Meeting the needs of children with disabilities through school-family-community collaboration is an ambitious goal of educational policy in the U.S. As a result, schools and communities need highly qualified teachers, administrators, parents and advocates with the legal knowledge and practical collaboration skills necessary to support the education of all students, including those with disabilities, as mandated in IDEA.
In this Collaborative Special Education Law and Process certificate program, participants learn vital legally-grounded information and practical strategies to assist students fully realizing IDEA's mandated school-family-community cooperative partnership. After completion of the program many students apply their knowledge of special education law and family advocacy to leadership positions within public and private school sectors, found private practices in Special Education Law and Advocacy, or join existing special education law or advocacy firms, Moreover, this program often serves as clarifying catalyst for those exploring the option of attending law school with a focus on special education advocacy.
This education policy certificate is also offered as a concentration within the MS in Special Education or as a standalone program. Teacher certification is not a requirement for admission to this Post-Baccalaureate Certificate and there is no required course sequence nor course perquisites. The program is also a valuable addition to a student's resume signifying mastery in Special Education law, policy, and process.
Applicants for the program follow the University standards for admissions to graduate study ( i.e., possess an earned bachelor's degree from an accredited institution); and an earned undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (graduate degree GPA, if applicable, will be considered along with undergraduate GPA).
In addition, the candidate will submit for consideration a completed graduate school application with official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, two letters of recommendation and a brief personal essay describing why you are interested in the program.