGL 208 or 508

One English 100-300 Elective | 3 credits

English Major Requirement

Teacher Prep Requirement

Course

Elective 

Shakespeare if not taken at 300 or 500 level

EGL 243 if not taken at 300 level

Seven Upper Division Requirements |  21 credits

English Major Requirement

Teacher Prep Requirement

Course (one for each requirement)

1. Intensive Writing

Not Applicable

EGL 301

2. Genre Media

Adolescent Literature

EGL 360 or CEJ 552

3. Single Author

Shakespeare

EGL 345, 346, 502, or 584

4. Interdisciplinary Study of Lit.

Non-Western Literature

EGL 300-500 Course List Below

5. Literary History / Critical Theory

Theories of Mentoring Young Writers 

WRT 392 or EGL 592

6. Senior Seminar 

Not Applicable 

EGL 380

7. EGL 300-400 Elective 

Literature of People of Color

EGL 300-500 Course List Below

Two Interdisciplinary Concentration Courses | 6 credits

English Major Requirement

Teacher Prep Requirement

Course

Course 1

Not Applicable 

Example: HIS 204

Course 2

Not Applicable 

Example: HIS 300

Teacher Prep Professional Courses | 12 credits

Course Requirement

Course

Introduction to Special Education

CEF 347

Adolescent Development

PSY 327

Foundations of Education

SSE 350

Language Acquisition and Literacy Development

LIN 344

Methods and Student Teaching | 23 credits

Course Requirement

Course

Methods 1, 4 credits

EGL 441 and 449

Methods 2, 4 credits 

EGL 440 and 450

Student Teaching, 15 credits

EGL 454, 451, and 452

Recent Teacher Placements:
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  • Chris Drago ‘25- Valley Stream North High School
  • Isabella Casola ‘25- Southampton Intermediate School
  • Olivia Erndl ‘25- Oceanside High School 
  • Ellyn Gloria ‘25- The Laurel Hill School
  • Sarah Harvey ‘25- Glen Cove High School
  • Allexis Hays ‘25- Brentwood Middle and Senior High School
  • Danielle Henry ‘25- Riverhead Charter School
  • Anthony Hristidis ‘26- William Floyd High School
  • Emory Johson O’Connor ‘25- George Westinghouse H.S. Brooklyn, NYC Public Schools
  • Bridget Leudesdorf ‘25- Smithtown West High School
  • Annali Liranzo Martinez ‘26- Kings Park High School
  • Damon Messina ‘25- East Moriches Middle School
  • Matthew Migliore- Massapequa High School
  • Ashley Mullen ‘25- Sachem East High School
  • Sarah Murphy ‘25- Jericho Middle School
  • Matt Notarfrancesco ‘25- Comsewogue Junior and Senior High School
  • Emily Neumar ‘25- Lindenhurst Senior High School
  • Alyssa Pascocello ‘25- MS 428, Brooklyn, NYC Public Schools
  • Anthony Rauseo ‘26- Brentwood Middle and Senior High School
  • Sophia Seda ‘25- Roosevelt Children’s Academy
  • Sarah Smith ‘26- Brentwood Middle and Senior High School
  • Agapi Spathis- Floral Park Memorial High School
  • Carla Sobrado ‘25- University of Virginia
  • Sean Vahey ‘26- Eastport South Manor Middle/Senior High School
  • Rebecca Vecchio- Samoset Middle School, Sachem