Internship Certificate
Internship Certification for Graduate Teacher and Leader Education Students
The Internship Certificate allows a teacher or educational leadership candidate to serve as a teacher or leader of record while completing the master’s degree program. The Internship Certificate is reserved for graduate teacher or leader education students who meet certain New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Hunter College School of Education requirements.
Internship Certificate Requirements
All internship certificate candidates must:
- be matriculated into a Hunter College School of Education graduate teacher or leader education program.
- have completed at least 50% of their Hunter College School of Education program.
- be currently employed or received an employment offer that requires certification in their pending certification area.
- have completed all required workshops for pending certification – the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop, School Violence Prevention and Intervention workshop and Child Abuse Identification workshop.
- teacher candidates only – be enrolled in a practicum or supervised teaching course.
- for pathway 2 & 3 only – have the recommendation of a faculty member who has knowledge of their performance in previous Hunter College clinical placements.
Pathways to the Internship Certificate with Hunter College
The internship certificate is only available to graduate matriculated students who meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Pathway 1 – are approved and enrolled in the practicum or supervised teaching course associated with their School of Education graduate teacher education program.
- Pathway 2 – have already completed supervised teaching or practicum but have not yet graduated and will register for an additional practicum or supervised teaching course.
- Pathway 3 – have completed at least 50% of their Hunter College graduate teacher or leader education program and have the recommendation of a faculty member who has knowledge of their performance in previous Hunter College clinical placements and if a teacher candidate will register for an additional practicum or supervised teaching course. Please note, some programs may have additional requirements in order to receive faculty recommendation.
For practicum and supervised teaching courses, programs differ in terms of capacity to provide supervision outside of the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. For students in Pathways 2 and 3, please contact your program leader or faculty advisor to discuss the specifics for your program.
Application Instructions and Deadlines by Pathway
Application Instructions and Deadlines for Pathway 1
Pathway 1 – are approved and enrolled in the practicum or supervised teaching course associated with their School of Education graduate teacher education program.
Students must apply for practicum first and will only receive instructions thereafter.
You may be eligible for an Internship Certificate if you are a graduate student in a master’s degree program leading to initial certification and:
1. Practicum Requirement: You have applied for and meet the eligibility requirements for practicum. Apply for practicum by April 1 for fall practicum, and by November 1 for spring practicum.
2. Letter of Employment: You hold a teaching position working with the appropriate grade level(s) and content area which you are seeking certification or you have a commitment for a teaching position with the condition that you obtain NYS Certification. You must provide a letter from the principal or director of the school or other educational agency in New York City. The letter must be on the institution’s letterhead and indicate the teaching position offered, subject and grade level and start date. The deadline for submitting this letter is the first day of classes.
3. Workshop Requirement: You have completed NYSED’s required workshops for certification before the start of your teaching semester. NYSED requires the completion of the Child Abuse Identification and Reporting, School Violence Prevention and Intervention, and the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshops. Most programs will have met the Child Abuse and School Violence workshops through a course (such as HED 715 or SEDC 720). TESOL programs do not have these workshops embedded in coursework and require students to show proof of completion. All students must take the DASA workshop separately and are required to complete the workshop for both graduation and certification.
4. Exam Requirement: You have passed the EAS and relevant CST exam(s).
Note for students enrolled in Special Education programs: Under no circumstances may Special Education candidates in Early Childhood, Childhood, Adolescent and PreK-12 programs inclusive of Deaf and Hard of Hearing or Blind and Visually Impaired apply for a General Education internship certificate. Candidates in these programs may only apply for and teach under the Students with Disabilities internship certificate.
Application Instructions
1. Apply for Practicum: Students must apply and be eligible for practicum. Students who apply for student teaching but are seeking employment should also apply for practicum – check with your program coordinator or email the Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE) at oce@hunter.cuny.edu for specifics. Students may not request an internship certificate until first approved for practicum.
