Internship Certificate
Current students who are eligible for practicum and secure a teaching position that requires New York State (NYC) certification may apply for an Internship Certificate. The Internship Certificate allows a teacher candidate to serve as a teacher of record while completing the master’s degree 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). (This requirement is waived for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 due to COVID 19. These exams are still required for New York State Initial and Professional certification.)
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.
Internship Certification Application Process:
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 CERTIFICATE 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 THROUGH NYSED FOR THE INTERNSHIP CERTIFICATE: Students who have submitted the request for recommendation and all required documents will receive instructions on applying for the internship certificate through NYSED.
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.
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.
If you have questions about applying for practicum, email oce@hunter.cuny.edu.
If you have questions about the internship certificate, email soe.oasa@hunter.cuny.edu.
Please include your EmplID in all of your correspondences.