Graduate Program - Introduction

Applications for Summer and Fall 2020 are being accepted. Deadline is March 15, 2020

Want to make yourself more marketable? Consider an Advanced Certificate in Gifted Education and earn additional credits toward your Masters + 30!
-Deadlines are October 15th (for spring matriculation) and March 15th  (for fall matriculation). Students interested in taking the Summer Intensive (all four courses in six weeks), must apply for fall (there is not a separate summer option). Upon acceptance, students can then enroll in summer courses.
-You must apply and matriculate into the Hunter Advanced Certificate program to register and take classes.
-Course costs can be found at the Bursar's Office website
-Access the online application: www.hunter.cuny.edu/graduateadmissions

What former students had to say:

Rafeek Khan (6th grade Math teacher, IS 126Q): Teaching is a second career for me and I have been teaching for the last five years. Having gotten quite comfortable with the curriculum and classroom management, my fifth year was a relatively easy year for me and I was in danger of slipping into mediocrity. Taking the Advanced Certificate in Gifted Education was like a "shot in the arm" for me. It was just what I needed to re-energise me! Taking these courses provided me the tools necessary to extend the thinking of my students and to propel them to greater heights. It also gave me the confidence to teach creatively. Personally and professionally, the timing and content of these courses was perfect for me. I would not hestitate to recommend this program for teachers, for too long we have focused on the needs of other learners and neglected our gifted learners.

Kay Papavassiliu (Preschool teacher). I am currently teaching two and three-year olds in an early childhood center. I also tutor (for enrichment) elementary school-aged children who are above grade-level in math. The courses in the Gifted and Talented certification program have added a great deal to my understanding of gifted children, and giftedness in general. Both are far more complex than I had realized. One of the most valuable things that I have learned, especially in terms of early childhood education, is awareness of the emotional and psychological needs of gifted children. In regards to teaching children ages five and older, the coursework in the program provides valuable differentiation strategies that can be used in a general educational setting, as well as in a gifted classroom.
I recommend this program for any teacher who wants to learn ways to create a rich, cognitively challenging, and emotionally supportive classroom environment. The courses give a deeper understanding of differentiation, and methods to implement it in the classroom in meaningful ways. Unfortunately, teachers are expected to differentiate, while not being trained to do so. This program delivers the tools!

 Kushya Sugarman (4th grade GT teacher at PS 77). This is my second year as a fourth grade teacher at Lower Lab (which is the school I attended as a child).
The Advanced Certificate in Gifted has impacted me greatly, both professionally and personally. The G&T program fostered introspection and reflection. My time in school allowed me time to think of myself as a student and learner again, rather than as an educator. As a result, I approached my new school year with a completely different outlook on myself, my students, and the educational system as a whole. I now think that I may want to pursue post-graduate work in G&T education, which was never an option to me before this program.
In addition to reshaping my future endeavors, this experience has recharged and motivated me as a classroom teacher. The G&T program at Hunter has many elements that are practical and applicable to classroom use. I left the program having researched, practiced and become comfortable with specific practices with which to teach my gifted students. I have already implemented two completely novel practices into my teaching - and to great success!
The Advanced Certificate in Gifted has also made me a more confident and vocal advocate for G&T students. Though I had been teaching at a G&T school for a year before starting, the program provided me with the vocabulary and research to support many of the behavior trends I was seeing in the classroom. Now, with a body of research to validate my observations, I can now approach parents and colleagues with an action plan for how to help students who are both struggling and excelling.
I have already recommended this program to a colleague of mine at my school, but I would recommend this program to all teachers. This program is important no matter what you teach. This program teaches best practices and how to identify high ability students. Students who need these services are present in every classroom, because there are many students have not been identified due to circumstance. It is our job as educators to teach every child every day. The G&T program at Hunter allows us to do that.

Advanced Certificate in Gifted Education Program

Program Coordinator:

Dr. Elissa F. Brown
Distinguished Lecturer, Special Education

School of Education

Director, Center for Gifted Studies and Education
Phone: 212-772-4618
elissa.brown@hunter.cuny.edu or eb177@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. The successful completion of this program will result in a Hunter College Advanced Certificate in Gifted Education, which meets the New York State requirements of 12 credits of coursework and 50 hours of fieldwork. Graduates must also pass the New York State Content Specialty Test (CST) in Gifted Education to receive their extension.