Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families with Annotation in Severe/Multiple Disabilities (MSEd)
Welcome to the Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families with Annotation in Severe/Multiple Disabilities (MSEd) program home page. Use this page as a guide to Track 1 from acceptance to graduation.
Track 1 is for those with no New York State certification.
Academic Plan
ECSB2-MSED
Sub-plan
ECSMDLNYSC
Total Credits Track 1
53 to 60 credits
Advisors
- Jamie Bleiweiss, Program Leader and Faculty Advisor for last names A-E
- Imani Perez, Faculty Advisor for last names F t0 M
- Nancy Sall, Faculty Advisor for last names N to Z
- Nora McCormick, Administrative Advisor
- Elizabeth Harrison, Clinical Placement Specialist
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
Program sequences provide 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.
Course Catalog Summer 2022 onward
Course Catalog prior to Summer 2022
Clinical Experiences
Students in the Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families with Annotation in Severe/Multiple Disabilities (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
For SPED and SPEDE courses with fieldwork components requiring 10 hours or more, students must request permission from their faculty advisor/program coordinator to register. There is no application. Students are placed by Professor Zigman in Hunter College Partner sites including District 75 schools and private schools in grades PreK-12.
For SPED, SPEDE, and courses requiring less than 10 hours of fieldwork, after attending class and receiving instructions from the instructor, students are responsible for identifying placement within New York State. Students are given a suggested list of fieldwork sites. Please refer to the NYC Department of Education at schools.nyc.gov to find a school in a particular neighborhood.
For ECC and ECF courses requiring less than 50 hours of fieldwork, after attending class and receiving instructions from their 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.
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
Application
Students must apply for the following courses with fieldwork components of 50 or more hours through the Office of Clinical Experiences before registering:
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester: April 1st
- Spring Semester: November 1st
- Summer Semester: N/A
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 their myhunter.cuny.edu email address.
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
All students must apply for student teaching and/or practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences for registration permission and to be placed.
Required Exams
Students must pass the following New York State exams before registration permission is granted for Supervised Teaching:
- Educating All Students (EAS)
- Students with initial certification do not have to take the EAS exam.
- Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi Subject Early Childhood Birth to Grade 2
- Content Specialty Test (CST) – Students with Disabilities
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 placements are approved by L. Beth Brady and Professor Zigman.
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
- L. Beth Brady, Professor Zigman, and the Office of Clinical Experiences reviews student teaching/practicum applications for eligibility.
- L. Beth Brady and Professor Zigman grants registration permission.
- One week before each semester registration opens, students will be informed of next steps through their myhunter.cuny.edu email.
- If students require placement, L. Beth Brady and Professor Zigman place the student at a Hunter College School of Education partner site in New York City and notify them via their myhunter.cuny.edu email
- Educating All Students (EAS)
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
Certification and Licensure
This program leads to New York State certification in Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2) and Students with Disabilities (Birth-Grade 2) with an annotation certificate in Severe/Multiple Disabilities. Visit the Certification and Licensure page for information and support.
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.