The tradition of Siena College requires broad training in the liberal arts as well as a concentration in a major field of study. The Education Department’s goal is to enable educators to acquire the professional knowledge base and competencies characteristic of effective teaching. Through our goal of preparing teachers well-grounded in the professional knowledge base and the Franciscan liberal arts tradition, the mission of the Education Department reflects the mission of the College. Within this framework, students develop the skills of critical thinking and expression as well as empathy and concern for all individuals.
It is the responsibility of the student to understand and fulfill the various requirements of Siena College, the Siena Education Department and the state to which they plan to apply for teacher certification. Applicants must maintain an Education GPA of at least 3.0 and meet the academic and overall GPA requirements established by their academic departments as outlined in the course catalog.
As part of their course work, students will complete a minimum of one hundred and fifteen hours of field experience prior to the student teaching experience. For students in the certification sequence, these experiences are in varied secondary school settings. Students are responsible for their own transportation.
Students must apply for acceptance into the Teacher Preparation Program. Application is typically made early in the Spring semester (prior to February 1) of the student’s junior year. Successful applicants will then complete the “Professional Sequence” in their senior year. The Professional Sequence consists of two methods courses (EDUC 381 and EDUC 481) and a minimum of 40 hours of related field experience in the Fall, and full-time student teaching and two related seminars (EDUC 461 and EDUC 462) in the Spring. The Fall field experience will either be in middle school or high school placement(s); the same school classroom(s) will be the site for student teaching in the Spring.
The following requirements must be met before acceptance into the Teacher Preparation Program’s Professional Sequence:
Siena Undergraduates
- Successful completion of EDUC 210, EDUC 260, EDUC 261 and EDUC 365;
- Submission of an acceptable portfolio, including application, transcript, cover letter and resume, application essays, and graded paper from a course in the student’s major;
- Demonstrated success in field placements;
- Evaluation and recommendation by The Education Department (minimum Education GPA of 3.0);
- Evaluation and recommendation by the candidate’s academic major department (Note: each major sets specific coursework and GPA requirements for students pursuing teacher certification; for these specific requirements, please check the catalog entry for that major; students interested in social studies certification should see either the History Department or American Studies Department page);
- Review and approval by the Education Professions Committee (EPC)