$398

Undergraduate Tuition Guarantee
(Cost Per Credit)

UNIVERSITY	COST PER CREDIT	COURSE FEES
UoPX	$398	One Fee per Course
GCU	$470 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course
DeVry	$514 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course

Information based on a BS in Business degree. Click the link below for source of data.

$698

Graduate Tuition Guarantee
(Cost Per Credit)

UNIVERSITY	COST PER CREDIT	COURSE FEES
UoPX	$698	One Fee per Course
DeVry	$776 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course
Capella	$805 + multiple fees	Multiple Fees per Course

Information based on an MBA degree. Click the link below for source of data.

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Graduate/Professional certificate

Graduate Alternative Pathway/Special Education Certificate

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Location:

13 months

Approximate program length

Total credits

$540

Cost per credit

Online

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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.

You'll learn how to

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

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/colleges/college-of-education/teacher-licensure/state-requirements.html. Please check this list regularly prior to contacting your state agency for state-specific requirements.

Courses

Course at a time

Weeks per course

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.

General Education Courses

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.

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.

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.

MTE/503

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0 Credits

This course is designed to provide an orientation to the primary components of the Alternative Pathway Certificate. Students will be introduced to the program's progression and degree completion requirements. Field Experience, Electronic Resources, E-Portfolio, Student Teaching, and the Student Teacher Performance Assessment will be discussed.

APSE/559

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3 Credits

This course examines the foundations of special education and introduces the characteristics of exceptional learners. State and federal regulations for the referral process, available programs or service delivery options, placements, and Individualized Education Plans are examined. Various assessment and remediation techniques, instructional strategies, and classroom management plans are explored as well as the use of appropriate classroom materials. Accommodations and modifications for students in special education are also investigated.

APSE/578

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3 Credits

This course focuses on the theoretical models that underlie teaching and learning. Teacher candidates analyze the most effective teaching strategies to encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of content and to promote critical thinking. Teacher candidates also examine teaching methods and learn to effectively use students¿ prior knowledge to develop lesson plans.

APSE/576

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3 Credits

This introductory course is designed to assist teacher candidates in developing strategies and techniques to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). This class is designed to familiarize teacher candidates with the complexity of ASD. The course provides the theoretical background information and practical instructional strategies needed for working with students with ASD. Participants will gain a better understanding of the key issues related to inclusive instructional practices as well as the skills to adjust behavioral challenges. This course fosters communication and social-perceptual thinking skills among teacher candidates.

SEI/504

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3 Credits

This course addresses legal and historical foundations of structured English immersion (SEI) foundations, instructional elements and language development of English learners in elementary grades, and culturally relevant instruction. Candidates explore SEI identification, SEI models, and English Language Proficiency Standards. Candidates also examine language acquisition theories, elements of language, and language domains. Candidates learn instructional strategies for academic English development in elementary settings. This course is designed to meet the standards set by the Arizona Department of Education.

APSE/584

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3 Credits

This course examines the characteristics of students with learning disabilities and language and development disorders. The teacher candidate will analyze and implement classroom management, instructional strategies, assessment, and augmentative and alternative technologies based on the needs of the students through a comprehensive lesson plan. Attention is given to the referral process and available program or service delivery options.

APSE/575

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3 Credits

This course focuses on the vertical alignment of national, state, and local mathematical standards used to deliver content instruction in the area of mathematics to diverse learners. In addition, this course will provide teacher candidates the opportunity to examine and analyze strategies that support learner development, learner differences, content knowledge, application of content, assessment, planning instruction and professional practices.

APSE/570

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3 Credits

This course focuses on the most current research, theory, and methods of reading instruction. Teacher candidates will implement teaching and learning strategies that use critical thinking, provide meaningful context, and incorporate student knowledge, to develop an integrated unit of instruction. Various instructional and assessment techniques, including research-based phonics, are modeled. A practical application project, based on work with a student in a K-8 school setting, is incorporated into the course requirements.

General Education Courses:

Core Courses:

MTE/503: ORIENTATION TO ALTERNATIVE 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-ELEMENTARY
APSE/584: LEARNING DISABILITIES AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT DISORDERS
APSE/575: MATHEMATICS INSTRUCTION FOR SPED
APSE/570: SPED CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT-READING/ELA

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.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule your classes 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.

Tuition

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Accreditation & Faculty

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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.

Faculty fast facts

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Principals

You might also want to check out:

Continuing Education for Teachers:

Master of Arts in Education/ Special Education:

Graduate Alternative Pathway/Elementary Education Certificate

card group 1

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.

Teacher Candidates located in Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Utah and West Virginia will be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure, in their home state. Candidates located in South Carolina enrolled in the Alternative Pathway Certificate Program will also be required to obtain Arizona certification first, prior to seeking licensure, in their home state.

Teacher Certification Program requirements may change based upon state agency licensure requirements and they can be found at https://www.phoenix.edu/colleges/college-of-education/teacher-licensure/state-requirements.html. The College of Education has made a determination if program requirements in your home state meets, does not meet, or affords no determination. Please check this list regularly prior to contacting your state agency for state-specific requirements.

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.