Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families (Early Childhood Special Education Dual Certification)
Program Overview
This master’s program will prepare you to support infants, toddlers, preschoolers, early elementary children, and their families. You will be prepared to practice in inclusive, integrated, and self-contained classrooms, as well as homes and communities. Graduates of this program go on to earn certification in both Early Childhood and Students with Disabilities, Birth to Grade 2.
Coursework and Clinical Experiences
Courses are offered in the afternoon and evening. Some courses may be available in an online or hybrid format. Select courses have required fieldwork hours in classrooms, homes, or community settings. Students also participate in supervised teaching (student teaching and/or practicum) as the culmination of their course of study.
Credits
42 to 54 credits
Certification
Early Childhood Education and Students with Disabilities (Birth to Grade 2)
Eligibility and Admission Requirements
This program is designed for applicants who do not hold New York State (NYS) certification in Early Childhood Education.
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0;
or a master’s degree from an accredited institution with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.5 - A liberal arts or science major or interdisciplinary concentration of at least 30 credits
- General education core in the liberal arts and sciences including coursework in artistic expression, communication, information retrieval, concepts in history and social sciences, humanities, a world language other than English, scientific and mathematical processes, and written analysis and expression (Waived for Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 applicants)
- A statement of purpose that addresses the following prompts:
- Describe your understanding of what it means to be an early interventionist/early childhood special educator and your personal vision for the field of early intervention/early childhood special education
- Share your reason for pursuing a career in early intervention/early childhood special education and what led you to this career
- Describe your prior experiences with young children and/or children in special education in your responses to the above
- Two letters of recommendation
- An official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score report (Waived for Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 applicants)
OR
- Any New York State (NYS) teacher certification other than Early Childhood Education
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0;
or a master’s degree from an accredited institution with a Grade Point Average (GPA)of at least 3.5 - A statement of purpose that addresses the following prompts:
- Describe your understanding of what it means to be an early interventionist/early childhood special educator and your personal vision for the field of early intervention/early childhood special education. How does justice, equity, diversity and inclusion inform your understanding of this?
- Share your reason for pursuing a career in early intervention/early childhood special education and what led you to this career
- Describe your prior experiences with young children and/or children in special education in your responses to the above
- Two letters of recommendation
- An official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score report (Waived for Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 applicants)
To Apply
Applications are accepted each Fall and Spring semester.
To start your application, visit the Hunter College Online Application.
When applying to this program under Program of Study, select School of Education – Special Education and ECDL (leads to Early Childhood and Students with Disabl. B-2 Cert)
Application Deadlines
Fall Start
- March 15 (Priority Deadline)
- May 15 (Extended Deadline)
Spring Start
- October 15 (Priority Deadline)
- November 1 (Extended Deadline)
Visit How to Apply for information about deadline extensions.
Related Programs
If you hold a Master’s Degree and NYS certification in Early Childhood Education, consider our Specialized Additional Certificate in Early Childhood Development and Learning that leads to Students with Disabilities Birth – 2 Certification.