Graduate Programs

Applicants who majored (or completed significant coursework) in subjects ranging from English to Latin, Physics to Social Studies, will find their path to professional success through Hunter’s wide range of Adolescent Education programs. For applicants entering with a master’s in hand, several program tracks also offer a Post-Master’s Advanced Certificate.

While working as teachers in a variety of New York City school settings, students are mentored by supportive, expert faculty. They learn how to make their subjects compelling to diverse populations. They practice designing effective curricula and implementing multiple learning modalities for adolescent learners. They integrate technology into the classroom and develop experiential learning projects to engage their students. And, because of their immersion in New York City schools and close collaboration with faculty and classmates, graduates leave Hunter having developed expansive professional networks, ensuring job placement and continued opportunities throughout their careers.

Bilingual Education master’s degree programs are offered in Spanish/English, French/English, and Chinese/English at both the Childhood (Grades 1-6) and Early Childhood (Birth – Grad 2) levels. Bilingual Extension programs are also available for certified teachers, counselors, and social workers.

Students shape their course of study to fit individual professional and pedagogical goals. “Embedded” in schools from the very beginning of the program, they gain a wealth of clinical and field experience while learning from expert faculty who care. Program tracks in Special Education provide teachers with the opportunity to specialize in clinically-effective practices for engaging students with Learning Disabilities or Behavioral Disorders. Other programs include Literacy, Bilingual Education (in Spanish, French, and Chinese), and Elementary Math Specialist. Also offered is the Childhood Specialist in STEM program, one of the first of its kind in the country.

Teachers already certified in Childhood Education Grades 1-6 in New York State can earn a master’s degree in a number of these fields, including Literacy, Math, STEM, Special Education, and TESOL. Regardless of specialization, graduates become leaders in all types of educational settings, as teachers, mentors, faculty development facilitators, instructional designers, inclusion and behavior support specialists, college instructors, principals, and even founders of their own schools and programs.

Our supportive, knowledgeable faculty introduce students to the most advanced counseling theories. Throughout their studies, students apply their learning and gain clinical experience in supervised practice throughout the city, in a wide variety of agency placement sites.

In each of our three programs, students benefit from Hunter’s diverse student body, dedicated faculty, and strong clinical focus. School Counselors advance to work with students and families in educational environments, and also find employment in hospitals, correctional facilities, and community organizations. Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling graduates practice in a range of community-based settings, providing person-centered counseling to youth and adults with disabilities. Through the Mental Health Counseling program, students become counselors for individuals and families across the lifespan, in agencies, hospitals, and other settings, including private practice.

Graduates are able to build effective curricula and engage a diverse range of students in the areas of music, visual arts, and, most recently, dance. With its culturally rich location, Creative Arts Education produces well-rounded experts in both subject areas and pedagogy. Intensive faculty attention, high certification rates, and curricula emphasizing diversity and critical thinking equip new and current arts educators to succeed in traditional and emergent educational contexts.

Through field observation, student teaching, and coursework, the programs in Early Childhood train all graduates to collaborate with team members, including families, to plan, implement and evaluate interventions that fit the needs of individual children. Hunter graduates compete successfully in this growing field–they find positions in public, private, and community-based settings. Many go on to become leaders and change agents in their area of expertise, taking on leadership roles in schools and school districts, founding start-ups, or continuing on to doctoral work.

Guided by excellent faculty, students engage in rigorous coursework and learn how to synthesize qualitative and quantitative approaches to data analysis, hone academic writing skills, and work with diverse populations. Whether your final goal is to pursue a doctorate, work in an education setting, or find employment in the private sector, our Educational Psychology programs provide key research and evaluation skills.

From Hunter’s expert faculty, they learn how to improve student, teacher, and school outcomes, and how to navigate the legal and financial complexities of effective administration. Based on a cohort model, the programs encourage students to build relationships and community among their classmates, providing the foundation for lasting professional networks. Graduates have gone on to succeed in district public, charter, independent, and parochial educational settings, as well as district administration offices. Applicants must hold a master’s degree, NYS professional certification, and 2-3 years of teaching and/or school service experience.

A unique feature of our programs is the breadth of opportunities available, many of which offer dual certification. Each program includes coursework in cross-categorical core knowledge as well as disability-specific instruction. Professionals already working in the field will find our programs flexible, rigorous, and relevant to their specific career goals. For those entering a new career in special education, our programs provide excellent preparation for work across diverse cultures, languages, abilities, settings, age, and urban contexts.

In addition to classroom teachers, graduates have become administrators, editors, ESL curriculum developers, and instructional coaches throughout the US and abroad. In both Pre-K-12 and Adult TESOL program tracks, students learn the research-based teaching practices most effective for their intended learner population. Rigorous coursework emphasizes theory and practice. Extensive fieldwork opportunities include New York City classroom observations, the Costa Rica Study Abroad program, and Service Learning Travel Courses. While receiving a world-class education with high rates of job placement, students become part of a lasting professional network of current students, alumni, and faculty.