Academics

Please see the links below for a list of the classes required for graduation and the recommended sequence in which you complete these courses. Please note that the following sequences and requirements do not include additional educational or liberal arts prerequisites that are required for your program. To discuss prerequisite requirements, please speak to your advisor.

• Bilingual Childhood Education
• Secondary Spanish Education (NYCTF)
• Secondary Spanish
• Secondary Special Education (NYCTF)
• TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)

Unless otherwise noted via email or advisement, you may choose to deviate from your cohort’s course sequence. If you choose this option, you should speak with your academic advisor before registration to map a new pathway to graduation. If you follow a new program sequence, please note that space in specific courses will not be guaranteed, nor is it guaranteed that specific courses will be offered in the exact semesters in which you wish to complete them. When in doubt, consult your advisor.

New York State requires that teachers complete liberal arts prerequisites and show competency in various subject areas. Previous undergraduate and graduate courses in which a grade of C or better was earned can meet these requirements. Courses with a grade of C- or D are not accepted. These requirements must be met prior to graduation, and you cannot be recommended for Initial Certification without them. Specific requirements vary by program; please see the FAQ below for more information. The NYCDOE does not subsidize the cost of completing any outstanding liberal arts requirements you may have; fellows and partner teachers are financially responsible for the cost of any courses that may be required.

New York State Department of Education

A transcript review is completed by the Graduate Admissions Office for all new candidates in the School of Education. The purpose of the review is to determine which liberal arts requirements may be required prior to graduation for each individual candidate. Upon completion of this review (sometime during your pre-service semester), you will receive a letter detailing whether you have outstanding requirements. It is possible that some courses have been overlooked, or that you have additional transcripts that were not available at the time of the review. Please see your advisor if you believe there’s been an error, or if you have any questions. The FAQ document may also provide more information.

Prerequisite Requirements FAQs for Bilingual Childhood Ed & TESOL
Prerequisite Requirements FAQs for Bilingual SPED 7-12, SPED 7-12, and Spanish 7-12

In addition to any liberal arts requirements you may have outstanding, the Special Education Program requires the following educational prerequisites, both 3-credit courses:

EDUC 7200A: Psychology of Learning and Teaching
EDUC 7500A: Adolescent Learning and Development

If you believe you may have fulfilled the requirement for one or both of these courses, please discuss with your advisor the possibility of waiving these prerequisites. If you have not previously completed these requirements, CCNY will accept CLEP scores of 50 or above for the following two tests:

Introduction to Educational Psychology
Human Growth and Development

Passing these tests will give you the equivalent of two 3-credit courses. Additionally, CLEP exams are cost-effective and time-saving options for completing these credits. You may use these additional 6 credits towards a 30 and above pay differential.

Finally, please note that the Special Education Program also requires the following educational prerequisites, both 3-credit courses, for all its traditional pathway candidates:

EDUC 7100A: Urban Schools in a Diverse Society
SPED 5000K: Introduction to Inclusive Education

These two courses are waived for teaching fellows and partner teachers, but for anyone who may transfer into our traditional pathway program, these courses will be required.

New York State requires that all candidates for certification in TESOL complete 12 semester hours (or equivalent) study of a language other than English. This requirement can be met through undergraduate or graduate coursework, study at language institutes, CLEP scores or other placement exams, and/or certain types of international experiences. If your college transcripts do not show 12 hours or more of such study, please see your advisor to determine how you can meet this requirement. (The credits need not all be for the same language.)

Each semester, before registration opens for the following semester, all candidates should log onto CUNYfirst to ensure that there are no holds on their accounts. If you find you have a registration hold, please follow the instructions on CUNYfirst to have the hold lifted before registration opens. If a hold is not lifted, you will be delayed in your ability to register, meaning you may not be able to access the courses and/or sections you would like for the upcoming semester. Common holds include but are not limited to nonpayment of late registration fees from the previous semester, missing GRE scores, or academic stops from GPAs below 3.0.

Generally, the Registrar sends an email each semester before registration opens to inform you of upcoming registration dates and enrollment appointments. You will very likely also receive an email to your CCNY email address from your academic advisor, delineating the courses for which you should register. Note that you are responsible for registering yourself for coursework each semester. Please be certain to register in a timely manner in order to secure the courses and sections that work best for your schedule. Space is guaranteed in the course(s) following your course sequence, but only for one week from the opening of registration, and space in specific sections is first-come first-served.

