Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education, Graduate Certificate

I. Contact Information

Ann Bingham
abingham@unr.edu

II. Brief Introduction

The College of Education offers a Graduate Certificate in EI/ECSE made up of 12-18 credits (depend upon students’ past academic work) in the Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education program. The courses correspond with the Nevada Department of Education teacher endorsement to work with children ages 0-7 with developmental delays. It is possible for students admitted to graduate programs in related fields (i.e., HDFS, special education, or others) to earn the certificate while concurrently pursuing the graduate degree.

III. Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

1. To prepare early interventionist and/or early childhood special education teachers to earn the Nevada endorsement to serve children ages 0-7 with developmental delays.
2. To provide essential preparation for individuals to provide global interventions to young children with disabilities.
3. To recognize those who have successfully completed a coherent sequence of courses in EI/ECSE with  a certificate that is notated on the UNR transcript.

IV. Admission Requirements

Students in the EI/ECSE Certificate program will be required to have an earned bachelor’s degree. Their undergraduate GPA must be 2.5 or better on a 4.0 scale. Students will submit an application, transcripts from all previous college work (unless already on file at UNR), and a letter of recommendation from someone qualified to judge their aptitude for working with young children with disabilities.

V. Program Requirements

Students must complete the required coursework and maintain a GPA of 3.0 in all EI/ECSE courses. In addition, they will be rated on a faculty-approved rubric (on a 0-3 point basis with 1 or greater required for certificate approval) in the areas of (a) service delivery options for children birth through age 7 with disabilities and their families; (b) development during early childhood; (c) curriculum and intervention across developmental domains and pre-academic skills; (d) assessment.

VI. Program Total Hours: 12-18 units