Students are expected to complete all required courses in order to receive the Graduate Certificate or Endorsement. There is no timeframe specified for completion. If an admitted graduate student does not register for courses for any three consecutive terms (i.e., Spring-Summer-Fall) he or she is considered "inactive." The student must reactivate his or her program status by completing the Office of Graduate Studies online application, submitting any required materials, and paying the application fee.

Acceptable Academic Performance

Each student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 while pursuing a Graduate Certificate or Endorsement in Special Education. No class with a letter grade below B- can be used toward the Certificate or the Endorsement. Notification of course grade or program GPA infractions will be sent to the student from the Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders. All courses must be taken for a grade vs pass/no pass, unless only the pass/no pass option is available. 

Research Requirement

There is no requirement for a research or statistics course in the Graduate Certificate or Endorsement programs.

Fieldwork/Practicum for the Graduate Certificate Program

Students in a Graduate Certificate program in Special Education are expected to demonstrate competence in working with persons with disabilities. Applied assignments in individual courses may require fieldwork with specific populations, settings and/or activities, as outlined by the instructor. These experiences are guided as well by accreditation standards outlined by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Core Standards (2012).

Course-related field experiences may be completed "on-the-job" if the setting and population are appropriate and approved by the instructor. Instructors will help find appropriate practicum placements for unemployed students or students not working with the specified population/setting. Criminal background checks will be required for any courses with assigned field experiences.

Practicum and Student Teaching for the Endorsement Program

Students earning an add-on endorsement (to a previously earned Special Education teaching license) are required to complete student teaching, which can often be completed on the job. The student's adviser will share the specific requirements for each of the different program areas.

Students earning an initial teaching license in Early Childhood Special Education or the k-6 or 7-12 Generalist Program will be required to complete a full semester practicum experience consisting of 12 hours/week in a classroom setting for the endorsement grade level for which they are earning. They will also complete a full-time semester-long student teaching experience at the same grade level. Potentially, these can be completed while employed in a similar school setting. Students should consult with their adviser for specific requirements.

All experiences are guided by the endorsement requirements of the Nebraska Department of Education and the accreditation standards outlined by the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC) Core Standards (2012).

Examination

There is no required exit examination for the students completing a Graduate Certificate program in Special Education. Students completing an Endorsement program must successfully complete the associated PRAXIS test to demonstrate mastery of the content.

Completion Notice

Students apply for their Graduate Certificate through MyRED, similarly to applying for a degree. The adviser will notify the Graduate Coordinator and Office of Graduate Studies, once final passing grades are submitted, that the student has met all requirements for a specified Graduate Certificate in Special Education. Students will receive a Graduate Certificate for the specified area of study and the Graduate Certificate will be noted on the student's UNL transcript.

Students apply for their Graduate Endorsement through the Nebraska Department of Education. For specific directions and to complete the Institutional Verification form, visit the NDE website. The NDE will contact UNL's Office of Accreditation, Placement and Licensure with the completed form for final approval. Please also visit UNL's certification website for instructions on applying for an initial teaching certificate, renewal of a current or expired teaching certificate, and certification requirements for other states.