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Who is eligible for the NYU Teacher Residency?

Our eligibility requirements in content course work ensure that our graduates are highly qualified to teach in their subject areas and are ready to apply for certification or credentialing in our partner locations’ states.

Eligibility to join the Teacher Residency is based on your previous undergraduate and graduate course work. There are different course work requirements for each of the two master of arts in teaching degrees: Inclusive Childhood Education (elementary school) and Secondary Education (middle and high school). Review this self-reflection guide to determine which degree is right for you.

Degree option availability varies by location. Opportunity to pursue a master of arts in teaching in Inclusive Childhood Education or master of arts in teaching in Secondary Education is based on school need. Explore our residency locations for details.

A transcript review is required to ensure your eligibility. Email unofficial copies of your transcripts from any undergraduate and any graduate course work that you have completed to one of our enrollment specialists.

Prior teaching experience is not required.

We recommend you explore the information provided for each content area you are interested in applying for. This information offers guidance to determine which content area(s) your undergraduate and graduate credits may qualify you for in our residency partners’ states. In some cases, additional courses may be required to match your existing credits to your subject area of choice.

English: Grades 7-12
Mathematics: Grades 7-12
Science: Grades 7-12
Social studies: Grades 7-12
Special education generalist: Grades 7-12
Inclusive childhood: Grades 1-6, and Students With Disabilities, Pre-K-Grade 12 (all grades)

What are the eligibility requirements to apply to teach Secondary Education English?

I have 30 credits in English

If you have 30 credits in English (or a minimum of 24 credits*), you are eligible to apply to the English Education Grades 7-12 program. Course codes most commonly associated with these courses include ENG, LIT, WRIT, and LANG. Course codes beginning with PHIL, HUM, or HIS pertaining to the above subject may be counted, but additional course descriptions will have to be submitted. You must have completed a bachelor’s degree in English or 30 semester hours in English, including

12 semester hours of literature
3-6 semester hours in language
3-6 semester hours in writing

*If you have 24 or more credit hours in English, but less than the required 30, you can still be accepted into the Teacher Residency. You would be required to make up the remainder of the credits before the end of your residency year in order to be eligible for recommendation for certification.

What are the eligibility requirements to apply to teach Secondary Education mathematics?

I have 30 credits in mathematics

If you have 30 credits in mathematics (or a minimum of 24 credits*), you are eligible to apply to the Mathematics Education Grades 7-12 program. Course codes most commonly associated with these courses include MTH, MATH, CALC, etc. These courses should also be 100-level or above. You must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a strong mathematics GPA. You must also have 30 credits of acceptable mathematics content, which can include courses in mathematical reasoning, quantitative methods, number theory and concepts, algebra, analytic geometry, calculus, geometry, data analysis, probability, and discrete mathematics.

*If you have 24 or more credit hours in mathematics, but less than the required 30, you can still be accepted into the Teacher Residency. You will be required to make up the remaining credits before the completion of your residency year in order to be eligible for recommendation for certification.

What are the eligibility requirements to apply to teach Secondary Education science?

I have 30 credits in science (biology, chemistry, Earth science, or physics)

If you have 30 credits in a science (or a minimum of 24 credits*), you are eligible to apply to a Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, or Physics Grades 7-12 program. Course codes most commonly associated with these courses include BIO, BCHEM, ANP, ANT, ECO, CHEM, PHYS, etc. You must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a strong science GPA. You must also have:

a strong GPA in the content area of study: biology, chemistry, Earth science or physics
completed a major in science in your undergraduate program or the equivalent of 30 total science credits in undergraduate or graduate course work in your specific science area

*If you have 24 or more credit hours in the above areas, but less than the required 30, you can still be accepted into the Teacher Residency. You would be required to make up the remainder of the credits before the end of your residency year in order to be eligible for recommendation for certification.

What are the eligibility requirements to apply to teach Secondary Education social studies?