2. Submit the Internship Certification Recommendation Request Form: The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires all applicants for this certificate to be recommended by their school’s certification officer. Students who require an internship certificate for their teaching position should alert OCE when applying for practicum in order to obtain the link to the Internship Certificate Recommendation Request Form. This form may be submitted prior to obtaining a teaching position. Students who have met all requirements for the internship certificate, but have not yet secured a teaching position, may request a letter of eligibility to show prospective employers. This letter request is part of the Internship Certificate Recommendation Request Form.
3. Apply for the Internship Certificate through your NYSED TEACH Account: Students who have submitted the request for recommendation and all required documents will receive instructions on applying for the internship certificate through NYSED.
Deadlines
Practicum Deadline: Apply for practicum by April 1 for fall practicum, and by November 1 for spring practicum. Only students who apply for and are eligible for Practicum will receive information on the internship certification.
Internship Certification Recommendation Timeline: Recommendations for the internship certificate will be sent no earlier than 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester and no later than the first day of classes. Any job offers that come in after the last date of regular registration will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Application Instructions and Deadlines for Pathway 2
Pathway 2 – have already completed supervised teaching or practicum but have not yet graduated and will register for an additional practicum or supervised teaching course.
Note for students enrolled in Special Education programs: Under no circumstances may Special Education candidates in Early Childhood, Childhood, Adolescent and PreK-12 programs inclusive of Deaf and Hard of Hearing or Blind and Visually Impaired apply for a General Education internship certificate. Candidates in these programs may only apply for and teach under the Students with Disabilities internship certificate.
Application Instructions
Please note, some programs may have additional requirements in order to receive faculty recommendation.
- Complete the Internship Certificate Interest form.
- Obtain a Letter of Employment. You must hold a teaching position working with the appropriate grade level(s) and content area in which you are seeking certification or you have a commitment for a teaching position with the condition that you obtain New York State Certification. You must provide a letter from the principal or director of the school or other educational agency in New York City. The letter must be on the institution’s letterhead and indicate the teaching position offered, subject and grade level and start date. The deadline for submitting this letter is the first day of classes. Students who have met all requirements for the internship certificate, but have not yet secured a teaching position, may request a letter of eligibility to show prospective employers. This letter request is part of the Supervised Teaching application.
- Complete the Supervised Teaching application. If approved, the link will be shared with you after completing step 1. You must have your letter of employment in order to complete this application.
- Complete the Internship Certification Recommendation Request Form. If approved, the link will be shared with you after completing step 1. Only complete this step if you do not currently hold an Internship Certificate with Hunter College.
- Register for the 1 credit Supervised Teaching course EDUC 71700. Course details will be shared with you after completing the Supervised Teaching application.
- Apply for the Internship Certificate through your NYSED TEACH Account if you have not already done so. Students who have submitted the request for recommendation and all required documents, including the Letter of Employment will receive instructions on applying for the internship certificate through NYSED.
Deadlines
Letter of Employment: First day of classes.
Practicum Registration: Day before the first day of classes.
Internship Certification Recommendation Timeline: Recommendations for the internship certificate will be sent no earlier than 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester and no later than the first day of classes. Any job offers that come in after the last date of regular registration will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Application Instructions and Deadlines for Pathway 3
Pathway 3 – have completed at least 50% of their Hunter College graduate teacher education program and have the recommendation of a faculty member who has knowledge of their performance in previous Hunter College clinical placements and will register for an additional practicum or supervised teaching course.
Note for students enrolled in Special Education programs: Under no circumstances may Special Education candidates in Early Childhood, Childhood, Adolescent and PreK-12 programs inclusive of Deaf and Hard of Hearing or Blind and Visually Impaired apply for a General Education internship certificate. Candidates in these programs may only apply for and teach under the Students with Disabilities internship certificate.
Application Instructions for Teacher Candidates
Please note, some programs may have additional requirements in order to receive faculty recommendation.
- Complete 50% of the credits in your program.
