Each year, several Lafayette College students express an interest in preparing for careers in education. Although Lafayette no longer has a teaching certification program, there are several options available for students who would like to pursue secondary education teaching, which requires majoring in a content area as well as satisfying the requirements for certification.

Students interested in secondary teaching careers should contact the education adviser, James E. Tiernan, to discuss opportunities and to plan their education programs. Students should plan on taking Foundations of Education (Education 150) and Educational Psychology (Psychology 242) before the end of their sophomore year.

Cross Registration/Postgraduate Programs

Through the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) Consortium Agreement, Lafayette students may cross-register for secondary education courses on a space-available basis. Cedar Crest College, DeSales University, Moravian College, and Muhlenberg College all have secondary education programs. Because each school’s education program differs, students should consult with the education adviser before cross-registering for courses. Cross-registered courses are typically taken during the junior year and the first semester of senior year. Education 150 is a prerequisite for all cross-registration courses in education.

Through cross-registration and completion of the four education courses offered at Lafayette (Education 150, 250, and 350, and Psychology 242), it should be possible for students to meet most of the requirements for secondary school certification, with the exception of the student teaching semester, by the time they graduate from Lafayette. After graduation, students will normally need to enroll in a ninth semester or equivalent program to complete their student teaching and qualify for certification. Several states (including New Jersey) allow substitute teaching or have other alternative means for acquiring certification. The earlier a student consults with the education adviser and begins the program, the more likely a student will be able to complete all the requirements within four years at Lafayette.

Graduate Degree Programs

Students may also satisfy certification requirements and earn a master’s degree (Master of Education, Master of Arts in Education, or Master of Arts in Teaching) by enrolling in an education graduate degree program. These programs usually take a full academic year plus two summers.

Lafayette currently has an articulation agreement with Lehigh University's master's program, whereby Lafayette students may receive advanced standing credit for two of the courses they have taken at Lafayette (Education 250 and 350).

Reciprocal Agreements

Teaching certification from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is often transferrable to other states. Many states, including Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia, as well as Puerto Rico, have reciprocal agreements with Pennsylvania.

Special initiatives and alternate certification programs are also available for teachers interested in teaching in urban and remote schools.

Elementary School Preparation

Lafayette students should understand that Lafayette does not offer courses in elementary education, nor can they expect to make significant progress toward elementary certification through cross-registration. (Most elementary certification programs require at least 10 courses in addition to a student teaching semester.)

For further information on secondary school teaching:

James E. Tiernan
Education Adviser/Visiting Instructor, History
Fretz House
Lafayette College
(610) 330-5167
tiernanj@lafayette.edu

For general information:

Office of Admissions
118 Markle Hall
Lafayette College
Easton, PA 18042
(610) 330-5100