Students in this program complete a total of 65 hours in field experience within specific courses, and 460 hours of internship as either full-time (40 hours per week) or part-time (20 hours per week) interns. Candidates complete their internship in a specialized setting (e.g., a vision rehabilitation agency serving adults learners who are blind or visually impaired). Blindfold and low vision simulation laboratory exercises are where students learn to teach other students to travel with occluded vision. Field experiences are required hours of observation of rehabilitation teachers within a specialized setting. Courses have various written requirements that accompany these field hours.
Coursework with Field Experience Requirements

Fieldwork hours

Fieldwork hours serve three main purposes:

1. They provide teacher candidates with an opportunity to observe individuals who are blind or visually impaired immediately upon entering the Master’s Degree program.
2. They allow candidates to determine whether they are really comfortable with this low incidence population and helps them to reflect on the appropriateness of their choice of entering this vision rehabilitation teaching specialization. 
3. They provide a way for teacher candidates to link theory and practice in individual courses and test their own developing ideas, with guidance from the professors teaching the courses.

The required fieldwork courses are:

Course instructors provide details on the specific activities to be undertaken at each of the fieldwork sites.  Students may select the sites to visit where they can observe learners who are blind or visually impaired.  Instructors can help students find specific sites.

Student Teaching and Practicum

Students are required to complete 460 hours of internship as either full-time (40 hours per week) or part-time (20 hours per week) interns under the supervision of a certified vision rehabilitation therapist and certified orientation and mobility specialist. Site selection and student evaluation will be completed by Hunter faculty and on-site supervisors.

• SPED 763 Internship I: Rehabilitation Teaching for Individuals with Visual Impairments
  Students complete 230 hours of internship in a vision rehabilitation agency serving adults who are blind and/or visually impaired. All hours of RT Internship are supervised by an ACVREP certified VRT. Interns are required to maintain professional case files and be formally observed while teaching individuals who are blind and visually impaired by both on-site and Hunter supervisory personnel.
  prereq: SPED 760, 761
  30 hrs seminar, plus 230 hrs, 2 cr
• SPED 764 Internship II: Rehabilitation Teaching for Individuals with Visual Impairments
  Students complete 230 hours of internship in a vision rehabilitation agency serving adults who are blind and/or visually impaired. All hours of RT Internship are supervised by an ACVREP certified VRT. Interns are required to maintain professional case files and be formally observed while teaching individuals who are blind and visually impaired by both on-site and Hunter supervisory personnel.
  prereq: SPED 760, 761
  30 hrs seminar, plus 230 hrs, 2 cr