Program Requirements

Family and Consumer Sciences Content Requirements

Students admitted to the Master of Science in Education program for Family and Consumer Sciences should possess a bachelor’s degree with a major specialization in one of the following areas: clothing and textiles, food and nutrition, business, family studies, consumer economics and public policy, health and wellness, culinary arts, food service, fashion design, elementary education, or child psychology. Applicants must have completed specific requirements as follows:

If one or more of the above content areas are missing from any student’s transcript, those content areas must be completed prior to completion of the graduate studies. Six credits of content studies taken at the graduate level can be applied toward the elective category of the degree program.

Where academic subject matter deficiencies in the specific major are so great as to prevent completion of requisite work within the 37 s.h. master’s program, additional course work may be required. Matriculated students must complete a minimum of 30 s.h. of the M.S.Ed. program in-residence at Hofstra. No more than 6 s.h. may be transferred into the program. Student teaching may be used to meet the residency requirement.

A maximum of 12 s.h. of graduate course work leading toward the M.S.Ed. may be completed prior to matriculation in the program. To register for courses in the program other than SED 205, 213, or 264, a student must (1) be matriculated in the program, or (2) have written permission of the course instructor or departmental chairperson prior to the beginning of the course. 

General Education Core Prerequisites

Prospective teachers seeking New York state Initial certification must complete a specified set of General Education Core requirements including, Artistic Expression, Communication, Information Retrieval, History/Social Science, Language Other Than English, Science, Mathematics, and Literature/Written Expression (6 s.h.). A minimum 2.75 GPA is required for the total course work in the General Education Core.

Program Requirements – Total Semester Hours: 37

Students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 while in the program. Grades of D or lower will not be counted toward the graduate degree but will be included in determining the grade-point average. Students must receive grades of B- or higher in all required (non-elective) courses in the program.

• Introductory Courses – Semester Hours: 12
• General Methods Courses – Semester Hours: 9
• Special Methods Courses and Curriculum Courses – Semester Hours: 7
• Student Teaching and Corequisite Seminar – Semester Hours: 9

For a sample plan of study, please visit the Advisement page.

For more detailed information, please visit the Hofstra Bulletin.