MA in Adolescent Education

Hunter College established a Master of Arts degree program in Adolescent Education Chinese (Grades 7-12) in September 2008. This program is sponsored by the Department of Classical and Oriental Studies, School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Education. The purpose of this program is to provide training and guidance for qualified students who are interested in teaching Chinese as a foreign language in the public school system in the greater New York area in order to satisfy the need for the ever increasing demand for certified teachers who are capable of offering quality language instruction in New York public schools.

Curriculum design for the M.A. program in the teaching of Chinese is based on the New York State requirements of the Teacher Education Program in Languages Other than English for Mandarin Chinese. One unique feature about the design of the Chinese M.A. program is that the Methods courses, Teaching Practicum and Student Teaching courses will be taught and supervised by faculty who are specialists in Chinese pedagogy. At present, there is no school in the metropolitan area offering a program in the training of teachers of Chinese comparable to our design.

The master’s degree program (Academic Plan: CHINAE-MA) prepares candidates to teach Chinese in grades 7-12 to students of diverse backgrounds, abilities and interests. This program is not designed for individuals who already have NYS certification in Chinese 7-12.

Bonnie Veronico
Education Advisor
10th Floor, West Building
68th Street Campus
Phone: 212-772-4629
Email: bbaldigo@hunter.cuny.edu

Bo Hao
Chinese Program Advisor
Room 1429, West Building
68th Street Campus
Phone: (212) 396-6724
Email: bhao@hunter.cuny.edu

1. 1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.0 and a major in Chinese with a GPA of at least 3.0, including a minimum of 18 credits in Chinese literature above the intermediate level and oral proficiency at the advanced low level of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI);

OR

1. 1. Applicants who do not have a Chinese major but have a liberal arts and science major (or interdisciplinary liberal arts or science concentration) of at least 30 credits can take two exams to meet the Chinese coursework requirement: the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) and the Written Proficiency Test (WPT) administered by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language (ACTFL). Candidates must achieve a minimum score of advanced-low on each to meet the admission requirement and must achieve a passing score on the on-site written test in Chinese/English about Chinese literature.

PLUS (for ALL applicants)

1. A general education core in the liberal arts and science to include the following: 6 credits in English, 6 credits in social studies (to include at least one course in U.S. history or U.S. geography), 3 credits in the arts, and 12 credits in math/science/technology (a college course in calculus meets 6 credits of this requirement).
2. Two professional references.
3. A personal statement.
4. An interview conducted in Chinese/English with program adviser.
5. An on-site English writing sample.
6. Submission of official score report on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

A. 12-Credit Progress Standards for Matriculated Students

1. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0.
2. Students with more than one course grade below B in the first 12 credits of SEDC or SEDF course work will not be allowed to continue in the program.
3. Students who receive a grade of F in any course, including arts and sciences courses, in the first 12 credits will not be allowed to continue in the program.
4. Students with one grade of IN (Incomplete) within the first 12 credits are restricted from registering for more than one additional course. Those with two or more INs will not be allowed to register for any courses.
   Note: It is recommended that students with two or more INs take an official leave of absence
5. Advanced certificate students only: are required to take the Content Specialty Test (CST) of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and submit their scores to the School of Education before completing 12 credits of course work. Students who do not receive a passing score on the CST may be required to enroll in additional subject specific courses.

B. Fieldwork Benchmarks

1. All field experiences and student teaching will take place in New York City public schools.
2. Any student who receives a grade of B-, C+ or C in a supervised field experience or student teaching or practicum course must apply to the chairperson of the department for permission to repeat that course, which may be repeated only once. Any student who receives a grade of F or WU may not reregister and will not be allowed to continue in the program.
3. Student teaching and practicum courses listed as “by permission only” will require that students have passed the EAS and the relevant CST certification exams.
4. Students must have no outstanding IN grades or admissions conditions in order to be given permission for student teaching or practicum course.

1. An overall GPA of 3.0.
2. Master’s degree students will develop a professional teaching portfolio, which is a cumulative effort, integrating course and fieldwork throughout the program.
3. Complete the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop