Childhood Education (MSEd)

Welcome to the Childhood Education (MSEd) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the Childhood Education (MSEd) program from acceptance to graduation.

Academic Plan

CHED-MSED

Tracks/Subplans

The Childhood Education program offers two tracks (or subplans).

Track 1 (Subplan: CHEDTKONE) is an evening program designed with career changers in mind that allows students to adapt the pace of the program to their needs.
Track 2 (Subplan: CHEDTKTWO) is a two-year, full-time, daytime, clinically-rich program. To elect into Track 2 after fall admission, please contact the Program Leader for Track 2.

Program Code for Certification

25578 – CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, GRADES 1-6

Advisors

Advisors For Track 1

Debbie Sonu, Program Leader and Academic Advisor
Nora McCormick, Graduation, Certification and Administrative Advisor
Robin O’Leary, Clinical Placement Specialist

Advisors For Track 2

Nicora Placa, Program Leader
Nora McCormick, Administrative Advisor
Debbie Sonu, Clinical Placement Specialist

Newly Accepted Students

Getting Started and Orientation for Track 1 and Track 2

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

Consult the program sequences for a suggested order of 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 for Track 1 – Students who began the program in Fall 2023

This is a recommended sequence of courses. Students must consult with their faculty advisor to determine their individualized course of study before registering for classes.

Students who graduate from their teacher preparation programs in Fall 2023 or later, will be required to complete a teacher preparation assessment (TPA) as a requirement for program completion.

Fall – Semester 1

Courses

CEDC 70300 – Teaching Science in the Elementary School (3 credits)
CEDC 70700 – The Arts: An Interdisciplinary Learning Experience (3 credits, may be offered in the summer)
CEDF 70900 – Child Development Grades 1-9 (3 credits)
CEDF 71000 – Educational Psychology (3 credits)

Spring – Semester 2

CEDF 70600 – Social, Historical, Philosophical Foundations in Education: The American School (3 credits, also offered in the summer)
SPED 70800 – Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings (3 credits)
CEDC 70600 – Reflective Practice in Elementary Social Studies (3 credits)

Certification Exam

Students must pass both exams before obtaining registration permission for Student Teaching or Practicum.

Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grade 1–Grade 6).
Educating All Students (EAS) Exam

Students must consult with their faculty advisor on the remaining course sequence.

Program Sequence for Track 1 – Students who began the program in Spring 2023 or earlier

Track 1 – Program Sequence
Total Credits: 36 to 49 credits

Program Sequence for Track 2 – Students who began the program in Fall 2023

The Clinically Rich program includes immersive experience in the classroom with coursework closely aligned to the field. Students work with mentor teachers in one school for the entirety of the school year and develop strong relationships with students, faculty, and school communities. The program follows a cohort model with courses generally held on Mondays and Tuesdays, followed by Wednesday and Thursday field days, with a seminar taking place Thursday evenings.

Fall – Semester 1

Courses

CEDC 70300 – Teaching Science in the Elementary School (3 credits)
CEDF 70900 – Child Development Grades 1-9 (3 credits)
CEDF 70600 – Social, Historical, Philosophical Foundations in Education: The American School (3 credits, also offered in the summer)
CEDC 77200 – Fieldwork and Teaching Seminar 1 (2 credits)

Spring – Semester 2

Courses

Two full days of fieldwork on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

CEDF 71000 – Educational Psychology (3 credits)
CEDC 70200 – Advanced Elementary Literacy Methods (3 credits)
CEDC 70600 – Reflective Practice in Elementary Social Studies (3 credits)
CEDC 77300 – Fieldwork and Teaching Seminar 2 (2 credits)
Required Course – Students must consult with their faculty advisor (3 credits)

Students must consult with their faculty advisor on the remaining course sequence.

Program Sequence for Track 2 – Students who began the program in Spring 2023 or earlier

Track 2 – Program Sequence
Total Credits: 55

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 for Track 1 and Track 2

Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)

Course Catalog prior to Summer 2022 for Track 1 and Track 2

Childhood Education Grades 1-6 – MSEd

Clinical Experiences for Track 1

Students in the Childhood Education (MSEd) program participate in developmental field experiences (fieldwork), and supervised teaching (student teaching and/or practicum) administered by the Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE).

Fieldwork

Fieldwork is a classroom experience in a New York City Public School in conjunction with a course. Select courses have fieldwork requirements.

Registration, Placement and Application Processes and Procedures

Placement

For courses with fieldwork components requiring greater than 10 days or 50 hours, students must apply to the Office of Clinical Experience and will be placed at a Hunter College Partner School in New York City.

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

For courses requiring less than 10 days or 50 hours of fieldwork, after attending class and receiving instructions from the 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 a particular neighborhood.

Application

Students must apply for the following courses with fieldwork components through the Office of Clinical Experiences before registering:

CEDC 715FW – Application

Registration and Placement Process

The Office of Clinical Experiences reviews applications for eligibility.
The Office of Clinical Experiences grants registration permission and notifies students via their myhunter.cuny.edu email address one week before registration opens.
Student registers for course once permission granted.
The Office of Clinical Experiences places students at a Hunter College School of Education partner site and notifies them via myhunter.cuny.edu email address.

