Current Undergraduate Students

How the Education Program Works

Founded as a liberal arts university, Stockton offers Education courses that accompany our liberal arts majors in Arts, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies, History, Liberal Studies (for Early Childhood and Elementary) Literature, Marine Science, Math, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, and Spanish. Most students complete the major that best matches their certification area, taking a few Education Professional Requirement courses in the first two years of study. During sophomore year, students take the Gateway to the New Jersey Teaching Profession, or may complete all requirements to enter the certification sequence of courses described below.  

Students must complete all four semesters in order, meeting state requirements in every semester. In general, students should meet all eligibility requirements before they earn 64 credits to begin Clincal Experience (CX, 50 hours of field work) in their next semester. Likewise, students with 80+ credits who maintain their GPA will proceed to Clinical Practice I (CP I, 80 hours). During that CP I semester, students with 96+ credits should be passing Praxis II, maintaining their GPA, and preparing to enter Clinical Practice II (CP II, 100 hours). Finally, students with 112+ credits should be preparing for Final Clinal Practice (Full Time Student Teaching) next semester. 

The sections below contain very important information about what every student should expect and do before and during each field placement. Important: field placements depend upon the availability of state-approved mentor teachers, district leadership in public schools, and Board of Education approvals, all of which follow this timeline. For those reasons, students do not make their own placements; students apply for placements and the School of Education follows state regulations to arrange them. Please meet all requirements by the deadline (4/1 for fall, 10/1 for spring and 3/1 for summer) to ensure your placement.

Read all steps on each page carefully.

 

Clinical Experience Semester

Students participate in a formal orientation process to receive eligibility for certification courses.  Students will provide the School of Education with an application, and copies of all transcripts. The semester includes 50 hours of fieldwork with associated assignments.

 

Clinical Practice I Semester

This semester focuses on methods courses and fieldwork centered on actual lessons presented by students in school placement classrooms. The semester includes 80 hours of fieldwork with associated assignments.

 

Clinical Practice II Semester

This semester focuses on methods courses and fieldwork centered on actual lessons presented by students in school placement classrooms. The semester includes 100 hours of fieldwork with associated assignments.

 

Final Clinical Practice Semester

Student Teaching is a prospective teacher’s internship, i.e. a full-term experience observing, planning, and teaching in an elementary, middle, or high school setting.  It is partnered with EdTPA Capstone; a performance-based assessment taken during student teaching.