Program Adviser:
Razel Solow
Director Center for Gifted Studies and Education
212-650-3599
rsolow@hunter.cuny.edu

The graduate program in Gifted Education at Hunter College is designed to provide educators with a solid background of expertise in gifted education, enabling them to work effectively with a diverse population of exceptionally capable learners, and to take leadership roles in the field. In addition to satisfying New York State requirements for coursework and field hours for the gifted certificate extension, successful completion of this program will result in a Hunter College advanced certificate in gifted education.

Hunter College has long been associated with excellence in gifted education. The Hunter Model School was established in 1870 as a laboratory school for teacher education and, for the past 75 years, the Hunter Campus Schools have focused explicitly on children of high intellectual ability. Hunter built a strong national and international reputation in gifted education with the gifted teacher preparation graduate program and research agenda directed by Dr. Rena Subotnik from 1986 to 1998. In 2003 Hunter College established a Center for Gifted Studies and Education, with the mission of building a vibrant, internationally recognized center of excellence in urban gifted education.

The advanced certificate program constitutes an important part of Hunter's commitment to excellence in teacher development in gifted education. It focuses on the urban context, incorporating rich cultural, social, political, educational, and scientific resource possibilities, and developing expertise in educating students from a broad range of backgrounds who are gifted and talented in a variety of ways.   Students in the program learn about several models and perspectives on giftedness, as well as identification of gifted students and developing programs for them. Consistent with current empirical and theoretical work in the field, the focus is on an advanced domain-specific mastery perspective rather than solely on intellectual potential as assessed by intelligence tests.

Students who complete the program and pass the New York State Teacher Certification Content Specialty Test in Gifted and Talented will be recommended to the New York State for the Gifted and Talented Certificate Extension.