FAQs

The Five-Year Education program is available to current SHU sophomores who are interested in pursuing a professional career in teaching. The review committee considers all aspect of the application including:.

• Essay
• Current cumulative GPA
• Interview with the program director/faculty

For further information regarding the application process for the Five-Year Education program, please visit our admissions requirements page.

The Farrington College of Education & Human Development (FCEHD) does not have a cap on the number of students we accept.

Sacred Heart University undergraduates are expected to complete their application and all accompanying admissions requirements by February 1st of their sophomore year. Candidates who complete their applications will be invited to interview with the FCEHD faculty between late January and early February.

Connecticut requires all Teacher Certification candidates to complete the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators exam (Test #5752) in reading, writing and mathematics or meet the requirements for a Praxis waiver. Five-Year Education program applicants are required to submit Praxis Core scores or Waiver information prior to February 1st. For further information regarding the Praxis Core or waiver, visit our Praxis Testing Requirements page.

Once an applicant has been accepted to the Five-Year Education program, students will work with their assigned FCEHD advisor to ensure that they register for education courses which begin in the fall of their junior year.

Students in the Five-Year Education program will Student Teach for 10 weeks during their undergraduate or graduate program, depending on their certification area.

The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program for all Five-Year Education students begins in May, after undergraduate graduation (Summer 1 semester). Students are not encouraged to complete their undergraduate program early because we do not allow students to start the MAT program early. Students who do graduate early will have to wait until the Summer 1 semester to begin the MAT program.

Upon completion of the program (and all accompanying certification requirements), students will become certified in the State of Connecticut. If a student wants to transfer their license to another state, they will work with that states Department of Education and comply with their requirements. We have had many students who transfer their license to other states with no issues.

Yes, during the fifth year (graduate year), candidates will serve as interns in public schools for a full school year, or participate in the Bridgeport Residency Program. Participation in the school-based experience will cover the tuition for 30 graduate credits! The internship experience has been characterized as a year-long interview and has led to Connecticut teaching jobs for our candidates for over 25 years. The Bridgeport Residency guarantees job placement in the Bridgeport Public School system as part of the agreement.