Special Education (All Grades) (MSED)
Welcome to the Special Education (All Grades) (MSEd) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation.
Academic Plan
SEAG-MSED
Total Credits
32 to 35 credits
Program Code for Certification
43513
Advisors
- Gina Riley, Program Liaison
- Pending, Faculty Advisor and Clinical Placement Specialist
- Nora McCormick, Certification, Graduation and 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 sequences provide 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.
Transfer of Credits or Exemption
Transfer of Credit
A matriculated student may request a transfer of credit for a graduate-level course completed at another institution. To be eligible, the course must have been taken within the past five years and closely match the content of a required course in the student’s Hunter College program. The request will be reviewed by faculty for equivalence. Each program sets the courses for which a transfer will be considered. Graduate students are limited to 12 transfer credits.
Exemption
For students who have taken equivalent courses more than five years ago or at the undergraduate level, the program allows for up to 3 credits in exemptions.
Courses Permitted for Transfer or Exemption
Graduate students are limited to 12 transfer credits. The program allows for 3 credits in exemptions. The program will review requests for the following courses:
- CEDF 71300 Child and Adolescent Development
- EDUC 72000 DASA and Health and Safety (B-21)
- Eligible for transfer with equivalent health course and the completion of Child Abuse, School Violence and Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop.
- SPED 70050 Social, Historical, and Philosophical Foundations of General and Special Education
- SPED 70100 Assessment of Students and Collaboration with Families and Communities
- SPED 70200 Classroom Management in Special Education and Inclusive Settings
- SPED 70300 Inclusive Instruction in General Education Classrooms for Students with Learning and Behavior Disorders
- SPED 70400 Issues In Teaching English Second Language Learners With Special Education Needs
- SPED 70450 Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students
- SPED 75900 Curriculum and Instruction for Students in Grades P-12: Writing to Learn Across the Content Areas for Students with Diverse Abilities
Transfer of Credit or Exemption Not Approved
Transfer of Credit is never approved for the following courses:
- SPED 75700 Methods for Teaching Reading to Students with Disabilities in Grades P-12 (KC)
- SPED 75800 Methods for Teaching Math and Executive Functioning in Students with Disabilities in Grades P-12 (KC)
- SPED77000 Student Teaching of Students in Special Education in Grades P-12 (KC)
- SPED 77050 Supervised Teaching of Students in Special Education in Grades P-12 (KC)
- SPED 77200 Supervised Clinical Teaching and Assessment of Adolescents with Disabilities (KC)
- SPED 77400 Supervised Clinical Teaching and Assessment of Adolescents with Disabilities: Part 2 (KC)
- SPED 78200 Supervised Clinical Teaching of Students with Learning Disabilities: Part 1 (KC)
- SPED 78400 Supervised Clinical Teaching of Students with Learning Disabilities: Part 2 (KC)
Transfer of Credit and Exemption Form
Transfer of Credit
Please complete the Transfer of Credit Request Form, sign digitally, pdf and attach all required documents. Then send it to your faculty advisor for review. Once you obtain your faculty advisor’s signature upload the required form to the School of Education form uploader.
Exemption
Please complete the Exemption form, sign digitally, pdf and attach all required documents. Then send it to your faculty advisor for review. Once you obtain your faculty advisor’s signature upload the required form to the School of Education form uploader.
Hunter College Catalog
Use the Hunter College Course Catalog to review descriptions of specific courses and academic progress standards for the program along with exit requirements.
Clinical Experiences
Students participate in developmental field experiences (fieldwork), and Student Teaching or Supervised Teaching.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is a classroom experience in a New York State Public School in conjunction with a course. Select courses have fieldwork requirements.
Registration and Placement
Registration permission is required for courses with fieldwork components.
For courses with fieldwork components requiring 25 hours or more (SPED 772/782, SPED 774/784), students will be placed in a learning lab setting in which they are paired with a student for 1 to 1 core needs intervention
For courses requiring less than 25 hours of fieldwork, after attending class and receiving instructions from the instructor, students are responsible for identifying placement within New York State.
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
Student Teaching and Supervised Teaching
Students participate in Student Teaching or Supervised Teaching as the culmination of their course of study. Student Teaching or Supervised Teaching requires five full days per week for one semester. Students are observed by Hunter College Clinical Supervisors throughout the semester. Students may complete supervised teaching in their current job if it is aligned with their pending certification/area of study.
Registration and Placement
All students must apply for Student Teaching or Supervised Teaching through the Office of Clinical Experiences for registration permission and to be placed.
Required Exams
All students must fulfill the following exam requirements over the course of their program:
- Educating All Students (EAS)
- Students with initial certification do not have to take the Educating All Students (EAS) exam.
- Content Specialty Test (CST) – Students with Disabilities
- Multi-Subject Exam Requirement:
- Because there is no dedicated Multi Subject Content Specialty Test (CST) created specifically for the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate, to meet the certification requirements, students must take only ONE of the following Multi-Subject exams or have already completed one, as reflected on their TEACH account:
- Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grade 1 – Grade 6)
- Multi-Subject: Teachers of Middle Childhood (Grade 5 – Grade 9)
- Multi-Subject: Secondary Teachers (Grade 7 – Grade 12)
- Multi-Subject (002)
- Safety Net Multi-Subject (902)
- Because there is no dedicated Multi Subject Content Specialty Test (CST) created specifically for the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate, to meet the certification requirements, students must take only ONE of the following Multi-Subject exams or have already completed one, as reflected on their TEACH account:
Important: The Multi-Subject: Teachers of Early Childhood (Birth–Grade 2) exam is NOT acceptable for the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate.
