Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate
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Overview
Gain special skills for students with special needs
Help students with disabilities thrive in their educational pursuits with a Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate. This accelerated certificate program is designed for people looking to change careers, those who require emergency teaching certifications or those seeking preparation for teaching licensure. The program focuses on assessing the learning of students with mild to moderate learning disabilities and providing necessary support for various behavioral and learning disorders.
As you move through the certificate program, you’ll:
- 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
You can complete your program online in as little as 55 weeks by taking just one course* a time, so you can balance work and life on the path to your graduate certificate.
* Courses are one, six or 12 weeks long
Courses
Course length:
Varies*
* Courses are one, four, six or 12 weeks long
Total credits required:
24
Max. number of waived credits:
3
Requirements and prerequisites
You’ll need 24 credits from a set of required courses to complete this Graduate Alternative Pathway/Elementary Education Certificate program. View additional requirements for licensure.
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.
Core courses
Career Resources
Networking opportunities
Access powerful networking tools through our PhoenixLinkTM career services platform. Take advantage of personal career coaching. Search and apply for jobs, or make your resumé visible to employers. And connect with employers and alumni through career fairs and mixers. It’s all about connections. And we help you make them.
Program purpose statement
The Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate is a program intended to prepare students with no prior teaching experience for special education teacher licensure in Arizona. The program includes a clinical component requiring field experiences and student teaching above and beyond program coursework. As state licensure requirements may change frequently, students must contact the Arizona Department of Education to verify current requirements to become a licensed teacher. There may be additional qualifications and/or disqualifications applicable in order to work as a teacher with any local, state or federal entity.
Licensure requirements
The Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate prepares candidates for initial teacher licensure as a special education school teacher. As licensure requirements may vary by state, it’s your responsibility to learn and meet licensure requirements in any state where you desire to practice.
Accreditation
The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accreditation is your assurance the University meets quality standards.
Institutional accreditation
Regional accreditation is an institution-level accreditation status granted by one of six U.S. regional accrediting bodies. Accreditation by more than one regional accrediting body is not permitted by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
Download program info
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What sets us apart?
When you choose our Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate, you can:
We promise you’ll keep the same affordable tuition until you complete your certificate program. Count on tuition to be as dependable as your education.
Designed to fit into the lives of busy working adults, our Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate can be completed one course at a time.
The certificate program is intended for those who are on an emergency certification or have no prior teaching experience and are seeking preparation for teaching licensure.
Take the next step
It’s time to let your education prepare you for the next phase of your career. You’ve got the will. And, by taking one course at a time toward a Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate, you’ve got the way.
Or call 844.YES.UOPX for more details.
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 required by most states to sit for initial teacher certification exams.
Residents of Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Utah and West Virginia: This is an Arizona-based program. As an out-of-state-prepared candidate for initial teacher licensure, your state requires you to obtain Arizona certification first prior to seeking licensure in your home state.
Candidates located in Virginia enrolled in the Alternative Pathway Certificate Program will also be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure, in their home state.
For more information on licensure requirements, application materials and website information for your state’s board or department of education, click on your state in the link below:
http://www.phoenix.edu/colleges/college-of-education/teacher-licensure/state-requirements.html
While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.
