Vocational Teacher Preparation

Margaret H. Martin, Chair
307 Park Hall
315-312-2480
www.oswego.edu/vtp
Vocational Education Professors

The Vocational Teacher Preparation Department offers the Bachelor of Science degree in the following majors:

Agricultural Education (all grades)
Business and Marketing Education (all grades)
Family and Consumer Science Education (all grades)

and local certificate and Bachelor of Science degree programs in:

Agricultural Education (7-12)
Family and Consumer Science Education (7-12)
Health Careers Education (7-12)
Technical Education (7-12)
Trade Education (7-12)

The program is designed to prepare teaching personnel to teach career and technical subjects in childhood, adolescent and post-adolescent settings, and business and industry.

The Oswego vocational education offerings are designed to meet the needs of full-time and part-time candidates pursuing a baccalaureate degree or local (Oswego) certificates and New York State teacher certification. The department offers courses in Oswego, Syracuse, and on-line to allow individuals to maintain their present employment and earn a degree/certificate and teacher certification simultaneously.

Certificate-holders and graduates of the program are expected to be socially conscious catalysts for change and reflective thinkers; who possess a deep understanding of education as a discipline; and who practice the latest educational research findings in collaborative settings. Graduates will possess the ability to create and sustain school environments where excellence is cherished and social justice flourishes.

The occupational specializations that candidates possess upon entry into the program vary greatly, dependent upon experience and/or previous college preparation. Typical occupational subject areas for which teaching opportunities exist include horticulture/landscaping, agricultural mechanics, nursing, dental hygiene, child care, food services, auto technology, cosmetology, electronics, building construction, manufacturing technology, accounting, marketing, medical imaging, and many others.

Graduates can expect to find teaching opportunities in private or public organizations: such as comprehensive high schools; secondary career centers (BOCES centers and vocational high schools); postsecondary schools (community/junior/agricultural and technical colleges); the Department of Correctional Services; the Department of Mental Hygiene and Health; industrial and military settings; and private trade, technical, and business schools.

Students applying for admission to the baccalaureate degree and certificate programs in Vocational Teacher Preparation must meet one of the following entry-level requirements:

An associate degree with a major in an agricultural, business and marketing, family and consumer science, health careers, technical or trade subjects area. Students with non-related associate degrees must meet the requirements listed under #2. No courses with grades below C- will be transferred into the occupational specialty portion of the program.
A high school diploma or equivalent and a minimum of four years of work experience in an occupational specialty. Students admitted to the program are required to satisfactorily complete the department’s occupational competency assessment program before registering for more than six credit hours of VTP course work for continued enrollment.
The College admits full-time freshman level students to the Business and Marketing Education and Family and Consumer Science majors.

Option 1. Teaching specialty subjects in Career and Technical Education

Agricultural Education (7-12)
Family and Consumer Science Education (7-12)
Health Careers Education (7-12)
Technical Education (7-12)
Trade Education (7-12)

Candidates who desire to teach a specialty subject in grades 7-12 programs may fulfill the academic requirements for New York State initial and professional teacher certification after February 1, 2004 by first successfully completing the required 68 credits local initial certificate portion of the BS program and subsequently successfully completing the additional required 30 credits local professional certificate portion of the BS program. For each NYSED teaching certificate, passing the appropriate New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and meeting all other requirements for NYSED teacher certification is required (see www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/). Finally, the BS degree is awarded by SUNY Oswego upon successful completion of the remaining 27 credits of required coursework.*

*See certification and coursework breakdown of the Vocational Teacher Preparation Program .

Eligibility for Student Teaching

Eligibility for student teaching for Vocational Teacher Preparation majors will be evaluated at the end of the semester or quarter preceding the student teaching assignment. To be considered eligible, candidates must meet the following criteria:
1. A cumulative index of 2.50 or above.
2. Completion of the core requirements (excluding student teaching).
3. Completion of the cognate requirements.
4. Submission of required student teaching application forms to the appropriate office, with required documentation, by the specified deadline.

