Special Education - General Curriculum Certificate

The Special Education – General Curriculum graduate certificate is designed to equip K-12 teachers with the knowledge and skills to address the needs of students with learning disabilities (e.g., autism, traumatic brain injury, dyslexia, specific learning disabilities, and emotional disabilities) in the general curriculum classroom. Students will be educated in the historical, ethical, and legal aspects of educating students with disabilities. Students will study how to identify, educate, and evaluate students with disabilities. Students will learn to develop and implement individualized education plans (IEPs). Students will gain knowledge in implementing instructional strategies in reading, writing, and mathematics. Graduates will be prepared to teach students with learning disabilities in general curriculum settings.

This certificate program provides the didactic coursework necessary to satisfy the pedagogical content coursework component of the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Special Education – General Curriculum endorsement. The program does provide the experiential requirement for an endorsement. To obtain the VDOE Special Education – General Curriculum endorsement, graduates of the certificate program need to complete a 45-hour practicum or one year of teaching under the guidance of a special education-general curriculum-endorsed mentor teacher. The 45-hour practicum is offered through this certificate program. Students can complete this 45-hour practicum during either EDIS 5060 or EDIS 5230. It is not required in both classes.

Statement of Purpose

The statement of purpose should indicate your reasons for applying to the proposed program at the University of Virginia and describe your preparation for this field of study, research interests, future career plans, and intellectual or life experiences in order to aid the admissions committee in evaluating your aptitude and motivation for graduate study. Your commitment to a selected field of study is presumed in the receipt of your application; instead, please discuss specific issues in the field that engage you. Please limit your submission to between 500 and 1,000 words.

Transcripts

Applicants must upload unofficial transcripts of their entire post-secondary academic record to the online application, including all undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework. Applicants are expected to have achieved a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their undergraduate programs.

Transcripts that are not stated in English must be accompanied by a translation into English.

Please do not request and mail official transcripts as part of the application process. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for the faculty’s review of your application. If you are offered admission to the Graduate School, you will be asked at that time to send official transcripts from the undergraduate institution you attended to the Central Graduate Admission Office.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation should be submitted electronically through the online application system. Once you have saved the contact information for a particular reference within the online application, that individual will receive instructions via e-mail for submitting a letter of recommendation on your behalf. The Graduate School requires two letters of recommendation. As many programs require additional letters, please consult the program's website for additional requirements. You may submit your application independently of the letters submitted by your references.

Letters of recommendation should be sought from faculty in your proposed field of study who are sufficiently familiar with your work to make a comprehensive evaluation of your abilities. If you have already undertaken a graduate program, at least one of the letters should be from a faculty member who is familiar with your academic performance on the graduate level.

All application updates should be uploaded via the student portal. Applicants received an email with login credentials for the portal a few days after their Common App was received. Please do not email updates to individual admission officers.