Certification and Licensure
Important Updates on Mandated Reporter Training
Changes to Mandated Reporter Training
Due to changes in Social Services Law § 413, all mandated reporters, including classroom teachers, educational administrators, school counselors, applied behavior analysts, mental health counselors and pupil personnel service providers and professionals working in other fields that maintain this requirement for licensure or certification, must complete updated training by April 1, 2025.
The Mandated Reporter Training is now required to include additional content on recognizing signs of abuse or maltreatment while interacting with youth online and strategies for identifying adverse childhood experiences. Additionally, the workshop is now required to include protocols to reduce implicit bias in decision-making processes. To review the full change, please visit the New York State Open Legislation page.
Who needs to take action?
You are required to take the updated mandated reporter training by April 1, 2025 if:
- You currently hold certification or licensure.
- You have already taken or will take a health and safety course in the summer 2024 (not all programs require this course).
- You have completed the workshop independently (not as part of your coursework).
Who does not need to take action?
If your program includes a health and safety course and you plan to take it in fall 2024 or later, this course will meet the updated requirement. To review the course list, please see the additional drop down on this page.
How do I retake the workshop?
The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has a 2-hour web-based self-directed online training course that can be completed to satisfy this updated requirement. Please note for school personnel, you must submit proof of completion to the NYSED Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI), in order for your TEACH account to reflect the updated workshop. To submit, use the OTI online form and select workshops from the drop down.
Questions?
If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact the Office of Academic & Student Affairs at soereception@hunter.cuny.edu.
Hunter College Health and Safety Course List
If your program includes a health and safety course and you plan to take it in fall 2024 or later this course will meet the updated requirement.
ECC 31400 – Health, Family, and Community Partnerships
ECC 71400 – Health, Safety and Nutrition in Early Childhood
EDUC 22000 – Health & Safety in Birth through 21
EDUC 72000 – Health & Safety in Birth through 21
CEDC 71300 – Health Education for the Classroom Teacher
CEDC 71350 – Childhood Education – Health and Safety
HED 31400 – Health Education for the Classroom Teacher
HED 71500 – Health Education for Special Educators
SEDC 22000 – Adolescent Health and Safety
SEDC 22050 – Adolescent Health and Safety
SEDC 72000 – Adolescent Health and Safety
Support
Connect with a Certification or Licensure Advisor
Current students, to make an appointment with your program’s certification or licensure advisor, visit their profile page at the link below and select the Schedule Me button. Alumni, please email the advisor directly to make an appointment.
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Blind and Visually Impaired, all Counseling programs, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing,
Adolescent, Bilingual, Creative Arts, Literacy and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programs
Childhood Education (including Special Education), Early Childhood Education (including Early Childhood Development and Learning), Severe and Multiple Disabilities programs
Educational Leadership program
Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and School Counseling Programs
Certification 101: Definitions and Common Terms
- New York State Education Department (NYSED) – The New York State Education Department is the certifying body for all teacher education, leadership and school counseling certification. For more information on NYSED, please visit the NYSED website.
- TEACH Online Services – This platform is maintained by NYSED and is the application portal for teacher, leadership and school counseling certification. Access the TEACH Online Services website.
- New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) – New York City Department of Education is the largest public school district in New York State and serves as employers and clinical experience settings for students. For more information on the NYCDOE, please visit the NYCDOE website.
- TeachNYC.net – This platform in maintained by the NYCDOE and is the application portal for employment positions within the NYC DOE. Access TeachNYC.net.
- Office of Teaching Initiatives (OTI)- Office of Teaching Initiatives is the office within NYSED who manages the certification application process with the state. For more information on OTI, please visit the OTI website.
- Initial Certification – The Initial Certificate is the entry-level teaching certificate and is valid for five years.
- Professional Certification – The Professional Certificate is the next and final certification after Initial. Once teachers have completed three years of full-time, paid teaching experience including one year of mentored teaching and obtain a Master’s degree they can apply for professional certification. This certification does not expire.
Certification Application Requirements, Procedures, and Program Codes
Select your program to view program specific certification application requirements, procedures and program codes.
