Special Education: Low Incidence Disabilities Graduate Certificate

General Program Information

Graduate School Contact:
Fiona Goodyear; goodyear@etsu.edu; 423-439-6148

Cynthia Chambers, Ph.D., Graduate Coordinator

421A Warf-Pickel Hall
Box 70548
(423) 439-7586
e-mail: chamberc@etsu.edu

The Special Education Program offers a Certificate in Special Education: Low Incidence Disabilities. The program provides advanced coursework directed at evidenced-based instructional practices for K-12 students with low incidence disabilities (e.g., intellectual disorders, autism, multiple disabilities). For current teachers, this certificate program can lead to an additional teacher licensure in Comprehensive Special Education.

Admission to the Program

In addition to the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies:

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Submission of a 2-page essay outlining past experience with individuals with disabilities and goals for acquiring a certificate in Special Education.

A student who applies and is accepted into the master’s program in Special Education with a concentration in Special Education, Early Childhood Special Education, or Advanced Studies in Special Education, may apply up to eighteen (18) credit hours from the Special Education: Low Incidence Disabilities Certificate Program as the certificate program’s coursework aligns with the master’s degree program. Up to nine credit hours may be transferred from the Low Incidence Disabilities Certificate Program to another Special Education certificate program where applicable.

Course Requirements

• SPED 5367 - Systematic Instruction for Functional and Academic Programming (3 credits)
• SPED 5401 - Research and Practice in Positive Behavioral Supports (3 credit hours)
• SPED 5445 - Medical Aspects and Applications of Assistive Technology (3 credits)
• SPED 5587 - Access to the General Curriculum for Students with Significant Disabilities (3 credit hours)
• SPED 5753 - Programming for Individuals with Exceptional Learning Needs (3 credit hours)
• SPED 5767 - Advanced Strategies for Behavioral Interventions (3 credit hours)

• Note:

  • Students who have taken undergraduate equivalencies of the above courses may substitute such courses with coursework approved by the Graduate Coordinator and the student’s advisor of record
  • Students who have taken graduate equivalencies of the above courses may transfer in nine (9) credit hours that are approved by the Graduate Coordinator and the student’s advisor of record.

Total Required for Program: 18 Credit Hours