UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN
Why Study Early Childhood and Elementary Education
A great teacher can change lives by igniting a love of learning that lasts long after students leave the classroom. As a preschool or elementary school educator, you’ll guide children through their first experiences of imagination, inclusion, and discovery — moments that shape who they become.
You’ll gain meaningful, hands-on experience through classroom placements, research opportunities, and our partnership with the Farmingdale School District, where newly certified graduates complete their first year of teaching in the district’s universal pre-K program. With certification in both early childhood (birth-grade 2) and childhood education (grades 1-6), you’ll graduate ready to lead with empathy, creativity, and skill to empower young minds.
Inspiring Tomorrow’s Teachers
Gain the skills, clinical experience, and confidence to make a lasting impact in early childhood and elementary classrooms.
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Fieldwork and Student Teaching
Fieldwork lets students apply theory in real classrooms across grades and ability levels, with placements arranged by Hofstra’s Office of Field Placement within the School of Education.
Student teaching provides guided, hands-on development. Certification programs require at least 100 fieldwork hours, but Hofstra students often complete about 250 hours of clinical experience before student teaching.
Teacher Certification PreparationDegrees & Programs
Hofstra offers two four-year degrees in early childhood and childhood education and several five-year accelerated programs that combine an early childhood/elementary education bachelor’s degree with a specialized master’s degree. Hofstra University’s Early Childhood and Childhood Education programs prepare future educators to motivate, inspire, and teach with purpose and integrity. Through extensive field placements that begin early in the program, candidates engage in meaningful, hands-on experiences in diverse classrooms, thoughtfully connecting theory, research, and practice. Accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), our programs reflect a strong commitment to excellence and continuous growth. Guided by the School of Education’s mission, our faculty prepare reflective and knowledgeable professionals who use scholarship to inform their practice and who strive to advance a more just, open, and democratic society. At Hofstra, collaboration, leadership, and community engagement are not just ideals — they are central to how we prepare educators to make a lasting impact.
UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES & PROGRAMS
BS in Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)/Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) Minor in Educational StudiesDUAL CERTIFICATES & PROGRAMS
BA Dual Certificate Program in Early Childhood Ed (Birth-Grade 2) and Child Ed (Grades 1-6) Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)/Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) (BS) and Literacy (MSEd) Accelerated Program Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)/Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) (BS) and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) (MSEd) Accelerated Program Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)/Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) (BS) and Elementary Special Education (MSEd) Accelerated Program Early Childhood (Birth-Grade 2)/Childhood Education (Grades 1-6) (BS) and Bilingual Education (MA) Accelerated ProgramCareer Path & Outcomes
Our graduates are well prepared to enter the classroom and are working throughout the New York metropolitan region and nationwide as general education, preschool, special education, and dual language teachers, as well as literacy specialists.
100%
Graduates who were employed or attending or planning to attend graduate school within a year after graduation
100%
Employed graduates who landed their position either before or within three months after graduation
$52K
Mean annual salary reported one year after graduation
Learning Through Teaching
Paid Internships
In select Long Island districts partnered with Hofstra’s School of Education, students complete student teaching in the fall and transition into paid spring internships. Interns provide academic support and tutoring while developing teaching skills under district supervision. This clinically rich experience strengthens their resumes as they pursue their first teaching positions.
Related Subjects
Contact Us
Advisor
Myrna Fischbach, MS
Advisor, Undergraduate Programs in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Dual Childhood Education
Adjunct Instructor
Graduate Co-Director
Rosebud Elijah, PhD
Graduate Co-Director, Early Childhood Education and Dual Early Childhood and Childhood Education Programs
Associate Professor
Graduate Co-Director
Andrea Libresco, EdD
Graduate Co-Director, Early Childhood Education and Dual Early Childhood and Childhood Education Programs
Build real experience, explore dual certifications, and open the doors to teaching opportunities across New York and beyond.