Undergraduate Programs
- Adolescent Biology (BA)
- Adolescent Biology (BA/MA)
- Adolescent Chemistry (BA)
- Adolescent Chemistry (BA/MA)
- Adolescent Chinese (BA)
- Adolescent Earth Science (BA/MA)
- Adolescent English (BA)
- Adolescent French (BA)
- Adolescent Italian (BA)
- Adolescent Mathematics (BA)
- Adolescent Mathematics (BA/MA)
- Adolescent Physics (BA)
- Adolescent Physics (BA/MA)
- Adolescent Social Studies (BA)
- Adolescent Spanish (BA)
- Childhood Education – QUEST (BA)
- Dance Education (BA)
- Dance Education (BA/MA)
- Early Childhood Education (BA)
- Music Education (BA/MA)
Graduate Programs
- Adolescent Biology (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Biology (MA)
- Adolescent Chemistry (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Chemistry (MA)
- Adolescent Chinese (MA)
- Adolescent Earth Science (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Earth Science (MA)
- Adolescent English (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent English (MA)
- Adolescent French (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent French (MA)
- Adolescent Italian (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Italian (MA)
- Adolescent Latin (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Latin (MA)
- Adolescent Mathematics (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Mathematics (MA)
- Adolescent Mathematics Professional Certificate (MA)
- Adolescent Physics (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Physics (MA)
- Adolescent Social Studies (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Social Studies (MA)
- Adolescent Spanish (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Spanish (MA)
- Adolescent Special Education (Advanced Certificate)
- Adolescent Special Education – Generalist (MSEd)
- Adolescent Special Education – Generalist (MSEd) Online
- Bilingual Childhood Education (MSEd)
- Bilingual Early Childhood Education (MSEd)
- Bilingual Early Childhood Education – with prior NYS certification in Childhood Education, Special Education or TESOL (MSEd)
- Bilingual Early Childhood Education – with prior NYS certification in Early Childhood Education (MSEd)
- Bilingual Education Extension – NYS Teachers (Advanced Certificate)
- Bilingual Extension for Pupil Personnel Services (Advanced Certificate)
- Blind and Visually Impaired for NYS Certified Teachers (Advanced Certificate)
- Blind and Visually Impaired (MSEd)
- Blind and Visually Impaired – with Prior NYS Certification (MSEd)
- Blind and Visually Impaired – Orientation and Mobility (Advanced Certificate)
- Childhood Education (MSEd)
- Childhood Education with a Specialization in STEM (MSEd)
- Childhood Special Education – Behavior Disorders (Advanced Certificate)
- Childhood Special Education – Behavior Disorders (MSEd)
- Childhood Special Education – Behavior Disorders – with prior NYS Childhood or PreK-6 Certification (MSEd)
- Childhood Special Education – Learning Disabilities (Advanced Certificate)
- Childhood Special Education – Learning Disabilities (MSEd)
- Childhood Special Education – Learning Disabilities with prior NYS Childhood or PreK-6 Certification (MSEd)
- Childhood Special Education – Severe/Multiple Disabilities (MSEd)
- Childhood Special Education – Severe/Multiple Disabilities with prior NYS Childhood or PreK-6 Certification (MSEd)
- Computer Science Education for New York State Certified Teachers (Advanced Certificate)
- Computer Science Education (MSEd)
- Dance Education (MA)
- Dance Education – with initial NYS Certification in Dance (MA)
- Dance Education – with 34 credits in Dance and initial NYS Certification in another subject (MA)
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MSEd)
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing – with prior NYS Certification (MSEd)
- Early Childhood Education (Advanced Certificate)
- Early Childhood Education (MSEd)
- Early Childhood Education – with prior NYS Certification (MSEd)
- Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families: Additional NYS Certification (Advanced Certificate)
- Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families (MSEd)
- Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families – with prior NYS Certification in Early Childhood (MSEd)
- Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families with Annotation in Severe/Multiple Disabilities (MSEd)
- Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families with Annotation in Severe/Multiple Disabilities with prior NYS Certification in an area other than Early Childhood (MSEd)
- Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families with Annotation in Severe/Multiple Disabilities with prior NYS Certification in Early Childhood Education (MSEd)
- East Harlem Teaching Residency – Adolescent Special Education (MSEd)
- East Harlem Teaching Residency – Childhood Special Education (MSEd)
- East Harlem Tutorial Program – Childhood Special Education (Advanced Certificate)
- Educational Leadership at Westchester Edith Winthrop Teacher Center (EWTC)
- Educational Leadership – SBL/SDL (MSEd) – Administrative Supervision (AdSup) Track
- Educational Leadership – SBL/SDL (MSEd) – Collaborative Leadership Advancing School Success (CLASS) Track
- Education Leadership – School District Leader (Advanced Certificate)
