Professional Certification (Advanced Preparation) in Special Education – Early Childhood Special Education (MSEd)
Welcome to the Professional Certification (Advanced Preparation) in Special Education – Early Childhood Special Education (MSEd). Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation for Track 3.
This master’s degree program is designed to provide advanced training to certified special education teachers who need graduate work leading to a master’s degree for professional certification in special education. It is also designed for those with special education certification who are seeking to further their knowledge/skills and gain an additional age-level certificate (birth to grade 2 or grades 1-6).
Academic Plan
SEAPR-MSED
Sub Plan
SEAPRECSE
Total Credits
Earn at least 30 credits
Advisors
- Jamie Bleiweiss, Program Leader and Faculty Advisor for last names A-E
- Imani Perez, Interim Faculty Advisor for last names F to M
- Nancy Sall, Interim Faculty Advisor for last names N to Z
- Jason Riffaterre, Administrative Advisor
- Elizabeth Harrison, Clinical Placement Specialist (On Leave)
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.
Program Sequence for Students with Prior Early Childhood Special Education Certification
Program Sequence for Students with Initial Special Education Certification Other Than Early Childhood Special Education
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
The Professional Certification (Advanced Preparation) in Special Education – Early Childhood Special Education (MSEd) 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 (student teaching/practicum)
- Clinical experiences take place across the birth through grade 2 age range.
Supervised Teaching (student teaching/practicum) is administered by the Office of Clinical Experiences (OCE).
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.
SPEDE 773
To receive permission to register for the first semester of SPEDE 773, students must complete the following application:
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.
Registration, Placement and Application Processes and Procedures
All students must apply for student teaching/practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences for registration permission and, for student teaching, to be placed.
Student Teaching Placement
Student Teachers are placed by the Office of Clinical Experience with a mentor/cooperating teacher at a Hunter College Partner program 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:
- Student must be responsible for teaching at least three children with IFSPs/IEPs in the birth to grade 2 age range
- Programs must be located in New York City
- Site must be pre-approved by faculty and/or Office of Clinical Experiences
- Student must submit a completed Practicum Site Approval Form from worksite/school program director
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: March 1st
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 their myhunter.cuny.edu email
Internship Certificate
Current students who are eligible for practicum and secure a teaching position that requires New York State 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 professional certification in Students with Disabilities Birth to Grade 2. 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.