Program Overview

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Childhood Special Education – Severe/Multiple Disabilities – with prior NYS Childhood or PreK-6 Certification (MSEd)

The Childhood Special Education – Severe/Multiple Disabilities – with prior NYS Childhood or PreK-6 Certification (MSEd) program will no longer accept new applications for admission after Spring 2025 as the program will transition to a Multiple Disabilities (all grades) program.

Program Overview

The master’s degree in Childhood Special Education – Severe/Multiple Disabilities offers two programs. Program 2 is for those who hold prior New York State Childhood or PreK-6 certification.

Academic Plan

• CSEDD-MSED

Total Credits for Program 2

• Earn at least 36 credits

Program Code for Certification

• 25645 – CHILDHOOD SP ED: SEVERE/MULT DIS

Advisors

• Virginia Gryta, Faculty Advisor
• Claudine Schwartz, Certification, Graduation and Administrative Advisor
• Robin O’Leary, Clinical Placement Specialist

Program Sequences

• Consult the program sequences 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.

Fall Start

• Program Sequence – Fall Start

Spring Start

• Program Sequence – Spring Start

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.
• Current Catalog
• Archived Catalogs

Clinical Experiences

• Students in the Childhood Special Education – Severe/Multiple Disabilities – with prior NYS Childhood or PreK-6 Certification (MSEd) program participate in developmental field experiences (fieldwork) and supervised teaching (student teaching and/or practicum).

Fieldwork

• Fieldwork is a classroom experience in a New York City Public School in conjunction with a course.
• Select courses have fieldwork requirements.

Registration, Placement and Application Processes and Procedures

Registration Permission

• Students must request permission from their faculty advisor in order to register for courses with fieldwork components.

Placement

• For courses with fieldwork components requiring 10 hours or more, students are placed by L. Beth Brady, Professor Zigman, and/or the course instructor at a Hunter College Partner School in New York City including District 75 schools and private schools.
• 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.

Fieldwork Hours Time Record Form

• Fieldwork Hours Time Record Form

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 five full days per week for one semester.
• 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.

Registration and Placement

• All students must apply for student teaching and/or practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences for registration permission and to be placed.

Required Exams

• Students must pass the following New York State exams before registration permission is granted for Supervised Teaching:
  • Educating All Students (EAS)
  • Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grades 1 – Grades 6) (Parts 1-3)
  • Content Specialty Test (CST) – Students with Disabilities

Student Teaching Placement

• Students apply for student teaching in order to be placed by L. Beth Brady and Professor Zigman with a cooperating teacher/mentor at a Hunter College Partner School in New York City.
• Students teach alongside the cooperating teacher/mentor 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.

Practicum Site Approval Form

• Practicum Site Approval Form

Application

• All students must apply for student teaching and/or practicum through the Office of Clinical Experiences.
• Student Teaching and Practicum Application

Application Deadlines

• Fall Semester: April 1st
• Spring Semester: November 1st
• Summer Semester: N/A

Registration and Placement Process

• L. Beth Brady, Professor Zigman, and the Office of Clinical Experiences reviews student teaching/practicum applications for eligibility.
• L. Beth Brady and Professor Zigman grants registration permission.
• One week before each semester registration opens, students will be informed of next steps through their myhunter.cuny.edu email.
• If students require placement, L. Beth Brady and Professor Zigman place the student at a Hunter College School of Education partner site in New York City and notify them via their myhunter.cuny.edu email

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.

Certification and Licensure

• The Childhood Special Education – Severe/Multiple Disabilities – with prior NYS Childhood or PreK-6 Certification (MSEd) program leads to certification in Students with Disabilities Grades 1-6 and an extension annotation in Severe and Multiple Disabilities.
• Students must wait to apply for certification until they receive an email from the School of Education indicating their recommendation has been entered.

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.
  • The Professional Certificate is an advanced certificate.

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).

Maintain Valid New York State Childhood or PreK-6 Certification

• Applicants must maintain valid New York State Childhood or PreK-6 Certification

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)
  • Content Specialty Test (CST) – Multi-Subject: Teachers of Childhood (Grades 1 – Grades 6) (Parts 1-3)
  • Content Specialty Test (CST) – Students with Disabilities

Workshops

• All students must fulfill the following workshop requirements over the course of their program:
  • School Violence Prevention and Intervention
  • Prevention and Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
  • Autism Workshop
  • Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop

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.

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.
• There are 4 steps in the application process:
  1. Create/Log in to your TEACH Account
  2. Verify/Update Profile
  3. Select Certificate(s)
  4. Complete application (sign affidavit, sign application, 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.

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.

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 to request a 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.