Adolescent Special Education (Advanced Certificate)
Welcome to the Adolescent Special Education (Advanced Certificate) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation.
Academic Plan
ASE712-AC
Total Credits
Earn at least 16 credits
Program Code for Certification
37793– ADOLESCENT SPECIAL EDUCATION
Advisors
- Gina Riley, Faculty Advisor and Clinical Placement Specialist
- Bonnie M. Veronico, Administrative Advisor
Newly Accepted Students
Getting Started and Orientation
New Student Checklist
Welcome to the School of Education! Visit the Newly Accepted Students page for a checklist to get you started at Hunter College.
New Student Support
If at any point you need support, please reach out to our New Student Liaison at newsoest@hunter.cuny.edu or make an appointment.
Orientations
Students will attend three orientations to cover all the information needed to start your program:
- General New Student Orientation
- Program Advising Session
- Clinical Experiences and Fingerprinting Orientation
See “Program Related Events” for details about upcoming sessions.
Financing Your Degree
Visit the Financing Your Degree page for information.
Fingerprint Clearance Requirements
All students in teacher preparation programs as well as programs in school counseling need to be fingerprinted so that they are cleared to work with children in various settings including New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) public schools, charter networks, and other organizations. Visit the Fingerprinting page for requirements and procedures.
Program Sequences
The program sequence provides a suggested order of education courses for the program based on start date. It also includes when to take certification exams and apply for clinical experiences in addition to other important non-course requirements. For technical registration support and troubleshooting, please visit the Register for Classes page.
Program Sequence
Hunter College Catalog
To review descriptions of specific courses and academic progress standards for the program along with exit requirements please use the course catalog for the year you were admitted to the program.
Course Catalog Summer 2022 onward
Course Catalog prior to Summer 2022
Clinical Experiences
Students in the Adolescent Special Education (Advanced Certificate) program participate in developmental field experiences (fieldwork).
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is a classroom experience in a New York City Public School in conjunction with a course. Select courses have fieldwork requirements.
Registration and Placement
Registration permission is not required for courses with fieldwork components.
For courses with fieldwork components requiring 25 hours or more (SPED 772, SPED 774), students will be placed in a learning lab setting in which they are paired 1:1 with a student for tutoring.
For courses requiring less than 25 hours of fieldwork, after attending class and receiving instructions from your instructor, students are responsible for identifying placement within New York State. Please refer to the NYC Department of Education at schools.nyc.gov to find a school in your neighborhood.
Students working full time as assistant, associate or head teacher may be eligible to complete their fieldwork requirements in their current job if it is aligned to their pending certification/area of study.
The following are required for eligibility:
- Teaching position must be aligned with pending certification
- Site must be pre-approved by faculty and/or Office of Clinical Experiences
- Students must submit documentation from worksite/school program director
Fieldwork Hours Time Record Form
Graduation
Graduation is the official completion of your program and conferral of an academic degree. In order to graduate, students must apply for graduation using CUNYFirst the semester before the semester of their planned graduation and complete any outstanding requirements by the stated deadlines. Visit the Graduation and Commencement page for complete information.
Certification and Licensure
The Adolescent Special Education (Advanced Certificate) program leads to New York State certification in Students with Disabilities Grades 7-12.
Students who are completing or have completed the program will apply for their certification through the New York State Education Department TEACH Online Services. Students apply for either initial or professional certification.
New For Students with Disabilities 7-12 Certification Generalists candidates/teachers who are teaching or seek to teach in a self-contained classroom:
- Effective July 1, 2021, all special education teachers who teach one or more subject areas in a special class (self-contained class) in grades 7-12, with some or no students under alternate assessment, must either: be certified in each subject area that they teach, or meet the teaching experience requirement for the statement of continued eligibility (SOCE) and have an active SOCE application in the TEACH online system in each subject area that they teach. A students with disabilities generalist grades 7-12 teacher can teach as a Consultant Teacher, Resource Room Teacher, Integrated Co-Teacher, or Special Class Teacher – All Students Under Alternate Assessment.
- If you have 18 credits in biology, chemistry, earth science, English, math, physics, social studies, or a language, you can apply for a subject area extension. If you have a total of 18 credits (undergraduate and/or graduate) in one of those subjects or wish to gain additional credits, please make an appointment to meet with an advisor to determine next steps – select certification and licensure advising from the list.
- Read the full New York State Education Department (NYSED) regulation.
For questions, please contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs at soe.oasa@hunter.cuny.edu.
Please note, the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) will no longer be a certification requirement as of April 27, 2022. Visit the Certification and Licensure page for more information regarding this change.
Types of Certification
The School of Education reserves the right not to recommend for certification any student who has committed a serious breach of professional ethics or behavior.
Initial Certification
The Initial Certificate is the entry-level teaching certificate and is valid for five years. Students who graduate from a Hunter master’s degree certification program without prior certification will be recommended for initial certification.
Students apply and pay for their certification in their final semester.
Professional Certification
The Professional Certificate is an advanced certificate. Once teachers have completed three years of full-time, paid teaching experience including one year of mentored teaching, they can apply for professional certification.
Certification and Exam Requirements
To apply for the initial and professional certification you must graduate and fulfill the following certificate and exam requirements over the course of the program.
Pass all required New York State Teacher Certification Exams
- Educating All Students (EAS)
- Students who have completed Educating All Students (EAS) for a prior certification, do not need to take the exam again.
- Content Specialty Test (CST) – Students with Disabilities
- Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi-Subject: Secondary Teachers (Grade 7 – Grade 12) (This exam has 3 parts)
Register for an exam at the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations website.
