Online Graduate Certificate – Special Education

Enrich your teaching career and grow your impact on the success of exceptional students in P-12 learning environments.

4/29/24 Next Application Due Date
5/13/24 Start Classes

Program Overview


Explore the EWU online Graduate Certificate – Special Education program benefits

$10,200* Total Tuition
As few as 8 months Duration
34 Credit Hours

Poise yourself to meet the demand for more qualified teachers who can provide inclusive education for learners with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities in the online Graduate Certificate – Special Education program from Eastern Washington University.

The rigorous curriculum for this special education certificate online program is aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards. You will complete internship and portfolio courses designed to develop your expertise in the practical application of evidence-based strategies that support positive learning outcomes for special education students in P-12 school settings.

With convenient, 100 percent online coursework led by experienced faculty who are dedicated to academic excellence, EWU gives you the flexibility to earn your add-on certificate in special education in as few as eight months.

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The Eastern Washington University School of Business is accredited by AACSB International (AACSB).

In this online special education program, you will learn to:

  • demonstrate mastery of the issues and challenges in special education;
  • collaborate with teachers, families and staff in delivery of special education services to students;
  • apply learnings and knowledge to the development and execution of special education planning for students.
  • demonstrate mastery of the issues and challenges in special education;
  • collaborate with teachers, families and staff in delivery of special education services to students;
  • apply learnings and knowledge to the development and execution of special education planning for students.

Also available online:

If you are interested in pursuing your master’s degree, completed courses in this certificate program can help you earn your online Master of Education – Special Education from EWU.

$10,200* Total Tuition
As few as 8 months Duration
34 Credit Hours
Professional Educator Standards Board logo

The School of Education programs are approved by the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB).

Apply Now

Need More Information?

Call 800-826-3411

Call 800-826-3411

Tuition


This online certificate from EWU is more affordable than you might expect

This online Graduate Certificate – Special Education program features pay-by-the-course tuition, with the same rate for all in-state and out-of-state students.

Tuition breakdown:

$300 Per Credit Hour
$10,200* Total Tuition

*Tuition and fees subject to change. Total program cost does not include foundation courses. If foundation courses are required, the cost will be added to the total program cost.

Tuition breakdown:

$300 Per Credit Hour
$10,200* Total Tuition

Calendar


Take note of important program milestones

The online Graduate Certificate – Special Education program is designed to be flexible for working professionals, with six-week courses and seven start dates a year. View the full calendar for upcoming start dates and deadlines for registration, required documents, and tuition payment.

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes
TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition Deadline
Winter II2/12/241/29/242/7/242/10/24
Spring I4/1/243/18/243/27/243/30/24
Spring II5/13/244/29/245/8/245/11/24
Summer I7/8/246/21/247/2/247/6/24
Fall I9/23/249/9/249/18/249/21/24
Fall II11/4/2410/21/2410/30/2411/2/24

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Admissions


Find out how to apply

We’ve streamlined the online Graduate Certificate – Special Education admissions process to help you get started quickly and easily.

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Teacher certification

Online Graduate Certificate – Special Education Admission Requirements

  • Teaching certificate required
  • Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester-graded postsecondary credit hours**
  • Official transcript from the college/university where degree was earned
  • Professional resume

Document Submission Information

For Spring 2024 Applications: Please do not send transcripts directly to EWU, as this may delay processing your application. If you are ordering electronic transcripts, please select the CAS application as the recipient.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
P.O. Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471

Note: You will need to use the Transcript ID form (found in your GradCAS application portal) as part of your submission so that your transcript can be matched to your application.

For Summer 2024 Applications and all future terms:

Order your official, electronic transcripts from the degree-granting institution where you earned your highest degree (bachelor’s or master’s) and have them sent to Eastern Washington University.

  • Most EWU graduate programs only require one transcript. Please submit a transcript from your degree-granting institution. This transcript should include the final two years of your degree completion. If it does not, please submit transcripts to cover your final two years of earned credits.
  • Please note that transcripts ordered by main may take 4-6 weeks to arrive.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

Eastern Washington University
Showalter Hall 206
Cheney, WA 99004

Have a question? Call us at 800-826-3411.

**We encourage you to apply if your GPA is lower than a 3.0 and you have at least 3 years of professional work experience. Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 are considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. Please contact an Enrollment Services representative at 800-826-3411 for more information.

This offering is available as an endorsement program for those teachers who hold or who have held an initial, residency, continuing or professional teaching certificate in the state of Washington. If you do not hold a teaching certificate in Washington or do not hold a teaching certificate at all, you are still encouraged to apply.

Please note however that this will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington. Additionally, this program may satisfy the requirements for states other than Washington. Please check with your applicable licensing board to determine whether this program satisfies the requirements for licensure in the state in which you reside. For current contact information for applicable licensing boards, please refer to our State Authorization page. For information on certification in the state of Washington, contact Christi Wavada at [email protected].

Please note, however, that this will not lead to a teaching certificate in Washington. If you are looking for an initial teaching certificate, please visit the School of Education’s webpage.

Courses


Discover more about our online Graduate Certificate – Special Education coursework

In order to earn the EWU online Graduate Certificate – Special Education, you must complete ten courses for a total of 34 credit hours.

Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course provides an overview of special education services; special education legislation; historical backgrounds; educational approaches; etiologies of disabilities; characteristics of individuals with disabilities; key elements of the RTI/MTSS process; locating, researching, and selecting academic and behavioral evidence-based practices
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course provides fundamental knowledge and experiences for understanding human behavior in general and classroom behavior in specific. Principles of behavior will be discussed at length along with school-wide and classroom-based management systems.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will give students the knowledge and skills of evidence-based teaching methods and academic intervention programs that are commonly used with students with mild/moderate disabilities to teach reading, writing, spelling, and math. This includes use of explicit instruction, differentiated instruction, and specific academic intervention programs.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will focus on instructional strategies, including modifications and accommodations, for students with severe disabilities and autism. This will include Standards-Based IEPs, Evidence-Based Practices, Progress Monitoring, and Alternate Assessment, working with related service providers, and meeting student’s physical, sensory, and health care needs.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will focus on the assessment, diagnosis, and evaluation of students for special education services, which includes the knowledge and skills to evaluate, interpret, select, develop, and use formal and informal assessment tools to make decisions about special education services delivery.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course will give students the knowledge and skills to participate in the writing of legally compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including transition IEPs, that reflect best practices in the field of special education. Collaboration with students, educators, parents, and community agencies in this process will be emphasized.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
The purpose of this three-session internship course (you will take 2-credits of EDUC 695 across 3 separate sessions for a total of 6 credits) is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
The purpose of this three-session internship course (you will take 2-credits of EDUC 695 across 3 separate sessions for a total of 6 credits) is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 2
The purpose of this three-session internship course (you will take 2-credits of EDUC 695 across 3 separate sessions for a total of 6 credits) is to facilitate the development of your program-required portfolio as well as to ensure you meet State of Washington Professional Educator Standards Board Endorsement Competencies required for state certification.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
The purpose of this course is for the student to prepare reflections and evidence to document her/his knowledge and competence in the Washington State Special Education Competencies for an add-on endorsement in special education as established by the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB). The student provides a formal presentation of her/his electronic portfolio as a culminating experience in the program. Pre-requisites: SPED 500.

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