Certificate

Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate

Location:

13 months

Approximate Program Length

24

Total Credits

$540

Cost per Credit

Online

Format

Start when you're ready

Choose an upcoming start date:

Register by: Jun 1, 2022

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Are you changing careers, using an emergency teaching certification or preparing for teaching licensure? Help students with disabilities thrive in education with our accelerated certificate program for a Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate. You’ll focus on assessing how students with mild to moderate learning disabilities learn and on providing necessary support for various behavioral and learning disorders. Credits from this certificate can transfer toward a Master of Arts in Education/Special Education.

You won’t be in this alone. Our program support specialist can help you navigate teacher licensure and credentialing requirements. We’ll also help you with school placements for your clinical experience and clinical practice through our close partnerships with hundreds of school districts nationwide.

Design and implement effective instruction
Apply professional ethics to teaching practices in special education
Create and modify instructional and behavioral plans for a variety of learning needs
Create innovative strategies and incorporate technology into the classroom

Download program and career details

Courses

1

Course at a time

6

Weeks per course

9

Courses per year

Program Details

Requirements

You’ll need 24 credits to complete this Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate. Your course schedule may vary based on previous experience, training or transferable credits.

8 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in this field.

0 General Education Courses

0 Elective Courses

1 Clinical Practice/Student Teaching Course

During your clinical practice experience — one of the final steps to complete your degree — you’ll complete a rigorous student teaching experience where you will apply your instruction and classroom management skills full time. Working under the supervision of a teacher and a University of Phoenix faculty advisor, you’ll develop lesson plans, teach, work with diverse student populations and incorporate technology into the classroom.

Core Courses:

MTE/503: Orientation to Alt Pathway Certificate
APSE/559: Foundations of Special Education
APSE/578: SPED -Model Theories and Instructional Strategies
APSE/576: Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorders
SEI/504: Structured English Immersion
APSE/584: Learning Disabilities and Language Development Disorders
APSE/575: Mathematics Instruction for SPED
APSE/570: SPED Curriculum and Assessment-Reading/ELA

General Education Courses:

Elective Courses:

COE Central

College of Education students will find many helpful resources on COE Central. Program handbooks provide a wealth of information on topics such as professional expectations, clinical experiences, clinical practice, internships, edTPA and much more. Milestone roadmaps, technology and multimedia resources, and various toolkits are also available.

Licensure Requirements

The Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate prepares candidates for initial teacher licensure as a K-12, mild-moderate special education teacher. Program requirements may change based upon state agency licensure requirements and they can be found at https://www.phoenix.edu/state-licensure-requirements/teacher-education.html. Please check this list regularly prior to contacting your state agency for state-specific requirements.

Schedule

Attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night because our online classroom is available 24/7/365. Your academic counselor will help schedule your courses for the Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate.

Program Purpose Statement

The Alternative Teaching Certificate in Special Education is a graduate-level certificate program intended to prepare students with no prior teaching experience for initial teacher licensure. The certificate program is designed for students who want to become special education teachers. Candidates for this certificate program have already earned a bachelor’s degree. The certificate program includes a clinical component requiring field experiences and student teaching above and beyond program coursework. There may be additional qualifications and/or disqualifications applicable in order to work as a teacher with any local, state or federal entity. Requirements for licensure vary by state. View your state’s teacher licensure requirements.

Career & Outcomes

Career Services for Life®

Get career coaching, resumé building and interview prep, for life. While outside career advising can cost over $200 an hour, at University of Phoenix it’s built right into your degree at no added cost.

You don’t have to go it alone.

You’ll have a team of advisors invested in your success from day one — dedicated to helping you build your confidence and a personalized career plan you can stick with.

Tools and resources available 24/7/365

We're a university built for the busy. Build your resumé, prepare for an interview and plan your career — whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Networking & mentorship

Through virtual job fairs and networking with the alumni community, we've made it easy to tap into the experience and connections of your peers and colleagues at the University.

Learn more about career support

Tuition

Paying for school

While education costs have risen an average of 2.6% in the U.S. every year, our Tuition Guarantee ensures you’ll pay one flat rate from the moment you enroll to the day you graduate.

Save time and money on your certificate

Credit transfer made easy
Earn your certificate faster, and for less, with eligible transfer credits.

Transfer credits

NEED SOME HELP?

Our enrollment representatives provide personal support while you make an informed choice about going back to school. Reach us by phone at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week

Connect with us

Student Experience

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Learn about our flexibility

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Read about online classes

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 20 hours a day, 5 days a week. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.

See student resources

Accreditation & Faculty

Count on the quality of your education

Institutional accreditation

University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org. Since 1978, University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor.

Real-world faculty

24

Average years of industry experience

60

Principals

85 %

Of surveyed students would recommend their instructors

Faculty Spotlight

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader."

Doris Savron

Vice Provost of Colleges, University of Phoenix

Read her story

You might also want to check out:

Continuing Education for Teachers:

Master of Arts in Education/ Special Education:

Graduate Alternative Pathway/Elementary Education Certificate

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The following programs — BSEd/E, BSEd/ECH, MAEd/TED-E, MAEd/TED-S, MAEd/SPE, CERT/AP-E, CERT/AP-S, and CERT/AP-SE — provide the academic preparation to sit for initial teacher certification exams in select states.

Educator/Principal licensure requirements vary by state. Candidates located in a state that does not provide a direct path to licensure will be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure in their home state as an out-of-state prepared teacher/principal candidate. Arizona certification requires candidates to pass all Arizona-specific licensure requirements, including any Arizona-specific exams (or home state equivalents if recognized by Arizona Department of Education.) After obtaining an Arizona teacher/principal certificate, candidates can then apply for licensure in their home state and may be required to complete additional testing and/or requirements at additional cost. Program requirements may change based upon your home state’s agency licensure requirements. Please visit the teacher licensure page https://www.phoenix.edu/state-licensure-requirements/teacher-education.html or the principal licensure page https://www.phoenix.edu/state-licensure-requirements/principal.html for state specific requirements prior to reaching out to your state agency.

*While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projections are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.