Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate: Elementary Education, Special Education Concentration
The Special Education Certification program seeks to produce professionals who are equipped with the fundamental skills, knowledge, and competencies they will need to meet the needs of students at risk for school failure and students with disabilities in multiple settings.
The Special Education Certification program is intended for those interested in gaining greater skills and expertise in the area of Special Education and a teaching certificate in the area of special education. Candidates seeking PA special education certification must have been issued a prior PA Instructional I or Instructional II teaching certificate.
It is a part-time graduate program consisting of 31.5 credits in Core Special Education Certification courses. For students that have not completed the prerequisite courses, the program will require 45.0 credits: 31.5 credits in Core Special Education Certification courses and 13.5 credits in Pre-Requisites for Certification in Special Education.
This program is designed s for currently certified teachers who wish to obtain Special Education certification in Pennsylvania. Out of state teachers may also earn their PA Special Education Certification if they transfer their current teacher certification to PA.
The courses cover all required state and federal regulations related to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Chapter 49 as well as the PA General Standards for Special Education and the standards outlined by the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC).
Pre-requisites for Certification in Special Education
Students must have completed the following courses in order to apply for a certification in special education. All students entering the post-bachelor's certificate program after 2011 should have had these core courses in their initial certification program. If a student has not completed the following three courses, they should be taken to apply for special education certification:
| EDUC 542 | Fundamentals of Special Education | 3.0 |
| EDUC 544 | The Inclusive Classroom | 3.0 |
| EDUC 546 | Literacy and Content Skill Development | 3.0 |
| Certification Courses | ||
| EDUC 547 | Special Education Processes | 4.5 |
| EDUC 548 | Emotional & Behavioral Support | 4.5 |
| EDUC 549 | High Incident Disabilities | 4.5 |
| EDUC 550 | Teaching Students with Low Incident Disabilities | 4.5 |
| EDUC 551 | Pervasive Developmental Disorders | 4.5 |
| EDUC 552 | Integrating Technology for Learning & Achievement | 4.5 |
| EDUC 553 | Special Education: Methods & Practices | 4.5 |
| Total Credits | 31.5 | |
The program is administered through Drexel eLearning. For the most current admission information, please visit www.drexel.com.