- Complete the Internship Certificate Interest form.
- Obtain a Letter of Employment. You must hold a teaching position working with the appropriate grade level(s) and content area which you are seeking certification or you have a commitment for a teaching position with the condition that you obtain New York State Certification. You must provide a letter from the principal or director of the school or other educational agency in New York City. The letter must be on the institution’s letterhead and indicate the teaching position offered, subject and grade level and start date. The deadline for submitting this letter is the first day of classes. Students who have met all requirements for the internship certificate, but have not yet secured a teaching position, may request a letter of eligibility to show prospective employers. This letter request is part of the Supervised Teaching application.
- Complete the Supervised Teaching application. If approved, the link will be shared with you after completing step 2. You must have your letter of employment in order to complete this application.
- Complete the Internship Certification Recommendation Request Form. If approved, the link will be shared with you after completing step 2.
- Register for the 2 credit Supervised Teaching course EDUC 71800. Course details will be shared with you after completing the Supervised Teaching application.
- Apply for the Internship Certificate through your NYSED TEACH Account. Students who have submitted the request for recommendation and all required documents, including the Letter of Employment will receive instructions on applying for the internship certificate through NYSED.
Important Information for Students in the Childhood Special Education Learning Disabilities Program
For students in the Childhood Special Education Learning Disabilities program, faculty will only approve an internship if the following coursework is met:
- SPED 70050 Introduction to Special Education
- SPED 70100 Assessment in special education
- SPED 78000 The Study of Learning Disabilities
- SPED 78100, 72300 and 72400 – The Learning Disabilities “methods” courses
- SPED 78200 and 78400 – Learning Lab – two semesters providing specially-designed instruction with a student with Learning Disabilities.
While prior completion of both Learning Lab semesters is strongly recommended, requests may be considered for taking SPED 784 concurrently with the Internship Certificate.
Deadlines for Teacher Candidates
Letter of Employment: First day of classes.
Practicum/Supervised Teaching Registration: Day before the first day of classes.
Internship Certification Recommendation Timeline: After receipt of letter of employment and registration for Practicum.
Please note, recommendations for the internship certificate will be sent no earlier than 2-3 weeks prior to the start of the semester and no later than the first day of classes. Any job offers that come in after the last date of regular registration will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Application Instructions for Educational Leadership Candidates
- Complete 50% of the credits in your program.
- Complete the Internship Certificate Interest form.
- Obtain a Letter of Employment. You must hold a teaching position working with the appropriate grade level(s) and content area which you are seeking certification or you have a commitment for a teaching position with the condition that you obtain New York State Certification. You must provide a letter from the principal or director of the school or other educational agency in New York City. The letter must be on the institution’s letterhead and indicate the teaching position offered, subject and grade level and start date. The deadline for submitting this letter is the first day of classes. Students who have met all requirements for the internship certificate, but have not yet secured a teaching position, may request a letter of eligibility to show prospective employers.
- Complete the Internship Certification Recommendation Request Form. If approved, the link will be shared with you after completing step 2.
- Apply for the Internship Certificate through your NYSED TEACH Account. Students who have submitted the request for recommendation and all required documents, including the Letter of Employment will receive instructions on applying for the internship certificate through NYSED.
Internship Certification Cancellation
You must be enrolled in a practicum course and be supervised by a faculty member of the Hunter School of Education during each semester that you hold the Internship Certificate. Your Internship Certification will be cancelled upon graduation or for failure to enroll in a Practicum course.
Questions and Support
For students seeking support in identifying an employment opportunity and updating their cover letter and resume, please contact School of Education Career, Professional and Partnership Development at cppd@hunter.cuny.edu.
For questions on the internship certificate, please contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs at soe.oasa@hunter.cuny.edu.
For questions on practicum and supervised teaching courses, please contact the Office of Clinical Experiences at oce@hunter.cuny.edu.
Please include your EmplID in all of your correspondences.