Fieldwork Hours Time Record Form

Fieldwork Hours Time Record Form

Supervised Teaching: Student Teaching/Practicum

Students participate in supervised teaching (student teaching and/or practicum) as the culmination of their course of study. Student teaching and/or practicum requires five full days per week for one semester. Students are observed by Hunter College Clinical Supervisors throughout the semester. Students may complete practicum in their current job if it is aligned with their pending certification/area of study.

Registration, Placement and Application Processes and Procedures

Registration and Placement

All students must apply for student teaching and/or practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences for registration permission and to be placed.

Students must pass the following New York State exams before registration permission is granted for Supervised Teaching:

Educating All Students (EAS)
Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grades 1 – Grades 6) (Parts 1-3)

Student Teaching Placement

Student Teachers are placed by the Office of Clinical Experience with a mentor/cooperating teacher at a Hunter College Partner School in New York City. Students teach alongside the mentor/cooperating teacher throughout the semester.

Practicum

Students working full time as assistant, associate or head teacher may be eligible to complete Practicum in their current job if it is aligned with their pending certification/area of study.

The following are required for Practicum eligibility:

The classroom must be aligned with pending certification
Site must be pre-approved by faculty and/or Office of Clinical Experiences
Students submit a letter from worksite/school program director

Practicum Site Approval Form

Practicum Site Approval Form

Application

All students must apply for student teaching and/or practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences.

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester: April 1st
Spring Semester: November 1st
Summer Semester: N/A

Registration and Placement Process

The Office of Clinical Experiences reviews student teaching/practicum applications for eligibility.
The Office of Clinical Experiences grants registration permission.
One week before each semester registration opens, the Office of Clinical Experiences will inform students of next steps through their myhunter.cuny.edu email.
If students require placement, the Office of Clinical Experiences will place them at a Hunter College School of Education partner site in New York City and notify via their myhunter.cuny.edu email

Internship Certificate

Current students who are eligible for practicum and secure a teaching position that requires NYS certification may apply for an internship certificate. Students must apply for practicum first and will only receive instructions thereafter.

Visit the Internship Certificate page for eligibility requirements and application processes and procedures.

Supervised Teaching Time Record Form

Supervised Teaching Time Record Form

Clinical Experiences for Track 2

Fieldwork begins in the first semester. Students are embedded in an elementary school for the duration of their program. Students should contact the program leader of track 2 for fieldwork information.

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 Childhood Education (MSEd) program leads to New York State certification in Childhood Education. Students must wait to apply for certification until they receive an email from the School of Education indicating their recommendation has been entered. This usually occurs six to eight week’s after the conferral of your degree.

Types of Certification

Students are recommended for both initial and professional 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.
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.

Application Processes and Procedures Checklist

Review Your Fingerprint Status

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. You can check your state clearance status on your TEACH account.

Take Required Certification Exams and Workshops

Exams

All students must fulfill the following exam requirements over the course of their program:

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) – Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grades 1 – Grades 6) (This exam has 3 parts)

Exam Registration and Test Preparation

Register for an exam at the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations website. Need help preparing? Learn about upcoming Test Preparation Workshops.

Workshops

All students must fulfill the following workshop requirements over the course of their program:

School Violence Prevention and Intervention
- This workshop is included in coursework.
Prevention and Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
- This workshop is included in coursework.
Dignity for All Students (DASA) workshop
- Students who began their program prior to Fall 2023 must take the workshop in addition to the courses required for their program. Students may take the DASA workshop through Hunter College’s Continuing Education department or with another approved provider through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website. For students who begin in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, please consult with your advisor about how you will complete this workshop. For students who begin in Fall 2024 or later, this workshop will be included in the coursework requried for your program. Once you complete the DASA workshop, submit copies of DASA workshop certification to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs so that their CUNYfirst account can be updated via the Workshop or Exam Completion Form.

Apply for Graduation

In order to be recommended for certification, all students in all programs including advanced certificate programs, must complete their program and apply for graduation. For more information on the graduation process, please visit the School of Education Graduation and Commencement page.

Apply for Certification

Certification candidates must wait to apply for certification until receiving an email from the School of Education indicating their recommendation has been entered. This will occur six to eight weeks after the Hunter College conferral dates of June 1 for spring grads, September 1 for summer grads and January 1 for fall grads. Candidates will be recommended for Initial and Professional certification. There are 4 steps in the application process.

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 the drop down next to Degree, select Certificate of Advanced Studies.

For employment history enter all full-time, paid teaching experiences in both public, private and charter 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: Childhood Education
Select the Grade Level: Grades 1-6
Select the Title: Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)
Select your Certificate Type: Initial

On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:

25578 – CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, GRADES 1-6

Professional Certification

Select your Area of Interest: Classroom Teacher
Select your Subject Area: Childhood Education
Select the Grade Level: Grades 1-6
Select the Title: Childhood Education (Grades 1-6)
Select your Certificate Type: Professional

On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:

25578 – CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, GRADES 1-6

4. Complete application (sign affidavit, sign application, make payment)

Read and sign the required affidavit and confirm and sign the application. Finally, make payment.

Additional Resources

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 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.

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.

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.

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.