Overview
Offering a special education certificate program addresses the expressed need of school systems and ministries of education. This post-baccalaureate certificate program provides practicing teachers and other school professionals with the body of professional and pedagogical knowledge, skills, and dispositions that prepare them to work more effectively with learners with and at-risk for developmental disabilities from Pre-K to grade 12.
- WHAT WILL I LEARN IN THE POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM?
Through coursework and professional learning experiences, students will learn cutting-edge 21st Century pedagogical teaching and learning. Students will engage in critical self-reflection, inclusive practices, collaboration with other school professionals and families, specialized instruction of literacy and math, assessment, positive behavior intervention support (PBIS) and special education service delivery in a multicultural society (Caribbean focus), among other areas of emphasis. You will have the opportunity to apply information learned in a hands-on clinical practice internship and accompanying seminar supported by the school’s administration and university supervisor. - WHAT CAREERS CAN I PURSUE WITH AN ONLINE POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION?
The Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education will give you the background and skills you need to effectively teach children and adolescents with disabilities. - HOW LONG WILL THE ONLINE POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION TAKE TO COMPLETE?
The Secondary Teaching Certificate program from start to finish is designed to be completed in 12 months. The total program credit hours are 18. - HOW MUCH WILL THE ONLINE POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM COST?
Learn more about our tuition rates and fees here.
When Can I Start?
There are five start dates in a calendar year: January, March, May, August, and October. Contact us at online@uvi.edu to learn more about our accredited degree programs, financial assistance opportunities or enrollment process.
Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education Program Outcomes
After successfully completing UVI’s 100% online Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education program, you will be able to:
- Identify and describe the types of exceptional students and their characteristic as well as legal framework for providing services for learners with disabilities from PL 94-142-IDEA 2004.
- Describe appropriate uses for standardized assessment and appropriate uses for curriculum-based assessment.
- Describe the sequence that leads from identification and assessment to the delivery of effective instruction.
- Identify effective practices for teaching exceptional children.
- Demonstrate effective collaborative skills in planning interventions for instructional and behavioral support partnerships with parents/families.
- Apply elements relating to cultural diversity at the community, national, and international levels into instructional practice.
- Reflect professionally on practices observed in the field setting and evaluate in terms of research-based practice.
curriculum
PROGRAM CORE:
| UVI Online Course No : | Course Name : | Credits : | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EDU 520 | Characteristics of Exceptional Children | 3 | |
| Designed to acquaint the student with exceptional children and youth. Areas surveyed include students with mental, physical, emotional, and learning disabilities and the gifted and talented. A review of the theoretical and research bases of special education will be included. | |||
| EDU 531 | Education in a Multicultural Society | 3 | |
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The experience of this course will be designed to assist educators in their development of multifaceted educational competencies especially related to multicultural and multiethnic educational settings. Emphasis will be placed on helping educators develop both a knowledge base (theories and concepts) concerning the area of multicultural and multiethnic education and a skills or action base (strategies, methods, and techniques) for application in various educational situations. |
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| EDU 556 | Special Education: Strategies and Design | 3 | |
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The skills of delivering individual instruction in special and regular classroom settings will be emphasized. The selection, adaptation, and utilization of instructional methods and materials will be stressed, as well as examination of the basic models for teaching children with special needs. |
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| EDU 557 | Assessment in Special Education | 3 | |
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Designed to acquaint practicing teachers and educational personnel with methods and models of assessment. Emphasis will be on the use of formal and informal assessment and the interpretation of evaluation data. |
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| EDU 558 | Behavior Management in Educational Settings | 3 | |
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Designed to enable educators to understand and apply behavioral principles. The content will include classroom and individual management plans, reinforcement in the classroom, and instructional methods that will help expand the learner’s repertoire of behaviors. The intent is to provide a set of skills for ethically assisting learners in the management of their own behavior, thus maximizing their opportunities, not on the external manipulation of behaviors. |
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| EDU 574 | Internship/Seminar in Special Education | 2 | |
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Designed to provide experiences in the classroom with children who have special needs. Competencies to be demonstrated by the student will be developed on an individual basis. Weekly seminars will cover issues in the delivery of special education services. Prerequisite(s): Completion of EDU 520, EDU 556, and EDU 557. |
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Program Snap Shot |
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| Program Core | 18 | ||
| Program Electives | 0 | ||
| Total Program Credits | 18 | ||
Career Outlook
The Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education online program is intended for practicing teachers seeking certification to teach children and adolescents with developmental, learning, mental, emotional, and/or communication disabilities in Pre-K to grade 12. Generally, the career path is teaching across all subject areas.
The median annual wage for special education teachers was $61,820 in May 20211
1. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/special-education-teachers.htm
Employers can include:
- Public, private, and parochial schools
- Curriculum publishers
- Tutoring services companies
- Teacher certification exam preparation companies
- Non-profit Organizations
