Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families: Additional NYS Certification (Advanced Certificate)

 

Welcome to the Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families: Additional NYS Certification (Advanced Certificate) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation.

The program is designed for students with existing New York State certification in early childhood general education.

Academic Plan

For students starting Summer 2022 or later

  • ECDL-AC

For students starting prior to Summer 2022

  • ECSEB2-AC

Program Code for Certification

37781

Advisors

Newly Accepted Students

Program Sequences

Consult the program sequence 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.

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.

Clinical Experiences

The Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families: Additional NYS Certification (Advanced Certificate) program prepares candidates for professional roles in classrooms, homes, and communities across the birth through grade 2 age range. Clinical experiences are a critical component of the program and designed to provide reflective experiences in order to develop competencies in working with young children of diverse ages, abilities, cultures, and languages and their families. These experiences are purposely sequenced so candidates learn new competencies that build upon those acquired in earlier experiences.

Students participate in clinical experiences which include:

  • developmental field experiences (fieldwork)
  • supervised teaching (pre-student teaching)
  • supervised teaching (student teaching/practicum)

Clinical experiences take place in two of three age group requirements, birth through 4 years; kindergarten; and first or second grade.

Developmental Field Experiences (Fieldwork)

Developmental Field Experiences (Fieldwork) are applied experiences in classrooms, homes, or community settings in conjunction with a course. Select courses have fieldwork requirements. Developmental Field Experiences (Fieldwork) are not administered by the Office of Clinical Experiences. For support, please contact the course instructor. Registration, placement, and application processes for fieldwork requirements vary by course.

Supervised Teaching: Pre-Student Teaching

Students participate in supervised teaching (pre-student teaching). Pre-student teaching combines coursework and a sustained clinical experience in preparation for student teaching and/or practicum. Pre-Student teaching requires one full day per week over 10 weeks (to be assigned) for one semester if completed during the academic year or 2-3 days per week for 5 weeks if completed during the summer. Students are observed by Hunter College Clinical Supervisors during the semester. Students may not complete pre-student teaching in their current job.

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 three full days per week for one semester if completed during the academic year or five full days per week if completed during the summer. 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 and meets specific Early Childhood Development and Learning (ECDL) practicum requirements.

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 Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families: Additional NYS Certification (Advanced Certificate) program leads to an additional teaching certificate in students with disabilities birth to grade 2. 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 Checklist

Additional Resources

Program Related Events