Dec 27, 2024

2022-2023 Graduate Catalog

2022-2023 Graduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Special Education Teaching Endorsement [Graduate Certificate]

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This Graduate Certificate in Special Education Teaching Endorsement program is for special education teachers who want to earn a second or third special education endorsement but do not want to pursue a master’s degree path. This program offers five endorsement areas: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cognitive Impairment, Emotional Impairment, Learning Disabilities, or Physical/Other Health Impairment. This program is not for anyone seeking an initial special education endorsement.

Online Education Eligibility

The U.S. Federal Government limits the number of online courses international students may enroll in while living in the United States. For this reason, we cannot admit students on F1 visas to fully online programs. Please check with International Admissions to confirm eligibility before applying.
All applicants, please review Online Education for Out-of-State Students to confirm you are eligible to enroll in an online program based in Michigan.

Program Admission

Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Summer, Fall, or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

Students may apply to the program year-round by completing a Graduate School application. The Special Education & Communication Sciences and Disorders Department is notified after a student’s application to the Graduate School is received. Students may begin classes as soon as they are accepted, provided the desired course(s) is/are not already underway (e.g., mid-semester).

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants who do not meet minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

Hold a valid teaching certificate with a special education endorsement

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions and select the appropriate application.

Domestic Applicants Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Department Information

Special Education & Communication Sciences and Disorders 128 Porter, 734.487.3300

David Winters, PhD, Department Head

Jennifer Desiderio, EdS, Graduate Coordinator

Advisor Information

Please contact the department for advisor information.

Degree Requirements: 20 hours

Students will complete a minimum of 20 hours of approved graduate credit as outlined below, including a supervised practicum experience. The student’s program of study is planned with a program advisor.

Special Education Core Courses: 8 hours

Endorsement Area Courses: 12 hours

Students accepted into the Graduate Certificate Special Education Endorsement program will elect a K-12 teaching endorsement in one of the following areas:

Autism Spectrum Disorders: 12 hours
SPAI 620 Dimensions of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) 3 hrs
SPAI 640 Principles of Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS) for Students with ASD in Universal Design for Learning (UDL) 3 hrs
SPAI 645 Curriculum and Instructional Strategies in ASD 3 hrs
SPAI 650 Visual Supports and Literacy in ASD 3 hrs
Cognitive Impairment: 12 hours
SPCI 529 Education of Students in Programs for Mild Cognitive Impairment and High Incidence Disabilities 4 hrs
SPCI 557 Cognitive Impairment Theory 4 hrs
SPCI 583 Education of Students in Programs for Moderate or Severe Cognitive Impairment 4 hrs
Emotional Impairment: 12 hours
SPEI 501 Methods for Students with EI 4 hrs
SPEI 510 Theories of Emotional-Behavioral Impairments 4 hrs
SPGN 525 Classroom Management and the Development of Social Competence in Students with Special Needs
2 hrs
SPGN 698 Independent Study 2 hrs
Learning Disabilities: 12 hours
SPGN 525 Classroom Management and the Development of Social Competence in Students with Special Needs 2 hrs
SPGN 630 Integrated Curriculum in Special Education: Math and Motor Skills Development 3 hrs
SPLI 550 Learning Disabilities: Application Issues and Theory 4 hrs
SPLI 672 Integrated Curriculum in Special Education: Linguistics and Language Arts 3 hrs
Physical and Other Health Impairment: 12 hours
SPCI 557 Cognitive Impairment Theory
4 hrs
SPGN 525 Classroom Management and the Development of Social Competence in Students with Special Needs
2 hrs
SPPI 512 Ancillary Services and Health Procedures for Teachers of Physically Impaired 2 hrs
SPPI 514 Educational Strategies for Teachers of the Physically Impaired 4 hrs

Critical Graduation Information

Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Graduate Certificate requirements must be completed within three (3) years of first enrollment in a course applicable to the certificate. Dually enrolled students (certificate and master’s program) must complete both degrees within six years of first enrollment in the master’s degree.

In the event a student does not complete the graduate certificate degree requirements within three years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are the minimum requirements for all graduate certificate degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

A graduate certificate must require a minimum of 12 credit hours.
No more than six credits of independent study courses and 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.
Residency Requirement - For students admitted to a graduate certificate program, at least nine graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the program must be earned at EMU. Students completing multiple certificate programs must have a minimum of 9 unique credit hours per certificate.
Application of completed certificates toward prior degree credit - Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours of the master’s program.
The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.