Certificates in Education And Teacher License Renewal CourseS
Admission Requirements for Education Certificates
To be considered for one of the education certificates, the applicant must
submit the following items to the Office of Admissions:
- Application for Admission;
- An essay detailing the applicant’s career plans upon completion of the certificate;
- Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates (if applicable);
- Nonrefundable application fee;
- Official transcripts indicating completion of a baccalaureate degree from a regionally-accredited college or university; for Graduate Certificate in Literacy Specialist and Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership, official transcripts indicating completion of a master’s degree from a regionally-accredited college or university are also required; and
- A copy of a valid Virginia five-year renewable license (required for Educational Leadership, Literacy Specialist, Gifted Education, and K-12 teachers in Instructional Design and Technology).
Note: Admission requirements for students who wish to pursue the Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership are identical to the requirements for the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (as described in the Master of Education Track II section).
Graduate Certificate in Assistive Technology (15 credits)
This certificate program is designed to enhance knowledge and strategies
related to the use of technology assisted applications, adaptations, and
services. Students enrolled in this certificate are exposed to key areas of
scholarly, applied, legal, environmental, and regulatory practices within the
field of assistive technology. Instructional methods, training and assessment,
and documentation approaches are covered. The certificate is valuable for
individuals in education and professional settings in providing researched-based
best practices of instructional methods, authentic experiences, criteria
for establishing appropriate accessible technology plans and visions, and
implementation strategies for transitioning to different environments. Courses
taken at other institutions and approved for the certificate must be officially
transferred into the program.
Required Courses (15 credits)
INDT 531 Emerging and Assistive Technologies (3 credits)
INDT 533 Visual Literacy and Design (3 credits)
INDT 534 Alternative Sensory Input and Communication (3 credits)
INDT 557 Workplace, Transition, and Environmental Issues in Assistive
Technology (3 credits)
INDT 558 Legal and Regulatory Environments of Technology
Management and Emerging Technologies (3 credits)
Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership (24 credits)
This certificate program is offered for prospective students who possess
a master’s degree and wish to pursue the administration and supervision
endorsement only. Admission, continuance, and exit requirements are the
same as those for the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. The certificate consists
of 24 credits, which include the internship. Courses taken at other institutions
and approved for the certificate must be officially transferred into the program.
Application for the added endorsement is made through the school division’s
personnel office. A passing score on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment
(SLLA) is also required for endorsement.
Required Courses (24 credits)
EDEL 539 Special Education Leadership in Schools (3 credits)
EDEL 540 Leadership for Learning and Diverse Student Populations
(3 credits)
EDEL 542 Managing Schools and School-Community Relationships
(3 credits)
EDEL 543 Professional Development and Supervision of School Personnel
(3 credits)
EDEL 545 School Law and Society (3 credits)
EDEL 546 Educational Policy and Decision Making (3 credits)
EDEL 548 Evaluation for Instructional Improvement (3 credits)
EDEL 551 Internship in Educational Leadership (3 credits)
Note: EDEL 541 Developing, Administering, and Evaluating Curriculum (3
credits) is not required but is strongly recommended for those certificate students
without a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction.
Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education (MINIMUM OF 12 credits)
A Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education is offered for prospective
students who possess both a bachelor’s degree and a valid Virginia collegiate
professional or a postgraduate professional license, and who wish to pursue
the gifted education add-on endorsement only. The certificate requires a
minimum of 12 credits of graduate course work. An internship is also required
for endorsement. However, if a candidate can document—to the satisfaction of
the faculty and his/her school division personnel office—a year of successful,
full-time teaching of heterogeneously or homogeneously grouped gifted
students under the mentorship of a gifted-endorsed teacher, the three credits
of internship may be waived. Competency in writing—grammar, usage, and
mechanics—must also be demonstrated and documented. There must be
assurance that all state-required competencies are met. Courses taken at other
institutions and approved for the certificate must be officially transferred into
the program. Once all course work is completed, application for the add-on
endorsement is made to the Virginia Department of Education through the
school division’s personnel office.
Required Courses (12-15 credits)
EDCI 540 Characteristics and Education of Gifted Students (3 credits)
EDCI 541 Identification of Gifted Students (3 credits)
EDCI 542 Models and Strategies for Teaching Gifted Learners (3 credits)
EDCI 543 Differentiated Curriculum for the Gifted (3 credits)
EDCI 551 Field Internship (3 credits)
May be waived with appropriate experience.
Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design and Technology (15 credits)
This certificate is designed for students interested in the application of
new technologies, learning theory, and research to solve instructional and
performance problems. Those who complete the certificate may assume
instructional designer positions in corporate, government, K-12, higher
education, and non-profit sectors. Courses are designed to improve student
learning using the system design approach.
The competencies addressed in this program reflect the International
Society for Technology in Education National Educational Technology
Standards (ISTE/NETS) for teachers and administrators, Virginia state
standards, and the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).
Courses taken at other institutions and approved for the certificate must be
officially transferred into the program.