Need help preparing? The Hunter College School of Education Center for Career, Professional and Partnership Development (CPPD) conducts test preparation workshops regularly. Learn about upcoming Test Preparation Workshops.
Complete New York State Certification required workshops
All applications for New York State certification require that students take and complete the workshops listed below. Students who have completed these workshops for a prior certification, do not need to take them again.
School Violence Intervention and Prevention
This workshop is included in coursework for your program.
Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
This workshop is included in coursework for your program.
Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) Workshop
Students may take this workshop through Hunter College’s Continuing Education department or with another approved provider through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website.
Submit Exam Scores and Workshop Certification(s) to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs
Students must submit copies of exam scores and workshop certification(s) to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs so that their CUNYfirst account can be updated via the Workshop or Exam Completion Form.
Clear fingerprints with the New York State Education Department (NYSED)
All students in programs leading to New York State certification need to have their fingerprints cleared by the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
Visit the Fingerprinting for Hunter College School of Education Students to learn how to obtain fingerprint clearance.
- Educating All Students (EAS)
Applying for Certification through TEACH Account and Program Code
How to Apply for Certification
The following is a step-by-step guide to apply for Initial and Professional certification through the New York State Department of Education’s TEACH Account.
1. Create/Log in to your TEACH Account
Students must create/log in to their New York State Education Department (NYSED) TEACH Account. From your Teach Online Services Home page, select Apply for Certificate which is found under “Online Application”. This will start a new application.
2. Verify/Update Profile
The Verify/Update Profile section will ask for education and employment history. For educational history, provide information from bachelor’s degree to present. For employment history enter all full-time, paid teaching experiences in both public and private schools.
Hunter College is an approved New York Teacher Certification Program. When prompted provide the following information:
- Award Title: Advanced Certificate
- Program Code: 37793– ADOLESCENT SPECIAL EDUCATION
- Major: Education
- Enter all full-time, paid teaching experience (in both public and private schools).
3. Select Certificate(s)
Enter the following information for the certificates section depending on whether you are applying for initial or professional certification.
Initial Certification
- Select your Area of Interest: Classroom Teacher
- Select your Subject Area: Students with Disabilities
- Select the Grade Level: Grades 7-12
- Select the Title: Students with Disabilities – Grades 7-12 – Generalist
- Select your Certificate Type: Initial
Students must add each certificate they want to apply for.
Professional Certification
- Select your Area of Interest: Classroom Teacher
- Select your Subject Area: Students with Disabilities
- Select the Grade Level: Grades 7-12
- Select the Title: Students with Disabilities – Grades 7-12
- Select your Certificate Type: Professional
Students must add each certificate they want to apply for.
Teachers who graduate from a master’s degree certification program with prior certification that is in line with their Adolescent Special Education (Advanced Certificate) certification at Hunter College will be recommended for professional certification in that area. On the next page, enter the Program Code 37793.
Teachers who graduate from a master’s degree certification program with prior certification that is not in line with their Adolescent Special Education (Advanced Certificate) certification at Hunter College will apply for their professional certification through Certificate Progression Pathway within TEACH. Hunter College cannot recommend these Teachers for professional certification. Do not use the Hunter College program code when applying for professional certification in another area. Select “No, I have not completed, nor am I enrolled in, An Approved Teacher Preparation Program at a New York State College or University.” You will answer several questions before TEACH selects the Certificate Progression pathway for you.
4. Complete application
Checking Certificate Status in TEACH Account
If you have applied for a certificate but have not yet graduated, the status of your certificate application will be “Not Ready for Review”. Once your graduation is posted, have met all the requirements and have institutional recommendation, your status will change to “Ready for Review” and NYSED will then review your application.
Expiring Certifications
If you will not graduate from the Advanced Certificate program prior to the expiration of your initial certificate, you may be eligible for an extension through NYSED’s TEACH Online Services. Create/Log in to your TEACH account and select “Apply for a Time Extension.”
Out of State Certification or Licensure
Students applying for certification or licensure in states other than New York must complete the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form.
Hunter International Students (F1 Visa Holder) Certification or Licensure
Registering for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE)
During the registration process enter all 9s when prompted for your Social Security Number (SSN). Once you do receive a Social Security Number, you will need to fax a copy of your Social Security Number card and Passport to the New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) with a cover letter including your assigned New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) ID number to request they change your temporary Social Security Number replacement with your assigned Social Security Number.
The fax number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-7088. Follow up a few days later to ensure they have received your fax. The phone number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-2882.
Applying for NYSED TEACH Account without a Social Security Number
You do not need to wait for a Social Security Number (SSN) to create an account on the NYSED TEACH system. If you do not have a valid Social Security Number, you will need to email soeoasa@hunter.cuny.edu to request a TEACH Access Number first. The access number is only for use with TEACH and meeting requirements for New York State teacher certification. If you do get a social security number, you must notify NYSED.
If you apply for OPT the process will generate a Social Security Number which you will use to create your TEACH account and apply for New York State Department of Education teaching certification. You should apply for OPT as soon as you can, but you cannot apply earlier than 90 days before your program completion date.
For general instructions on setting up your NYSED TEACH account, please refer to the Certification and Licensure section on this program page.
New York City Department of Education Employment with OPT once your NYS Certificate has issued
International students cannot apply for employment with New York City Public Schools until they have a Social Security Number (SSN). International students may qualify for employment in New York City public schools once they hold New York State certification and hold an OPT visa. You will be ineligible to apply to work for the New York City Department of Education unless you hold OPT authorization, have a Social Security Number and your New York State certification has issued. Candidates fitting the above criteria may apply online to the New York City Department of Education. Once the application is received and reviewed, further instructions will follow. This policy is subject to change at any time.