Select courses require prerequisites and/or department consent. If you attempt to register for a course and receive an error message telling you permission is required, please contact your academic advisor. It is always helpful to include a screenshot of the error message you have received. Your advisor may be able to assign you permission or assist you in selecting an alternate course/section.

Once a course is full, it will appear as “closed” on CUNYfirst. CUNYfirst may offer the option of joining a waitlist, in which case, you may do so. If you cannot access a waitlist, however, that means there is not one available for that specific section; please select another section and/or course. Overtallies are generally not permitted, so be sure to register early to secure the sections that work best for your schedule.

Once registration opens, you may add classes to your schedule via CUNYfirst. Always make sure that you click “finish enrolling” in your shopping cart, or your course selections for the upcoming semester will not save to your schedule. Check the academic calendar to see the last day to make registration changes without incurring any financial costs.  (Generally, this is  until the day before the semester begins)  Please note that classes fill and you may not be able to enroll in the exactly the classes you wish. If you make any changes to your schedule from the first day of classes or later, you will incur change of program fees, for which you will be responsible.

Please be careful before you drop any classes, even before the semester begins, as you may not be able to enroll in other classes that are already full. The add/drop period usually lasts just one week, and missing classes at the beginning of the semester - even if you were not registered - generally counts toward your absence total.   

If you do need to make changes to your schedule after the semester begins, it is very important that you perform a “swap” in CUNYfirst, rather than an Add/Drop. Do not attempt to “drop” a course/section and “add” another. This will result in you being locked out of the system and having to complete hard copies of paperwork with your advisor and the registrar (and will likely result in late fees and/or partial course charges). Performing a swap will allow you to manage this process on your own and may result in a nominal late fee, but this fee will be much lower than add/drop fees.

Always be sure to check your course schedule in CUNYfirst before the semester begins, to ensure you’re registered for all of the correct courses. If you register for a course and never attend (e.g., if you register for a course without realizing it or register and never drop the course), you will receive a grade of WN (Withdrawal/Never Attended), which will not appear on your official transcript. A WN will not impact your GPA in any way; however, you will be financially responsible for the full cost of the course.

If you withdraw from any courses during the add/drop period, the registrar will note the course as a WD (Withdrawal/Dropped). This grade will not impact your GPA and will not appear on your official transcript. You will, however, be responsible for payment for any coursework you drop during the add/drop period (the DOE does not pay for dropped courses). The CCNY academic calendar contains information regarding partial coursework fees.

If you begin attending a course during a semester but find that you are unable to successfully complete it, you have until the withdrawal deadline, which can be found on the academic calendar, to officially withdraw from a course. This process can be completed online via CUNYfirst. Officially withdrawing from a course will result in a grade of W on your transcript, which will not impact your GPA. You will, however, be financially responsible for the cost of retaking the course in a future semester.

If you begin attending coursework during a semester and subsequently stop attending without withdrawing officially, your instructor may assign you a grade of WU (Withdrew Unofficially) or a grade of F (Failed).  A WU will negatively impact your GPA in the same way as an F, and you will be financially responsible for repeating the course in a future semester.

One alternative to withdrawing from a course is to negotiate an incomplete (INC) with your professor. The terms of an INC must be agreed upon in writing by both the professor and the candidate. The INC agreement should indicate what assignments will be due and when. The CCNY academic calendar lists the dates by which all INCs for any given semester must be resolved. The professor may choose whether to assign the school’s deadline or an earlier deadline.

Once a candidate has accepted the INC and agreed to the terms with the professor, it is solely the candidate’s responsibility to resolve the incomplete. Once all assignments have been submitted to the professor and the professor indicates that a change of grade has been submitted, the candidate should check CUNYfirst to confirm that the new grade is reflected on the transcript.

If the candidate neglects to complete the requirements necessary for a change of grade by the College deadline, the INC will automatically convert to an FIN (Failed/Incomplete), which will negatively impact your GPA in the same way as an F, and you will be financially responsible for repeating the course in a future semester. Under extenuating circumstances and especially with a professor’s approval, a candidate may appeal the FIN grade to the School of Education’s Committee on Course and Standing.