Required Courses (12 credits)
INDT 501 Instructional Technologies (3 credits)
INDT 521 Information Literacy in the Digital Age (3 credits)
INDT 522 Distributed Learning and Collaboration (3 credits)
INDT 530 Instructional Design (3 credits)
Elective Course (3 credits to be selected)
INDT 510 Foundations and Theories of Instructional Design and
Technology (3 credits)
INDT 531 Emerging and Assistive Technologies (3 credits)
INDT 532 New Media Design (3 credits)
INDT 533 Visual Literacy and Design (3 credits)
INDT 545 Organizational Leadership in Educational Technology
(3 credits)
INDT 547 Special Topics in Instructional Design and Technology
(3 credits)
Graduate Certificate in Literacy Specialist (24 credits)
This certificate program provides teachers with the knowledge to become
leaders in the area of literacy instruction and leads to the reading specialist
endorsement. It is offered for prospective students who possess a master’s
degree and a valid Virginia postgraduate professional license. Courses taken at
other institutions and approved for the certificate must be officially transferred
into the program. Application for the added endorsement is made through
the school division’s personnel office. A passing score on the Virginia Reading
Assessment for reading specialists is required for endorsement.
Required Courses (24 credits)
EDLS 541 Linguistic Foundations of Literacy (3 credits)
EDLS 542 Literacy Curriculum and Instruction I:
Emergent-Elementary (3 credits)
EDLS 543 Literacy Curriculum and Instruction II: Adolescent (3 credits)
EDLS 544 Literacy Assessment and Evaluation (3 credits)
EDLS 545 Writing Process and Instruction (3 credits)
EDLS 546 Leadership in Literacy Education (3 credits)
EDLS 547 Literacy and Diverse Student Populations (3 credits)
EDLS 548 Internship: Applied Literacy Research (3 credits)
Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language (18 credits)
The Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language is
offered to prospective students who possess a bachelor’s degree and six credits
of modern foreign language. Teachers who possess a valid Virginia teaching
license may be eligible for an additional endorsement in English as a Second
Language (ESL) upon completion of the certificate program. In addition, the
certificate is an internationally recognized credential for teaching English in a
variety of instructional settings overseas. Courses taken at other institutions
and approved for the certificate must be officially transferred into the program.
Application for the added endorsement is made through the school division’s
personnel office.
Note: Official transcripts showing completion of six credits of foreign
language are required prior to the awarding of the certificate. If a student’s
primary language is not English, all six credits must be in English.
Required Courses (12 credits)
TESL 500 Introduction to English Linguistics (3 credits)
TESL 514 Cross-Cultural Education (3 credits)
TESL 515 ESL Literacy Strategies: PreK-12 (3 credits)
TESL 530 Second Language Methods: PreK-12 Literacy and Language
Skills (3 credits)
Elective Courses (6 credits to be selected)
TESL 502A Sociolinguistics and Cross-Cultural Communication
(3 credits)
TESL 510 Applied English Phonetics and Phonology (3 credits)
TESL 511A Applied Linguistics: Grammar and Meaning (3 credits)
TESL 512 Second Language Acquisition (3 credits)
TESL 513 Special Studies in Linguistics and Language Learning (3 credits)
TESL 531 ESL Curriculum, Assessment, and Leadership (3 credits)
TESL 532 Differentiated Instruction Across the Curriculum (3 credits)
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching
Students with Autism, and BCABA Option
(12-18 Credits)
The University of Mary Washington offers opportunities intended to
enhance the effectiveness of licensed teachers and other professionals working
with students with autism. There are three options, or avenues of study, to meet
various professional development goals for individuals engaged with students
with autism.
The first, a Certificate in Teaching Students with Autism, requires the
completion of four graduate courses designed to assist licensed teachers in
meeting the needs of students with autism. The second option, the Board
Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Course Sequence, consists
of three BCaBA courses (with field experience hours required) that prepare
students to take the BCaBA exam. The BCaBA Course Sequence is available
to eligible students interested in completing the BCaBA course work apart
from the certificate. The third option combines the Certificate in Teaching
Students with Autism and the BCaBA course work, allowing individuals to
earn the Certificate in Teaching Students with Autism while completing the
three graduate courses (requiring field experience hours) necessary to take the
BCaBA exam.
Required Courses for the Certificate (12 credits)
EDSE 533 Positive Approaches to Behavior Management (3 credits)
EDSE 537 Characteristics of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
(3 credits)
EDSE 538 Methods for Teaching and Supporting Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders
(3 credits)
INDT 531 Emerging and Assistive Technologies (3 credits)
Required Courses for the BCaBA Course Sequence (9 credits)
EDSE 527 Principles of Learning and Behavior* (3 credits)
EDSE 528 Basic Methods of Applied Behavior Analysis* (3 credits)
EDSE 529 Techniques in Behavior Analysis* (3 credits)
Required Courses for the Certificate with the BCaBA Course
Sequence (18 credits)
EDSE 527 Principles of Learning and Behavior* (3 credits)
EDSE 528 Basic Methods of Applied Behavior Analysis* (3 credits)
EDSE 529 Techniques in Behavior Analysis* (3 credits)
EDSE 537 Characteristics of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
(3 credits)
EDSE 538 Methods for Teaching and Supporting Students with Autism
Spectrum Disorders (3 credits)
INDT 531 Emerging and Assistive Technologies (3 credits)
*These three courses require field experience hours supervised by a
Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Each of these courses meets BCBA Board
standards for BCaBA-related courses.
BCaBA Course Sequence Only: Eligible applicants include individuals
with a bachelor’s degree, or who have permission from the instructor to take
EDSE 527.
Note: Each course in the certificate program meets Virginia Autism
Council Competencies and Council for Exceptional Children Standards, where
appropriate.
teacher license renewal courses
A variety of teacher license renewal and professional development courses are offered in weekend and evening formats throughout the year. For specific courses, dates, and times, students should call (540) 286-8000 or consult the current Professional Development for Educators schedule on the web site at www.umw.edu/cgps. (Courses selected for license renewal should be preapproved by the school division.)