Agricultural Education (7-12)

The Agricultural Education major is designed for full-time and part-time students. The curriculum is intended to accommodate agricultural specialists from industry with several years of appropriate agriculture experience and transfer students with Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degrees in appropriate agricultural majors. Common agricultural specializations are:

Agricultural Engineering and Mechanics
Agricultural Production, Science and Business
Animal Science
Natural Resources and Ecology
Plant Science

Family and Consumer Sciences Education (7-12)

The Family and Consumer Sciences Education major is designed for students with a specialty in related occupations. The curriculum is intended to provide the student with the opportunity to become a certified Family and Consumer Science subject teacher. The specialty may be verified by an associates degree and related experience or by related experience and successful completion of an appropriate occupational competency exam. Common Family and Consumer Sciences Education specializations are:

Food and Nutrition
Human Services and Family Studies Cluster
Textile and Design Cluster

Health Careers Education (7-12)

The Health Careers Education major is designed for students with a health careers specialization. The curriculum is intended to accommodate health career specialists who have appropriate work experience and an associate degree, certificate, or diploma as required by state law in their respective health occupations specialty area. Common health career specializations are:

Dental Assisting
Dental Laboratory Technology
Emergency Medical Services
Medical Assisting
Medical Laboratory Assisting
Nurse’s Assisting
Practical Nursing

Technical Education (7-12)

The Technical Education major is designed for full-time and part-time students. The curriculum is intended to accommodate technical specialists from industry with several years of appropriate industrial experience and transfer students with Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degrees in appropriate technical specializations. Common technical specializations are:

Computer Technology
Electrical/Electronic Technology
Mechanical Technology

Trade Education (7-12)

The Trade Education major is designed for full-time and part-time students. The curriculum is intended to accommodate trade specialists from industry with several years of appropriate industrial experience and transfer students with Associate in Applied Science (AAS.) or Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degrees in appropriate trade specializations. Common trade specializations are:

Aviation/Aerospace Maintenance,Manufacturing & Repair Occupations
Cosmetology Occupations
Construction Industry & Building Maintenance Occupations
Drafting Occupations
Electronic/Electro-Mechanical Occupations
Food Service Occupations
Graphics, Printing & Visual Communications Occupations
Motorcycle Marine & Outdoor Power Equipment Occupations
Performing Arts Occupations
Power Plant Maintenance and Repair
Precision Metal Work Occupations
Theatre
Unique & Emerging Occupations
Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Occupations

Option 2. Teaching general subjects in Career and Technical Education

Agricultural Education (all grades)
Business and Marketing Education (all grades)
Family and Consumer Science (all grades)

Candidates who desire to teach a Agricultural, Business and Marketing or Family and Consumer Science in all grades may fulfill the academic requirements for New York State initial and professional teacher certification by first successfully completing the Bachelor of Science program. For each NYSED teaching certificate, passing the appropriate New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and meeting all other requirements for NYSED teacher certification is required (see www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/). Secondly, the candidate must complete a NYS registered masters degree program designed for professional certification.

Agricultural Education (all grades)

The Agricultural Education major is designed for full-time and part-time students. The curriculum is intended to accommodate agricultural generalists and specialists from industry with several years of appropriate agriculture experience and transfer students with Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degrees in appropriate agricultural majors. At least one year of experience working in the Agricultural field is recommended. No courses with grades below C- will be transferred into the occupational specialty portion of the program.

Business and Marketing Education (all grades)

The Business and Marketing Education major provides the student with a specialization in business and marketing education, to teach business and marketing subjects. The curriculum is intended to accommodate business generalists and specialists from business and industry with several years of appropriate experience, and transfer students with Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degrees in appropriate business and marketing majors. No courses with grades below C- will be transferred into the occupational specialty portion of the program. At least one year of experience working in the business/marketing field is recommended. The College admits full-time freshman level students into the Business and Marketing Education major.

Family and Consumer Science (all grades)

The Family and Consumer Science Education major provides the student with a specialization in family and consumer sciences education, to teach family and consumer science subjects. The curriculum is intended to accommodate family and consumer science generalists and specialists from business and industry with several years of appropriate experience, and transfer students with Associate in Applied Science (AAS) or Associate of Occupational Studies (AOS) degrees in appropriate family and consumer science majors. No courses with grades below C- will be transferred into the occupational specialty portion of the program. At least one year of experience working in the family and consumer science field is recommended. The College admits full-time freshman level students into the Family and Consumer Sciences Education major.

Programs

Major