- Elementary Mathematics Specialist Program (MSEd)
- Gifted Education Extension (Advanced Certificate)
- Intensive Teacher Institute – Bilingual Special Education (ITI-BSE) – Bilingual Extension Program
- Literacy Education – Birth-Grade 6 (MSEd)
- Literacy Education – Grades 5-12 (MSEd)
- Music Education (MA)
- Music Education – with Initial NYS Music Certification (MA)
- NYC Teaching Collaborative – Adolescent Special Education (MSEd)
- NYC Teaching Collaborative – Bilingual (MSEd)
- NYC Teaching Collaborative – Childhood Special Education D75 (MSEd)
- NYC Teaching Fellows – Adolescent Special Education (MSEd)
- NYC Teaching Fellows – Bilingual (MSEd)
- NYC Teaching Fellows – Childhood Special Education D75 (MSEd)
- Professional Certification (Advanced Preparation) in Special Education – Behavior Disorders (MSEd)
- Professional Certification (Advanced Preparation) in Special Education – Early Childhood Special Education (MSEd)
- Professional Certification (Advanced Preparation) in Special Education – Learning Disabilities (MSEd)
- School Counseling (MSEd)
- Severe and Multiple Disabilities Annotation Extension (Advanced Certificate)
- TESOL Adult (MA)
- TESOL (Advanced Certificate)
- TESOL – with prior MA in TESOL or Linguistics (Advanced Certificate)
- TESOL Intensive Teacher Institute (ITI)
- TESOL PreK-12 (MA)
- TESOL PreK-12 – with prior NYS Certification (MA)
- Visual Arts Education (MA)
- Visual Arts Education – with prior NYS Certification (MA)
- Yonkers Teacher Academy – Adolescent Special Education (MSEd)
Submit Workshop Completion
Upon completion of required workshops, students must submit their workshop certification(s) to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs so that their CUNYfirst account can be updated via the Workshop Completion Form. Please review the workshops required for your program under the section above.
Applied Behavior Analysis, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, Mental Health Counseling and Visual Impairment Programs
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Licensure
Students applying for licensure for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) can upload their required forms to the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form.
Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling Licensure
Mental Health Counseling Licensure
Students applying for licensure for Mental Health Counseling can upload their required forms to the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form.
Visual Impairment – Combined Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility
For more information on licensure, please visit the Visual Impairment – Combined Rehabilitation Teaching Orientation and Mobility page.
Visual Impairment – Rehabilitation Teaching
For more information on licensure, please visit the Visual Impairment – Rehabilitation Teaching page.
Additional Resources
Letter Requests
Please use the School of Education Letter Request Form to request a letter from the School of Education to verify your education experience.
Out of State Certification
Students applying for certification or licensure in states other than New York must complete the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form and upload the required completed form for the state they are applying to.
For students applying in states that have a web based form (ex. New Jersey), please send the access information to Melissa Boronkas, Certification Officer at mb74@hunter.cuny.edu.
For more information on certification or licensure requirements in other states, please review the interstate agreement information on the National Associate of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification site.
Internship Certification for Graduate Teacher Education Students
The Internship Certificate allows a teacher candidate to serve as a teacher of record while completing the master’s degree program. The Internship Certificate is reserved for graduate teacher education students who meet certain New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Hunter College School of Education requirements. For more information on the Internship Certificate with Hunter College, please review the Internship Certificate page.
New York State Certification Test Prep
New York State Certification Test Prep Resources
CUNY Test Prep Resources
Visit CUNY’s Overview of the NY State Teacher Certification Examinations page for information regarding each certification exam’s procedures and requirements, as well as helpful preparation aids. Also visit CUNY’s Teacher Education YouTube Channel that houses test prep videos and other resources.
Hunter School of Education Test Prep Resources
The Office of Career, Professional and Partnership Development (CPPD) within the School of Education offers test preparation workshops for the Educating All Students (EAS) and the Multi-Subject Content Specialty Tests (CST) exams required for New York State Certification. The workshops are led by an instructor who has experience teaching and designing test preparation curricula. Registration is announced at the beginning of the semester. Spaces are limited, and students who are interested should plan to register early.
Visit the New York State Teacher Certification Exam (NYSTCE) Test Prep page for more information about upcoming sessions.