Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Dealing with challenging behaviors is one of the most difficult parts of teaching and one of the primary reasons high-quality teachers leave the profession. Furthermore, many teachers and school districts request ongoing professional development in behavioral intervention. The focus of this graduate certificate is to prepare teachers to work with students who demonstrate challenging behaviors. Among those students with challenging behaviors, many are identified as having an emotional and behavioral disorder (EBD).

In this graduate certificate, educational professionals will be provided with a holistic and comprehensive approach to working with students identified with EBD and those at risk for behavioral difficulties. Topics covered within this certificate include classroom management for effective instruction, relationship-based approaches, effective delivery of academic interventions, and intensive behavioral assessment and interventions.

• Submit your graduate application online.
• Pay the non-refundable application fee online.
• Provide names of three references.
• Upload your current resume or vita.
• Submit official scores from the appropriate standardized test (GRE, GMAT, MAT). Test waivers may be available for certain programs.
• Submit unofficial transcript(s) from all colleges or universities from which you earned a degree, or that you have attended within the past five years. Transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES accredited evaluation service(link is external).
• Provide proof of English proficiency.

• Teacher in public or private school setting
• ESL Teacher
• Adjunct Professor
• Child Development Center Director
• Child Development Specialist
• Director of Special Education
• Educational Diagnostician

If you have previously started or submitted an application to the Graduate School at Appalachian, select "Log in" under Returning users and login using the same email address as before, then select Start New Application.

To start a new application to the Graduate School, select "Create an account" under First-time users if you have never had an account with us before and follow the instructions.