The secondary education certification program is offered at the undergraduate and MAT levels. In both the MAT and undergraduate programs, certification is available in English, history, mathematics, chemistry, biology, earth science, and physics; however, certification in chemistry, biology, and physics is more easily completed in the MAT program. The program combines a major in one of these chosen academic fields with courses in educational theory and practice. Students who complete the program will have a strong background in teacher education and a New York State approved major from a department on campus.
Students should begin the certification program as early as possible, but no later than the beginning of their sophomore year. Students must formally apply to the program by November 1 of their sophomore year, and it is strongly recommended that they apply during their first year at Colgate. Students must reserve the fall term of their senior year for student teaching, teaching seminars, and an advanced course on the diagnosis and remediation of reading problems.
