Visual Impairment – Combined Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility (MSEd)
Welcome to the Visual Impairment – Combined Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility (MSEd) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation.
Academic Plan
REHOM-MSED
Total Credits
Earn at least 54 credits
Advisors
- Linda Fugate, Faculty Advisor, lf1069@hunter.cuny.edu
- L. Beth Brady, Faculty Advisor (on leave)
- Valerie J. Lyons, 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
- Please contact your faculty advisor for information.
- 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 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.
Transfer of Credits and Waivers
Transfer of Credits
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 in advanced certificate programs are limited to 9 transfer credits.
Waivers
A waiver of a course requirement may be granted to a student who has completed an undergraduate course at another college or a graduate course taken over five years ago with the same or similar content as a Hunter College course required in your program. Not all departments approve the use of undergraduate courses for use in waivers.
A waiver requires you to take an approved elective course of at least the same number of credits at Hunter to replace the waived course.
Transfer of Credit Form
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.
Waiver Form
Please complete the Waiver 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 in the Visual Impairment – Combined Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility (MSEd) program participate in developmental field experiences (fieldwork), and two semesters of internship.
Fieldwork
Fieldwork is a classroom experience at a clinical site in conjunction with a course. Select courses have fieldwork requirements.
Placement Processes and Procedures
For courses with fieldwork components, students are responsible for identifying placement within New York State after attending class and receiving instructions from their instructor.
Fieldwork Hours Time Record Form
Internship
All students participate in internship hours as the culmination of their course of study. Students who complete all required courses with a grade of “B” or higher are eligible to register for Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility internship courses. The following three courses are required in the same semester students are completing internship hours at a vision rehabilitation agency:
- SPED 763
- SPED 764
- SPED 767
Certification and Licensure
The Visual Impairment – Combined Rehabilitation Teaching and Orientation and Mobility (MSEd) program prepares candidates for national certification from the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals as vision rehabilitation therapists (VRTs) and certified orientation and mobility specialists (COMS). This program does not lead to NYS teacher certification.
Visit the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals for certification requirements and procedures.
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.