

Become an in-demand educator trained to teach Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish to middle and high school students in the US or abroad. You’ll start off with language, liberal arts, and pedagogy courses, then student teach in the New York City school system, where more than 200 languages are spoken. This degree leads to eligibility for initial certification in New York State.
Our faculty members are experts in areas like world language instruction in urban educational settings, intercultural communication and linguistics, and second language assessment. You will work closely with them to:
You will complete two semesters of classroom observation and student teaching in your junior and senior years, testing your own teaching techniques and instructional plans under the close supervision of an experienced teacher. Student-teaching placements often lead to full-time employment upon graduation.
Take language classes in NYU’s College of Arts and Science, and pedagogy classes at NYU Steinhardt, interacting with different groups of students. You will have access to University resources like Deutsches Haus, La Maison Francaise, Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò and the Hagop Kevorkian Center, where you can access reference materials and attend academic and cultural events.
Qualified seniors can participate in a special year-long seminar, Honors Research in Teaching and Learning, where you’ll be guided through the process of selecting a topic of inquiry, developing research questions, choosing appropriate methodologies, building outlines, and preparing drafts.
This program leads to eligibility for New York State initial teaching certification in teaching Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish for grades 7–12, as well as qualifying you to teach grades 5 and 6. Upon graduation, you’ll be prepared for careers in a number of fields, including:
You’ll have the opportunity to meet education professionals and potential employers each year at the Foreign Language Conference, sponsored by NYU and the New York City Department of Education. The Department of Education also recruits prospective teachers on campus.
Learn more about teacher certification and our degree's accreditation.
If you have any additional questions about our degree, please feel free to contact the Program Director at language.education@nyu.edu.
If you’re interested in graduate study, we offer generous scholarships for advanced study to graduating seniors who want to continue on for a master’s degree in Teaching and Learning at NYU Steinhardt.
Advance your personal and professional journey – apply to join our community of students.
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