Student Teaching Placement
Students not working full time as assistant, associate or head teachers in an area aligned with their pending certification/area of study complete Student Teaching. 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.
Supervised teaching
Students working full time as assistant, associate or head teacher may be eligible to complete Supervised Teaching in their current job if it is aligned with their pending certification/area of study.
The following are required for Supervised Teaching 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
Supervised Teaching Site Approval Form
Application
All students must apply for student teaching and/or practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences. Application enabled one month prior to application deadline.
- Student Teaching and Practicum Application Forthcoming
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester: April 1st
- Spring Semester: November 1st
Registration and Placement Process
- The Office of Clinical Experiences reviews Student Teaching/Supervised Teaching 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 places the student at a Hunter College School of Education partner site in New York City/New York State.
- The Office of Clinical Experiences notifies students via their myhunter.cuny.edu email of mandatory orientation.
- Educating All Students (EAS)
Internship Certificate
The Internship Certificate allows a teacher or educational leadership candidate to serve as a teacher or leader of record while completing the master’s degree program. The Internship Certificate is reserved for graduate teacher or leader education students who meet certain New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Hunter College School of Education requirements. Visit the Internship Certificate page for eligibility requirements and application processes and procedures.
Supervised Teaching 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 Special Education (All Grades) (MSEd) program leads to New York State certification in Students with Disabilities Gr. P-12 (All Grades). 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 weeks 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
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 with initial certification do not have to take the Educating All Students (EAS) exam.
- Content Specialty Test (CST) – Students with Disabilities
- Multi-Subject Exam Requirement:
- Because there is no dedicated Multi Subject Content Specialty Test (CST) created specifically for the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate, to meet the certification requirements, students must take only ONE of the following Multi-Subject exams or have already completed one, as reflected on their TEACH account:
- Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grade 1 – Grade 6)
- Multi-Subject: Teachers of Middle Childhood (Grade 5 – Grade 9)
- Multi-Subject: Secondary Teachers (Grade 7 – Grade 12)
- Multi-Subject (002)
- Safety Net Multi-Subject (902)
- Because there is no dedicated Multi Subject Content Specialty Test (CST) created specifically for the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate, to meet the certification requirements, students must take only ONE of the following Multi-Subject exams or have already completed one, as reflected on their TEACH account:
Important: The Multi-Subject: Teachers of Early Childhood (Birth–Grade 2) exam is NOT acceptable for the Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate.
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.
Hunter International Students who hold F1 Visas but do not have a Social Security number must email soeoasa@hunter.cuny.edu to request a TEACH Access Number (TAN). The TEACH Access Number (TAN) must be used in lieu of a Social Security Number for registering for New York State Teacher Certification exams and applying for New York State (NYS) certification.
If you get a Social Security Number, you must update your information on your TEACH Account by requesting a Social Security Number change via the New York State Education Department. You must also update the information on your New York State (NYS) Teacher Certification Exam account. Your social security number will replace your TEACH Access Number (TAN).
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 Act (DASA) workshop
- This workshop is included in coursework.
- Educating All Students (EAS)
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.
Hunter International Students who hold F1 Visas but do not have a Social Security number must email soeoasa@hunter.cuny.edu to request a TEACH Access Number (TAN). The TEACH Access Number (TAN) must be used in lieu of a Social Security Number to apply for New York State (NYS) certification.
If you get a Social Security Number, you must update your information on your TEACH Account by requesting a Social Security Number change via the New York State Education Department. You must also update the information on your New York State (NYS) Teacher Certification Exam account. Your social security number will replace your TEACH Access Number (TAN).
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 and Major, select the option that corresponds to the degree and major earned.
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: Students with Disabilities
- Select the Grade Level: K-12 All Grades
- Select the Title: Students with Disabilities (All Grades)
- Select your Certificate Type: Initial
On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:
- 43513
Professional Certification
- Select your Area of Interest: Classroom Teacher
- Select your Subject Area: Students with Disabilities
- Select the Grade Level: K-12 All Grades
- Select the Title: Students with Disabilities (All Grades)
- Select your Certificate Type: Professional
On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:
- 43513
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
Hunter International Students who hold F1 Visas but do not have a Social Security number must email soeoasa@hunter.cuny.edu to request a TEACH Access Number (TAN). The TEACH Access Number (TAN) must be used in lieu of a Social Security Number for all processes involving certification such as fingerprinting, creating your TEACH Account, registering for New York State Teacher Certification exams, and applying for New York State (NYS) certification.
If you get a Social Security Number, you must update your information on your TEACH Account by requesting a Social Security Number change via the New York State Education Department. You must also update the information on your New York State (NYS) Teacher Certification Exam account. Your social security number will replace your TEACH Access Number (TAN).
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 or educational leadership candidate to serve as a teacher or leader of record while completing the master’s degree program. The Internship Certificate is reserved for graduate teacher or leader education students who meet certain New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Hunter College School of Education requirements. Visit the Internship Certificate page for eligibility requirements and application processes and procedures.