Program Quickview
All of the master's degree programs described below prepare candidates for New York State Initial and Professional Certification in Adolescence Education (Grades 7-12) as a Specialist in French, German, Italian, Latin, Mandarin Chinese, and/or Spanish.
- Undergraduate degree in a liberal arts (BA) or science (BS).
- A minimum of 30 credits of coursework in the language of study.
- Meeting all coursework and internship requirements for both Initial and Professional Teaching Certification: In addition, you will need to pass the required state exams, and complete the teaching requirements for professional certification.
- Shortest program: Preservice teachers can complete the program in 15 months of full-time study (if starting in summer); certified teachers seeking additional certification in a foreign language may require less time.
- Focus on foreign languages education: Includes three courses as well as internships (taken concurrently with methods courses) that are specific to learning and teaching a new language.
- Focus on teaching all students: Includes courses on diversity and working with students with disabilities (may be transferred in for certified teachers).
- Option to add specializations: For a few extra credits you can pursue additional certifications or advanced certificates that can strengthen your effectiveness with diverse learners and make you more marketable; see below.
Programs that prepare foreign language teachers
- Master of Science program: 39 credits, including field experience and two student teaching experiences.
- - French
- - Italian
- - Spanish
- - German
- - Latin
- - Mandarin Chinese
- Master of Arts in Teaching program: 51 credits, same requirements as above plus 12 credits of graduate courses in the chosen language.
- - French
- - Spanish
- - German

- New York State teaching certification in another language: Only requires prior 30 credits of coursework in the new language of specialization and an additional field experience for that language.
- New York State certification in TESOL: Prepares you to better serve English language learners in your classes and qualifies you to teach ESOL courses.
- New York State certification in teaching students with disabilities in adolescence: Prepares you to better serve students with differentiated learning needs while qualifying you to teach in inclusive classes.
- Advanced certificate in Digitally-Rich Teaching: Prepares you to make the best use of digital technology in your teaching.
- Advanced certificate in Urban Teaching and Leadership: Prepares you to teach and lead in racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse urban settings.
Licensure in other states. Review certification and licensure requirements for our programs.
- Leading to professional certification only: Our most flexible option, including 12 credits of electives.
- - French
- - German
- - Italian
- - Latin
- - Mandarin Chinese
- - Spanish
- Leading to certification in teaching students with disabilities: To be able to better serve your students diverse learning needs and to teach in inclusive classes (requires 35 credits including field experiences and one student teaching experience).
- - French
- - German
- - Italian
- - Latin
- - Mandarin Chinese
- - Spanish

- Advanced certificate: Fastest path; as few as 11 credits, including specialization courses plus 50 contact hours of field experiences.
- - French
- - German
- - Italian
- - Latin
- - Mandarin Chinese
- - Spanish
- Master’s program: 32 credits, including 50 contact hours of field experiences; also leads to professional teaching certification in your original area of certification.
- - French
- - German
- - Italian
- - Latin
- - Mandarin Chinese
- - Spanish

Our Approach
Creating effective foreign language teachers who can inspire and lead change.
The need for citizens to be competent in other languages is greater today as globalization, mobility, and communications are bringing the world closer together than ever before. In addition to developing thinking and language skills, learning a foreign language exposes children and adolescents to new ways of looking at the world.

Our graduates become teachers who are committed to helping their students understand the larger world and learn about cultures through the lens of another language. They also help students understand global issues related to languages and cultures. These powerful experiences give students the knowledge and skills they need to understand the larger world.
Our program aims to prepare teachers who understand that learning a foreign language includes communicative competence, cultural expertise, and mastery of the structural complexities of a language. Throughout the program, our graduate students deepen their understanding of linguistics, foreign languages, and language acquisition while learning innovative and effective ways to teach. They become classroom teachers who create curriculum and instruction around authentic materials, contexts, and purposes that engage students in language and cultures while also learning about the world. And, they also bridge planning and teaching strategies with theory and research that supports them, and they are familiar with best practices for teaching a foreign language.
Social justice is lived out in foreign language classrooms as faculty and graduates are committed to giving all students access to high-quality foreign language education. They understand how to develop appropriate curriculum and instructional strategies for meeting the diverse needs of students from every background. And, they seek out and develop habits of reflective practitioners and collaborate with other professionals to improve learning opportunities for all students.
The Warner Advantage
Preparing graduates to thrive as foreign language teachers.
- Become a foreign language teacher who can create learning opportunities that are inviting and accessible for all students – engaging with cutting-edge research and educational innovations.
- Be challenged to be an agent of change, who can effectively introduce new ideas and practices that will enhance students’ learning and address current inequities.
- Leverage the reputation of a leading research university to strengthen recognition of your degree.
- Network with the best and the brightest future colleagues.
- Make yourself stand out when applying for teaching positions by pursuing additional specializations for a few additional credits.
- Learn from an accessible, supportive faculty of researchers and accomplished practitioners who will prepare you to become adaptive experts in today’s K-12 schools.
- Shorten your path to a doctoral degree by earning transferable credits.
- Benefit from a guaranteed 50% scholarship.
- Take advantage of online learning options to help reduce trips to campus.
- Be ready to teach the school year following enrollment, as the program can be completed in as little as 15 months, even by those new to the teaching profession.
All About experience

East High School partnership
Our students have the opportunity to observe and learn from the reforming of an urban high school. The Warner School is overseeing a radical transformation affecting all aspects of the school.

Global collaborations
Students can benefit from the agreements recently established with two universities in China – Nanjing Normal University and Wuhan University – as well as Tecnologico de Monterrey University in Mexico, to support collaborations and exchanges among faculty and students.

Faculty with international experience
Faculty member Mary Jane Curry recently completed a Fulbright Fellowship in Chile, where she collected data at three different universities to better understand the academic publishing experience of multilingual scholars.
Career Opportunities
Advancing your career to the next level.
Unlike graduates of an undergraduate teacher preparation program, our graduates will have already met all the coursework requirements for professional teaching certification. This means they will only be required to complete three years of teaching and some state exams in order to obtain this additional level of certification – a New York State requirement within five years from beginning a teaching job.
At the same time, some of our graduates have chosen to pursue careers other than teaching in K-12 public schools. These include teaching in private schools and other educational settings, including informal and after-school environments, community-based organizations, community colleges, and private industry.

Faculty
Accessible, supportive faculty, researchers and accomplished practitioners.

Assistant Professor (Clinical)
LeChase Hall 468
(585) 273-3341
nking@warner.rochester.edu
Scholarships
Making your graduate experience affordable.
Byron Williams Teaching Scholarships – Guaranteed 50% tuition savings
All new students starting their master’s programs in teacher education leading to New York State teaching certification are guaranteed a minimum 50 percent tuition scholarship, provided they commit to teach in a United States school for a minimum of two years after graduation.

Try Us Out
Get a taste of what the Warner School has to offer.
