FDU QUEST Program

FDU’s QUEST (QUality in Education, Schools and Teaching) Program offers an accelerated, 5-year combined degree design. In the State of NJ, all teachers are required to complete a BA or BS in a content area. In QUEST, students do so in the first four years of the program, and meet the requirements of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree in the fourth and fifth years.

In the QUEST Program, Education is not considered to be a major. It is considered to be a “concentration”, and candidates in the QUEST program may major in a variety of different areas including:

• at Florham Campus
  • Art
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Creative Writing
  • Government and Politics
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Literature
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Theater or Musical Theater
• at Metropolitan Campus
  • Art
  • Humanities
  • Literature
  • Math
  • Psychology
  • Science

For those interested in our Dual Certification Program, Special Education is a “second certificate” in the State of NJ.  Teachers must first (or concurrently) earn their elementary certificate.

Program Outline

Students must complete 120 credits for a BA or BS in a liberal arts or science major appropriate for the area of teacher certification. This includes at least 30 credits in education courses required for elementary or secondary certification — of which a maximum of 15 credits may be applied as dual undergraduate and graduate credit to both the BA/BS and MAT degrees  — plus 15 credits in graduate-level educational methodology courses.

Candidates who complete the required 120 credits for the BA/BS and the required education courses and pass the PRAXIS in their area of certification become eligible to take their 2-semester student teaching (Advanced Clinical Practice and  Apprenticeship Teaching). After completing their apprenticeships, candidates become eligible for their NJ State Teaching Certificate. The candidate becomes eligible for the MAT degree upon completion of the required 36 graduate credits.

• Candidates in the QUEST program must major in a liberal arts/science discipline. Candidates in the QUEST program must satisfy all general education requirements, and specific departmental requirements for their liberal arts/science major in order to be eligible for a BA or BS degree in their area of specialization. They must also complete the requirements for the School of Education.  No more than 15 credits in education courses, taken at the graduate level in the junior and senior years, may be applied as dual undergraduate and graduate credit.
• At the end of four years, students who have met all requirements will be eligible for a BA or BS degree and will have up to 15 credits toward their Master of Arts in Teaching degree (which requires a total of 36 graduate credits). Student Teaching occurs in the fifth year.  
• The State of NJ requires two (2) semesters of student teaching:  The first semester is part-time and is called Advanced Clinical Practice; the second semester is full time and is called Apprenticeship Teaching. Upon completion of the Apprenticeship Teaching, students will have met eligibility requirements for teacher certification. Completion of the master’s degree is not required for certification in New Jersey.
• New Jersey teacher certification requires that 6 credits be taken in behavioral sciences (sociology, anthropology or psychology); and 3 credits be taken in biology, physiology or health. The courses also may be taken to satisfy college core requirements (foundations and disciplinary perspectives) or the liberal arts /science required courses or electives.
• Eligibility for entrance to the QUEST program requires a 3.00 cumulative grade point ratio (CGPR).  The 3.0 GPA must be maintained throughout the program. Additionally, all candidates must pass the Core Academic Skills for Educators exams by the time they complete 60 credits in their program.
• In order to complete the Master of Arts in Teaching program in five years, students may need to take courses in summer and winter sessions in years three through five, depending upon their particular liberal arts/science program requirements.

Admission Requirements

Freshmen entering the QUEST Program are required to have a high school GPA of 3.0 or greater and a minimum of 1080 on the SAT (combined verbal and math). Sophomores and juniors requesting admission to the QUEST Program must have a college/university CGPA of 3.0 or greater.

Students entering the QUEST program are not formally matriculated into QUEST until they have 60 credits and met the following requirements:

• 60 earned credits
• CGPA 3.0 or greater
• Pass the new Praxis CORE Battery which consists of 3 tests in basic skills as follows:

Candidates are required to take the CORE Battery by the end of their sophomore year to continue in the QUEST program. Juniors seeking admission to QUEST must take the CORE Battery their first semester in the program. Candidates must pass all three exams to become matriculated. Students who do not pass all three exams may be restricted in taking education courses.

Candidates may be exempted from the CORE Battery if they meet one of the following alternatives:

• SAT: Math 570, 610 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing or 30 Reading Section
• ACT: 23

Praxis II Requirement (for licensure) – OPI/WPT

At this time, there is no Praxis II required for ESL certification.  However, ESL teachers must take and pass the Oral Proficiency Inventory (OPI) and the Written Proficiency Test (WPT) in English.  Your QUEST/ELS advisor will give you further information on these exams.