Every candidate for graduation must file an application for graduation in the Office of Academic Records located in 207 Memorial Hall. The application MUST be completed by those students who have completed the necessary requirements of his/her program and intend to graduate.

Visit the commencement web page to learn more about the commencement process and graduation application deadlines.

CESS: Graduation Requirements

Undergraduate students may check the Degree Audit Report (DAR) to determine progress toward completion of degree requirements, in addition to speaking with an adviser.

Graduation from the graduate program requires:

  1. Completion of a Hofstra state-approved teacher education program with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in overall graduate course work and no grades below B in required courses. Please check Hofstra online Bulletin for specific program requirements.
  2. Completion of a general education core in Liberal Arts and Sciences with a minimum GPA of 2.75 and no grades below C-. Please check this webpage for the general education core requirements.
    (NOTE: students with foreign credentials must have a conversion of their educational credentials to equivalent American semester credits and courses (course-by-course evaluation) on file. The following organizations have met the requirements to be qualified as evaluation sources: https://www.naces.org/members.html)
     
  3. Completion of all Content Core requirements (if any) with a minimum GPA of 2.75 and no grades below C-. Please check this webpage for specific secondary education content core requirements.
  4.  Completion of all education law seminars:
    • Fire and Arson Prevention
    • Highway and School Safety/Prevention of Child Abduction
    •  Identification of Child Abuse and Maltreatment
    • Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Abuse
    • School Violence Prevention and Intervention
    • Training in Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention required under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
    • Autism (for students seeking certification in special education, speech and language disabilities and school administrators working in special education settings)
      (NOTE: students completed the seminars at other institutions must provide proof of the seminar completion to the Office of Educational Support Services)

Upon the successful completion of a Hofstra state-approved teacher education program, students are eligible for the University’s recommendation for New York state certification. A request for recommendation must be submitted to the Office of Educational Support Services the semester in which the student is graduating. Please go to https://www.hofstra.edu/certification-educational-support/ and click on the certification tab and on “applying for certification.”