Up to 6 credits may be transferred from a graduate program at another university, but only if your advisor approves, and if certain conditions apply. The course description must match the description for the required course in the program, the course must have been completed within three years prior to your matriculation at CCNY, and the credits may not have been applied toward another degree. In addition, only courses for which you have earned a grade of at least B- may be transferred.

If you have taken coursework that duplicates requirements in your program, but is not eligible for transfer, see your advisor to consider substituting a different course in place of the required course with similar content.

Like all graduate students in the School of Education, teaching fellows and partner teachers are required to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to remain in good standing in their programs.

Candidates who complete the course requirements for their program but have a GPA lower than 3.0 are required to pass the Qualifying Exam to graduate. The exam is given near the end of each semester. You must get in touch with your advisor to schedule this exam and to get information about its format and content. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 2.8 to be eligible to take the Qualifying Exam.

All fellows and partner teachers complete two courses during their first semester at CCNY, which is known as your preservice training (PST) semester. In order to proceed as a CCNY fellow or partner teacher, each candidate must successfully pass (i.e., C or better) both courses included in their PST semester. Failure to meet this requirement will result in outplacement from your academic program, which also means you will not be eligible for a Transitional B Certificate. These courses cannot be repeated for credit.

One course required in your sequence is known as practicum or student teaching (e.g., EDCE 6603C, EDUC 7600C). It is often completed during a candidate’s second teaching semester, and reflects your teaching experience in your own classroom. Each candidate will work with a mentor, called a field consultant, who will visit you in your classroom four times per semester in your first year teaching, and twice per semester in your second teaching year. You will receive a letter grade from your field consultant during your second teaching semester.  You must earn a grade of B or better in order for CCNY to continue to support your Transitional B certificate. A B- or below will result in outplacement from CCNY and your DOE program. This course cannot be repeated for credit.

A candidate will be placed on probation if their grade point average falls below 3.0. The candidate may be removed from probation when their GPA reaches 3.0. If the GPA remains below 3.0 for two semesters, a candidate will be outplaced from their CCNY and DOE programs. Students may appeal their dismissal to the School of Education’s Committee on Course and Standing.

Candidates are expected to attend and be on time to every class session of each course in which they are enrolled. Candidates will not receive credit for any course in which they have excessive absences. Candidates are advised to determine the instructor’s policy at the first class session. They should note that an instructor might treat lateness as equivalent to absence, and may make no distinction between excused and unexcused absences. Missing the first class of a semester counts as an absence. Each instructor retains the right to establish their own policy, but students should be guided by the following general College policy: The number of hours absent may not exceed twice the number of contact hours the course meets per week.

Faculty in the School of Education are aware that many of our candidates have professional responsibilities (e.g., parent-teacher conferences) that may interfere with class attendance. In courses in which a small number of absences are excused, this generally is offered to accommodate just these types of unpreventable absences. If you have any questions or concerns about an absence policy, please speak directly with the professor.

The School of Education maintains a policy that fellows and partner teachers may not take leaves of absence from CCNY coursework of longer than one semester. In other words, one requirement for remaining in good standing in one's program is that fellows and partner teachers must register for coursework in either Fall or Spring semester in order to maintain their Transitional B certificate. If you intend to take a leave of absence for a semester, you must notify SOEprograms@ccny.cuny.edu .

Leaves of absence from one's teaching position with the DOE must be requested by the fellow or partner teacher and must be approved by the DOE. Those working under a 5BA or per diem certificate are not eligible for leaves of absence from the DOE. Leaves of absence from the DOE are only granted for those holding a Transitional B certificate or higher.

The School of Education will accept credits completed toward one's degree from CCNY for a maximum of 5 years from credit completion. After 5 years, a candidate will be required to retake courses, to ensure their credits remain relevant and applicable to their degree. If you will need more than 5 years to complete your degree, discuss this issue with your advisor, who will need to request permission from the College to accept credits beyond that timeframe. Candidates are financially responsible for repeating any coursework after the 5-year deadline has passed.