Adolescent English - MA / Advanced Certificate

Admission Requirements

Master’s Degree

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution acceptable to Hunter College with an overall cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
    
2. A minimum of 21 credits of advanced courses in British, American or World Literature written in English (no more than 3 credits of the latter).
    
3. A general education core in the liberal arts and sciences to include the following (in addition to English major): 6 credits in a language other than English (3 years of high school study in the same foreign language with grades of C or better documented by high school transcript will meet this requirement), 6 credits in social studies (to include at least one course in U.S. history or U.S. geography), 3 credits in the arts, and 12 credits in math/science/technology (a college course in calculus meets 6 credits of this requirement).
    
4. Students must submit a writing sample of about 10 pages (preferably an undergraduate research paper of literary criticism).
    
5. Two references (preferably including at least one academic reference) to be included with the application for matriculation.
    
6. A personal statement to be completed as part of the application for matriculation.

Advanced Certificate

1. An undergraduate major of at least 30 credits in English, and a master’s degree in the content area with a GPA of at least 3.3 from an accredited institution acceptable to Hunter College.
    
2. A general education core in the liberal arts and sciences to include the following (in addition to English): 6 credits in social studies (to include at least one course in U.S. history or U.S. geography), 6 credits in a language other than English (3 years of the same language in high school with a grade of “C” or better fulfills this requirement), 3 credits in the arts, and 12 credits in math/ science/ technology (a college course in calculus satisfies 6 credits of this requirement).
    
3. Two professional references to be included with the application for admission.
    
4. A personal statement to be completed as part of the application for admission.
    
5. In addition, all students in this program will be required to take the Content Specialty Test (CST) of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and submit their scores to the School of Education before they complete 12 credits of course work. A student who does not receive a passing score on the CST may be required to enroll in additional courses in English.

Progress Standards

A. 12-Credit Progress Standards for Matriculated Students

1. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.
    
2. Students with more than one course grade below B in the first 12 credits of SEDC or SEDF course work will not be allowed to continue in the program.
    
3. A student who receives a grade of F in any course including arts and sciences courses in the first 12 credits will not be allowed to continue in the program.
    
4. Students with one grade of IN (Incomplete) within the first 12 credits are restricted from registering for more than one additional course. Those with two or more INs will not be allowed to register for any courses.
   
   Note: It is recommended that students with two or more INs take an official leave of absence.
    
5. All students should take the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST) of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and submit their scores to the Office of Educational Services before they complete 12 credits of course work. Any student who does not receive a passing score on the LAST  must enroll in the school’s reading/writing workshop before being permitted to register for any courses.
   
   Please note: Nonmatriculated students should apply for matriculation at the beginning of the semester in which they will complete 12 credits in the program.
    

B. Fieldwork Benchmarks

All field experiences and student teaching will take place in New York City schools. 

Any student who receives a grade of B-, C+ or C in a supervised field experience or student teaching or practicum course must apply to the chairperson of the department for permission to repeat that course, which may be repeated only once. Any student who receives a grade of F or WU may not reregister and will not be allowed to continue in the program.

Adolescent English Course of Study

Advanced certificate students take only the education courses in the program. Master’s degree students take both education courses and the English courses listed below.

22-24 credits: Advanced Certificate program  for students who matriculated before Fall 2011.
46-48 credits: Master’s Degree program  for students who matriculated before Fall 2011.

26-27 credits: Advanced Certificate program  for students who matriculated on or after Fall 2011.
50-51 credits: Master’s Degree program  for students who matriculated on or after Fall 2011.

• SEDF 70300 - Social Foundations of Adolescent Education
• SEDF 70400 - Adolescent Development, Grades 7–12
• SEDF 70500 - Educational Psychology: Applications to Adolescent Education
• SEDF 70600 - Assessment of Teaching and Learning in Adolescent Education
• SPED 70800 - Teaching Students with Special Needs in Inclusive Settings
• SEDC 71000 - Building the Foundations of Literacy in Adolescent Education
• SEDC 71100 - Advanced Study of Young Adult Literature in Our Diverse Society
• SEDC 72000 - Adolescent Health and Safety
• SEDC 72100 - Advanced Study of Teaching English Methods to a Diverse Population in Grades 7–12

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• Take Either

• SEDC 75100 - Student Teaching in English, Grades 7–12

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• Or

• SEDC 77110 - Practicum in English, Grades 7–9

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• Plus

• SEDC 77120 - Practicum in English, Grades 10–12

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English Department Courses

(see English Programs and Courses , for course descriptions)

For Master’s Degree Programs

Minimum 24 credits

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• Literature Eighteen credits in literature courses given by the English department, including 3 credits in Shakespeare, 3 credits in literature with a multicultural/minority emphasis, 6 credits in American literature, and 6 credits in electives.

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• ENGL 60700 - English Linguistics - the structure of modern English

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• ENGL 61500 - Rhetoric and Composition

Exit Criteria: Culminating Experiences

An overall GPA of 3.0.

Master’s degree students will develop a professional teaching portfolio, which is a cumulative effort, integrating course and fieldwork throughout the program. In particular, students will be expected to complete a major research-based project, include artifacts that reflect the theme of that research, and connect all components through critical reflection. Teacher candidates must show progress toward the completion of the portfolio through regular review by their advisers. Students will arrange for a presentation and final review of their work during the last semester in the program. A performance assessment checklist and rating scale will assess the quality of the culminating experiences (portfolio and reflective presentation).

Master’s degree students must also pass a written comprehensive examination in British and American literature.

Students must pass the School of Education technology assessment.