Graduate Certificate in Special Education (PreK-12)

Prepare to help meet the educational needs of students with disabilities

Carlow University’s Special Education program at the graduate level prepares teachers to meet the needs of children with a wide variety of mental, physical, social, emotional and behavioral disabilities in multiple settings. You will learn to adapt general education lessons and prepare specifically designed instruction to effectively teach students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities including intellectual disabilities, other health impaired, phsycial disabilities, emotional disorders, and specific language disabilities.  You will learn about adaptive and assistive technology, positive behavior inteventions, autism, and dyslexia supports.   

This certificate program and resulting PreK-12 special education certification can be added to an existing PA teaching license, or it can be completed by those individuals with no previous teaching experience or licensure.

26 credits for those with an existing general teaching license. Additional courses are required for initial teacher certification in PA.

Graduate Certificate in Special Education curriculum

You will experience an accelerated program with eight-week online courses .The graduate Special Education program includes 23 credit hours of coursework focusing on the practical application of research-based special education theoretical constructs and methodology and 3 credits of student teaching.  Coursework includes methods in mild/moderate disabilities, methods in severe and profound, adaptive and assistive technology, dyslexia, and positive behavioral supports.   

Additional coursework is required for those seeking initial teacher certification in PA.   

Quick facts

• Emphasizes meeting needs of students with a wide range of disabilities and positive behavior support 

• Specialized training in Dyslexia 

• Latest special education technology 

• Approved provider for the federal TEACH Grant 

Admission requirements and application process

You can apply for free online, and must submit the following materials:

An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred; however, provisional admission is also possible if you do not meet all of the admission criteria but exhibit a strong possibility of academic success. No prerequisites or teacher licensure are required for this degree and certification.

Expand your knowledge

Carlow made life easy for Jennifer Do, MEd as she earned a master’s and then a graduate certificate in special education while maintaining her full-time job. “I needed them to understand I worked in the field already, that I had years of experience, and that I wanted to learn more. They challenged me and made me think about the world around me. They helped me to grow into a leadership position. Carlow fit into my life, and to this day I still reach out to the staff.”