Hunter College: A Comprehensive Guide to Degree Programs and Opportunities
Hunter College, a distinguished public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system, has a rich history and a strong commitment to providing accessible, high-quality education. Founded in 1870, Hunter has evolved from its origins as a women's college to a comprehensive institution offering a wide array of undergraduate and postgraduate programs. This article explores Hunter College's history, campus, academic offerings, and student life, providing a detailed overview for prospective students and anyone interested in learning more about this dynamic institution.
A Legacy of Education and Empowerment
Hunter College's roots trace back to the 19th-century movement for normal school training for teachers. In 1870, the Female Normal and High School was established in New York City. This institution was founded by Thomas Hunter, an Irish nationalist who served as its president for the first 37 years. Hunter was created by the New York State Legislature as the only approved institution for those seeking to teach in New York City. The school also included an elementary and high school for gifted children, where students could practice teaching. A kindergarten was added in 1887.
During Thomas Hunter's presidency, the school gained a reputation for its impartiality, high academic standards, and commitment to higher education for women. In 1888, the school was incorporated as a college and renamed Normal College of the City of New York, granting it the power to confer Bachelor of Arts degrees. This change led to a division within the school, with "Normals" pursuing teacher licensure and "Academics" seeking non-teaching professions.
In 1914, the Normal College officially became Hunter College, honoring its first president. The college experienced significant growth, establishing branches in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. By 1920, Hunter College had the largest enrollment of women among municipally financed colleges in the United States. In the late 1930s, Hunter College expanded to the Bronx, with what later became the Bronx Campus.
Hunter became the women's college of the municipal system. In the 1950s, as City College became coeducational, Hunter began admitting men to its Bronx campus. In 1968-1969, Black and Puerto Rican students advocated for a department dedicated to their history and experiences, leading to the establishment of Black and Puerto Rican Studies (now Africana/Puerto Rican and Latino Studies) in Spring 1969.
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The "open admissions" policy, initiated in 1970 by CUNY, opened Hunter's doors to historically underrepresented groups. This policy guaranteed a college education to all NYC high school graduates. Even after the end of "open admissions," African Americans, Asian Americans, Latinos, Puerto Ricans, and international students continue to comprise a significant portion of the student body.
The Hunter College Campus: A Hub of Academic and Cultural Activity
Hunter College's main campus is located at East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. This modern complex consists of the East, West, and North Buildings, as well as Thomas Hunter Hall, all connected by skywalks. The official address is 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065.
The main campus is situated near Central Park and numerous cultural institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Asia Society Museum, and the Frick Collection. It houses the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education, and offers a variety of facilities for both the Hunter community and the public.
Key facilities on the main campus include:
Assembly Hall: A major performance venue with seating for over 2,000 people.
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Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse: A 675-seat proscenium theatre that hosts over 200 performances annually and attracts over 100,000 visitors.
Ida K. Lang Recital Hall: A smaller performance space for more intimate events.
Students also have access to specialized learning facilities such as the Dolciani Mathematics Learning Center, the Leona and Marcy Chanin Language Center, and the Physical Sciences Learning Center. Hunter also houses numerous research laboratories in the natural and biomedical sciences.
In addition to the main campus, Hunter has two satellite campuses:
Silberman School of Social Work Building: Located on Third Avenue between East 118th and East 119th Streets, this building houses the School of Social Work, the School of Urban Public Health, and the Brookdale Center on Aging.
Brookdale Campus: This campus includes the Hunter dormitory, which houses over 600 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as nurses employed at Bellevue Hospital.
Hunter also owns and operates several properties outside of its main campuses, including the MFA Building at 205 Hudson, Roosevelt House, Baker Theatre Building, and the Hunter College Campus Schools.
MFA Building (205 Hudson): Houses the Studio Art and Integrated Media Arts MFA programs, and the Art History MA program.
Roosevelt House (East 65th Street): The historic family home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, now home to Hunter's Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute.
Baker Theatre Building (149 East 67th Street): Home to Hunter's Department of Theatre.
Hunter College Campus Schools: Includes Hunter College High School and Hunter College Elementary School, publicly funded schools for intellectually gifted students.
