Stony Brook was founded in 1957 to prepare mathematics and science teachers. Today, Teacher Education and Educational Leadership (TEEL) brings together all of the University’s programs that lead to New York State certification for P-12 teaching and school leadership.
Our education program at Stony Brook is unusually strong. Our program is distributed because we don’t house our students in a college of education; instead, those who become teachers at Stony Brook are students in the same courses and majors as their classmates going on to content careers. Science teacher candidates will study with scientists, English teacher candidates will study with writers, mathematics teachers will study with mathematicians. In every field, you will earn a solid background in the content of your discipline, so you’ll be an effective, confident teacher able to lead young minds in this competitive era. With the mentorship of our faculty, you’ll learn to design engaging assignments, manage energetic classrooms, use evidence to improve your students’ learning, and help your school be a positive force in your students’ community.
Learn your subject from experts in the field
Stony Brook doesn’t have a separate school of education. Instead, future teachers major in the subject they’ll teach, in the same courses as classmates headed into research, industry and graduate school. Science teacher candidates study with scientists. English teacher candidates study with writers. Mathematics teacher candidates study with mathematicians. You’ll graduate knowing your subject deeply, and ready to teach it with confidence.
Get ready for the classroom
Our faculty include nationally known scholars and educators who spent full careers as middle and high school teachers and administrators. With their mentorship, you’ll learn to design engaging lessons, manage active classrooms, use evidence to improve student learning, and help your school serve its community. Field experience in local schools and supervised student teaching with a mentor teacher prepare you for your first classroom.
Programs for every stage of your career
Whether you’re starting college, adding certification to your Stony Brook major, changing careers or moving into school leadership, there’s a path for you.
Leadership
Sarah Jourdain, PhD
Executive Director, Teacher Education
Director, World Languages Teacher Preparation
Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
No, but you don’t need one to become a teacher in New York. Stony Brook offers more than 30 undergraduate and graduate programs that lead to New York State teaching certification. Teacher preparation is part of the university’s foundation: Stony Brook was established in 1957 to prepare math and science teachers.
Our bachelor's and Master of Arts in Teaching programs lead to New York State certification in grades 7-12 (with extension options listed below) in the following subject areas:
- English, mathematics, the sciences, and social studies — with an option to extend the certification to includes grades 5 and 6.
- World languages — with the option of a K-6 extension.
Two master's degrees lead to certification in grades P-12:
- TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages)
- Teacher of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities (TSSLD)
No, but our TESOL and Teachers of Students with Speech and Language Disabilities programs lead to certification at the P-12 level, so you could teach in an elementary school. Also, students in subject-area programs that lead to 7-12 certification can extend their certifications to include grades K-6 (for World Languages) and grades 5-6 (for all other programs)
New York has reciprocity agreements with more than 30 states and jurisdictions for classroom teaching certificates. Requirements vary by state, so check with the state where you plan to teach.
For Current Stony Brook Students
No. Undergraduates major in a subject area and add the Teacher Education concentration. It lets you graduate with both your degree and the preparation you need for New York State certification. See the list of 20 eligible majors.
Second-semester sophomores and first-semester juniors with a 3.0 GPA in an eligible major can apply. Here’s what you need to do.
There are three parts: core education coursework on the theory and practice of teaching, field experience observing and assisting experienced teachers, and supervised student teaching with a mentor teacher.
Yes. Combined bachelor’s/master’s options let eligible students earn a BA or BS and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), or a BA and an MA in TESOL. This offers a couple of advantages:
- You’d be taking some graduate courses at the lower undergraduate rate.
- Since a master's degree is required for professional certification, earning one before you start teaching relieves the pressure of taking
classes while you are in the beginning stages of your career.
Find your path as a teacher
Stony Brook University is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), a national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher
Education Accreditation. Its teacher education programs have been awarded full accreditation
by AAQEP through June 30, 2030.