I have 30 credits in social studies

If you have 30 credits in social studies (or a minimum of 24 credits*), you are eligible to apply to the Social Studies Education Grades 7-12 program. Course codes most commonly associated with these courses include HIST, GEO, ECON, POL, GOV, etc. You must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a strong GPA and a total of 30 credits. Specifically, you need to have completed:

3 semester hours of economics
3 semester hours of government, politics, or political science
21 semester hours of history and geography of the United States and the world
3 semester hours of a foreign language

*If you have 24 or more credit hours in social studies, but less than the required 30, you can still be accepted into the Teacher Residency. You would be required to make up the remainder of the credits before the end of your residency year in order to be eligible for recommendation for certification.

What are the eligibility requirements to apply to teach Secondary Education special education generalist?

You must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a strong GPA. If you have 30 credits in a liberal arts major or concentration (or a minimum of 24 credits*) and have a distribution of credits in the below content areas, you are eligible to apply to the Special Education Generalist Grades 7-12 program. To learn more about what is defined as “liberal arts,” please visit the New York State Department of Education’s website. Course codes would likely be an aggregate of those listed for the content areas. You must have:

6 semester hours of English language arts
6 semester hours of mathematics (includes statistics)
6 semester hours of natural or physical sciences
6 semester hours of social studies/social sciences

*If you are missing 6 semester hours from what is listed above, you can still be accepted into the Teacher Residency. You would be required to make up the remainder of the credits before the end of your residency year in order to be eligible for recommendation for certification.

What are the eligibility requirements to apply to teach Inclusive Childhood Education?

You must have completed a bachelor’s degree with a strong GPA. If you have 30 credits in a liberal arts major or concentration (or a minimum of 24 credits*) and have a distribution of credits in the below content areas, you are eligible to apply to the Inclusive Childhood Education (Grades 1-6, Students With Disabilities, Pre-K-Grade 12) program in select partner locations. To learn more about what is defined as “liberal arts,” please visit the New York State Department of Education’s website. Course codes would likely be an aggregate of those listed for previously listed content areas. You must have:

6 semester hours of English
6 semester hours of natural or physical sciences
6 semester hours of mathematics (statistics is acceptable)
6 semester hours of social science/studies
3 semester hours of a language other than English (American Sign Language is acceptable)

What if I don’t have enough credits to qualify for one of the core concentration areas for the Secondary Education program?

You may still be eligible for the Special Education concentration. You must have a minimum of 18 credits in one of the four content areas, or distributed across the content areas for a special education candidacy. You will need to complete any remaining credit requirements prior to the end of your residency year.

If you do not have enough credits to apply for the content area of your choice, you may also consider taking the course work needed for eligibility and reapply for admission the following year.

Am I eligible for the NYU Teacher Residency if English is not my native language?

Your ability to speak, write, and read with fluency in English is crucial to your success at NYU Steinhardt and as a teacher in our partner schools. We expect all students to be proficient in English at their time of admission to NYU Steinhardt.

If your native language is not English, you must submit results from one of the following English proficiency exams: TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE Academic. This requirement is waived if:

you received four years of education as an undergraduate where the official language of instruction of the institution was English for all course work; or
you received four years of education as a graduate student where the official language of instruction of the institution was English for all course work; or
you received a combined undergraduate and graduate education of four years where the official language of instruction of the institution was English for all course work.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to require any candidate, regardless of country of citizenship or prior college experience, to submit results from an English language exam prior to rendering a decision if they believe the applicant’s proficiency in English may not meet admissions standards.

Explore English proficiency testing requirements.

Do you accept non-US citizen (international) applications?

You must have the equivalent of a four-year US bachelor’s degree to be considered for admission. Your ability to speak, write, and read with fluency in English is crucial to your success at NYU Steinhardt.

Because the course work for this program is online, candidates are not eligible for visa sponsorship from New York University at this time. You will not be eligible for the F or J visa types through NYU. Please explore one of our on-campus programs that would allow eligibility for the F or J visa. Read more about Steinhardt admissions policies for international applicants.

Please note: These directions are meant to help you in completing your application but should not be considered legal advice.

Do I need to pass a background check?

Licensing agencies and fieldwork placement facilities in your field of study require that you undergo a criminal background check, the results of which the agency or facility must find acceptable before placement or licensure.