The Leon & Toby Cooperman Library is located on the third-floor walkway level of the East Building. Silberman patrons have remote access to the Hunter Libraries electronic collections which include 250,000 full-text eBooks, 100,000 eJournals, and over 300 electronic databases. SWUPHL is a pick-up/drop-off site for the CUNY intra-library loan system (CLICS) that facilitates the sharing of books between all the CUNY libraries. In addition, SWUPHL participates in the national interlibrary loan program for academic libraries. The SWUPHL Faculty provide drop-in and by-appointment reference services, research consultations, classroom and individual instruction. The closest subway station to Hunter College is its namesake: 68th Street-Hunter College, which is served by the 6 train.
Academic Programs and Opportunities
Hunter College is organized into four schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, the School of the Health Professions, and the School of Social Work. In Fall 2018, the institution had an undergraduate admissions acceptance rate of 36%.
Hunter offers over 120 undergraduate programs, including:
5 undergraduate certificates
73 BA degree programs
10 BS degree programs
25 bachelor's-to-master's joint degree programs
Students can study in a variety of fields, including fine arts, humanities, language arts, sciences, social sciences, and applied arts and sciences. Professional areas of study include accounting, education, health sciences, and nursing.
Some of the most popular majors at Hunter College include:
Psychology, General
Human Biology
Computer Science
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Sociology, General
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
English Language and Literature, General
Economics, General
Sociology, General
Hunter also offers several honors programs, including the Macaulay Honors College and the Thomas Hunter Honors Program. The Macaulay Honors College, a CUNY-wide program, provides academically gifted students with a full tuition scholarship (for NY state residents), personalized advising, early registration, access to internships, and study abroad opportunities. The Thomas Hunter Honors Program offers interdisciplinary seminars and academic concentrations tailored to students’ individual interests.
Several honors societies are based at Hunter, including Phi Beta Kappa (PBK).
Advanced Certificate Programs
Hunter College offers a variety of Advanced Certificate programs across its different schools. These programs are designed for students who already hold a master's degree and are looking to specialize in a particular area. Here are some of the Advanced Certificate programs offered at Hunter College:
School of Education
- Adolescent Special Education Generalist (Grades: 7-12)
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Bilingual Education for Pupil Personnel Services
- Bilingual Education Extension - NYS Teachers
- Blind & Visually Impaired Education
- Computer Science Education for NYS Certified Teachers
- Dance Education
- Early Childhood Education
- English Education (Grades: 7 - 12)
- French Education (Adolescent)
- Geographic Information Science
- Gifted Education Extension
- Italian Education (Adolescent)
- Latin Education (Adolescent)
- Mathematics Education (Adolescent)
- Advanced Certification in Childhood Special Education - Behavior Disorders for NYS Certified Teachers
- Advanced Certification in Childhood Special Education - Learning Disabilities for NYS Certified Teachers
- Early Childhood Development and Learning: Diverse Children and Families
- Science Education: Biology (Grades 7-12)
- Science Education: Chemistry (Grades 7-12)
- Science Education: Earth Science (Grades 7-12)
- Science Education: Physics (Grades 7-12)
- Severe/Multiple Disabilities (Grades: PreK-12)
- Social Studies Education (Adolescent)
- Spanish Education (Grades: 7-12)
- Special Education (Grades: Birth-2, or PreK-12)
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (Grades P-12)
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages for applicants with prior TESOL or Linguistics MA (Grades P-12)
Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing
- Nursing Education
- Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Degree Programs Overview
Hunter College offers a wide range of degree programs across its various schools and departments. These programs cater to diverse academic and professional interests. Below is an overview of the types of degrees offered:
Bachelor of Arts (BA): A broad undergraduate degree that focuses on humanities, social sciences, and fine arts.
Bachelor of Science (BS): An undergraduate degree that emphasizes scientific and mathematical disciplines.
Bachelor's-to-Master's Joint Degree Programs (BA/MA): Accelerated programs that allow students to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in a shorter amount of time.
Master of Arts (MA): A graduate degree that focuses on humanities, social sciences, and fine arts.
Advanced Certificates: Specialized programs for professionals seeking to enhance their expertise in a specific field.
Student Life and Activities
Hunter College offers approximately 150 clubs and organizations, ranging from academic and athletic to religious/spiritual and visual/performing arts groups. The college has a campus radio station, WHCS, which broadcasts online. The Envoy is the main campus newspaper, published bi-weekly during the academic year. The school's mascot is the Hawks.
As a partnership with the New York City Department of Education, the Manhattan/Hunter College High School for Sciences was opened in 2003 on the campus of the former Martin Luther King, Jr. High School on the Upper West Side.
The student-faculty ratio at Hunter College is 13:1, and 42% of classes have fewer than 20 students. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 80%.
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