General Information
General College policies can be found in the Graduate Programs Bulletin, which can be obtained at the Information Desk on the ground floor of NAC. Other policies specific to the Graduate Programs in Early Childhood Education and the School of Education are explained below.
Admissions interview
All applicants for matriculation into the Graduate Programs in Early Childhood Education who have been approved after an initial review of the application, will be required to attend an interview with a program admissions committee before final acceptance decisions are made. The interview consists of a group discussion with program faculty and other applicants and an on-site essay.
Conditions of matriculation
Once candidates have matriculated into the program, candidates are required to attend courses continuously. If a semester is missed, a Leave of Absence form must be completed. A Reentry Form must be completed before registering for courses in subsequent semesters. These can be obtained from the Office of Graduate Admissions.
An absence of two or more years requires that candidates reapply for admission into the program. Upon readmission into the program, the candidate will be held to program requirements in place at the time of readmission.
Immunizations
Entering students must demonstrate proof of immunization with the Office of Wellness in the Science Building, Room 15, before registering for courses. (Please see the college Bulletin for more information.)
Advising
Advising for the Graduate Programs in Early Childhood Education is in NAC 5/211. Candidates should seek advisement from faculty regularly. It is recommended that each candidate consult with a faculty advisor before registering for the upcoming semester. Faculty are available throughout the semester for a few hours almost every day. A sign-up sheet on the door is posted so that a time slot can be secured.
Registration
Registration by phone and on line begins the last month of the semester prior to the new one. Returning students can register this way. New matriculated students and non-matriculated students must register in person. Announcements of the time for each semester’s registration can be found on the College’s website and also are posted on the bulletin boards outside of the advising room and on the phone message of the Early Childhood Program (212-650-5182).
Tuition Reimbursement for Those Working Toward New York State certification
Tuition reimbursement is currently provided by New York State to candidates who are teaching and working toward certification through the New York State Education Incentive Program (EIP). District Council 1707 also offers reimbursement to union members (212-219-0022).
Field Experiences
New York State requires that all 100 hours of field experiences in addition to student teaching must be completed prior to certification. Most courses in the Initial Certification Program include 10-15 hours of field experiences. If the candidate is already teaching, many of the field experience assignments can be completed in the candidate’s classroom. If a field site is needed, the course instructor or the Director of Field Experiences (NAC 6/207) can recommend one. Candidates seeking Initial Certification must keep documentation of field experience hours. Forms for this documentation can be obtained in the Office of Field Experiences (NAC 6/207).
Student Teaching
Student teaching is required (300 hours/ 6 credits) of all candidates seeking initial certification. Those candidates who are already certified in another certification area who are seeking initial certification in early childhood are required to complete 60 hours (3 credits). Student teaching experiences must be fulfilled in two of the three developmental levels of early childhood – preK, K, and 1st or 2nd grade. Part of the student teaching experience can be fulfilled as supervised teaching for those candidates who are already head teachers in their own classrooms.
Technology
Courses in the Graduate Programs in Early Childhood Education, as well as in the School of Education in general, require basic technology competencies. An online program called Task Stream is a requirement for many of the program’s courses and can be purchased for about the same price as a text. Support for development of these needed skills will be offered in courses and through free workshops offered by the School of Education. For the schedule of these workshops, please see the Multimedia Center Website.
Academic Support
Students in need of support for writing or other academic issues can receive free support from the School of Education’s Learning Resource and Technology Center in NAC 3/226 (http://condor.admin.ccny.cuny.edu/~lrcenter/index.php) or the College’s Writing Center. An advisor may require a student to seek such supports in order to stay matriculated in the program.
NYSTCE Exams
New York State requires that three (3) exams be passed for certification: The LAST, CST Multi-Subject, and the ATSW. Candidates should try to take and pass all three examinations before completing the Graduate Program in Early Childhood Education so that, upon graduation, the School of Education can recommend you for certification. The LAST is a requirement for admission into the program; the CST must be taken before entering student teaching; the ATSW should be taken before graduation. Information about the exams can be found at: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/index.html
Preparation support classes are offered for free by the School of Education to enrolled students. Information about these classes and about how to register to take the exams can be found at the Learning Resource and Technology Center in NAC 3/226 (http://condor.admin.ccny.cuny.edu/~lrcenter/index.php). Members of District Council 1707 can also take advantage of writing and LAST preparation support provided through the union.
Grades
Grades in the Graduate programs of the City College are A, B, C, F, and INC. Concerns about grades should be raised with the instructor. If you are dissatisfied with the instructor’s explanation of your grade, you can appeal the grade to the Committee on Course and Standing. A request for this appeal can be made in the Office of the Chair, NAC 6/207.
“Incompletes”
Grades of Incomplete (INC) are discouraged and will be issued only upon written request to and permission of the instructor who is teaching the course. To obtain an Incomplete, the candidate must sign an agreement with the instructor, detailing the work that needs to be completed and the date at which that work will be turned in (this can be no later than six weeks into two semesters after the course was taken). While grading policies vary among different instructors, candidates should expect that an Incomplete could result in a lowered grade for the course.
Probation
Candidates are expected to maintain a GPA of 3.0 for graduate work. If the GPA drops below 3.0, the candidate will be put on probation by the registrar. If the GPA is not brought up to 3.0 after 2 semesters, the candidate will be officially dismissed from the program by the registrar.
Preparing for Graduation
Candidates should check with an advisor the semester BEFORE the semester prior to graduation to make sure that all program requirements have been met. Any candidate who expects to graduate must apply to graduate. This can be done at the Registrar’s office in the Administration Building or on line at http://www1.ccny.cuny.edu/current/registrar/Applicaltion-for-Graduation.cfm. Deadlines for filing for graduation are November 1 for January graduation, April 1 for June graduation, July 1 for September graduation. The deadlines are strict; even one day late will not be accepted. Without filling out this form, candidates CANNOT graduate. This form will alert the college to send graduation information to the candidate and will alert the School of Education to do a graduation check on the candidate. If all requirements have been met and the candidate’s GPA is 3.0 or better, the candidate will be approved for graduation. If, for some reason, the candidate does not graduate the semester during which a form has been filed, a new form must be filled out when graduation is attempted again.
The College strictly enforces a policy that anyone filing for graduation must be matriculated the semester before graduation or pay a non-matriculation fee.
After you have filed, notify the Head of your program so a graduation check can begin. Copies of all teaching licenses, approvals for course waivers, and transcripts from your previous colleges should be in your file in the program office. Check to be sure they are there so that your graduation check will go smoothly. If you had undergraduate liberal arts requirements to make up, be sure you have submitted evidence of how you met the outstanding requirement.
City College awards degrees each year on February 1, June 1, and September 1. You must apply for graduation in order to graduate. The College has one public graduation ceremony on June 1 each year. Those who earned their degrees on the preceding September 1 or February 1 are recognized in the June ceremony.
Applying for Certification
All candidates who graduate from a School of Education program leading to New York State certification can get recommended for certification by the College.
The application for certification is now done on-line. For a complete description of the certification process and links to the appropriate parts of the New York State Education Department web site, see the web pages of the School of Education Certification Office
Once your application for certification is submitted to the office of Graduate Admissions, you may request from the Registrar a "letter of completion." Give a copy of this letter to the Graduate Admissions Office. This office will then give you a letter stating that your application will be mailed to the New York State Education Department as soon as the final transcript is received from the Registrar.
You may apply directly to the New York State Education Department for certification if you have an undergraduate GPA of 2.5 or higher. The requirements are a bit different so make sure to check them on line at http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/certificate/index.html |
