Roberts Wesleyan College was founded in 1866 and has a long and distinguished tradition of preparing teachers in programs approved by the New York State Education Department. Successful completion of our curriculum qualifies students for teacher certification in New York State and many other states. We offer degree programs for both undergraduate and graduate study, addressing the needs of traditional and nontraditional students.

Students in our undergraduate programs experience a diverse curriculum, including both a strong liberal arts component and professional education courses. Our students have frequent learning experiences in area schools during their undergraduate training. As evidence of the effectiveness of our program, our students consistently score extremely well on the examinations required for teacher certification. Their scores have been competitive with the most successful programs in New York State.

In our graduate programs current teachers have the opportunity to expand their certification through the Special Education program (grades 1-6 or 7-12), Literacy Education (birth-6 or 5-12), earn Professional Certification in their current content area via the Professional Childhood or Professional Adolescence (English, math, social studies, biology, chemistry, and physics) offerings.

Graduate students without teaching certification can obtain their credentials and earn a Master of Education degree in as little as four semesters through our Initial Certification programs.

In addition to these traditional programs, we are proud to offer Transitional B teaching certification through our Teachers for Tomorrow Program. One of only four such programs in New York State, Teachers for Tomorrow represents collaboration between Roberts Wesleyan College and the Rochester City School District to mobilize talented professionals to change careers and enter the field of teaching in specific disciplines. Teachers for Tomorrow is highly competitive and highly selective.

The College offers students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels the opportunity to grow spiritually in a Christian community. Our faculty embody that spirit, caring deeply about teaching and demonstrating a sincere interest in each student. They are gifted individuals with teaching experience in childhood and adolescence settings, as well as at the college level. Our adjunct instructors bring a wealth of teaching experience to the classroom. The diversity and experience of our full-time and adjunct faculty offer theoretical and practical training to assist the professional growth of our students at all levels.

Currently, the enrollment in the Teacher Education Division includes 365 undergraduates and 400 graduate students. These numbers make it possible to offer a comprehensive program and still develop personal relationships within the division.

A Final Word

At Roberts Wesleyan College we believe that teaching is a noble profession. As teachers we agree with Henry Brooks Adams when he wrote, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” Because of this conviction, the College is committed to providing a quality education experience to our future teachers. We have a proud heritage and the faculty seeks to maintain this commitment to excellence. We invite you to be a part of our quest.

For more information about our Teacher Education Programs, please call the office at
(585) 594-6448 for undergraduate and (585) 594-6683 for graduate.