Certificate Program in Early Childhood Special Education (minimum of 15 graduate credits)

Advisor: Andrea Smith
Room 4121 Sangren Hall
Telephone: (616) 771-9913
andrea.smith@wmich.edu

This Certificate is designed to provide both face to face and online options for students working to obtain their State of Michigan ZS endorsement* (Early Childhood Special Education).

Admissions criteria

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
An overall grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4 point scale) in the last two years of undergraduate work. Applicants with a GPA of less than 3.0 may be granted a Conditional Admission. This will be converted to a regular admission if students receive a grade of “B” or better in the first two graduate courses (six credit hours) taken.
A concise written “statement of purpose” (250 words or less) indicating the applicant’s reasons for seeking admission to the program and what the applicant hopes to accomplish during the program of study.
Congruence of applicant’s written “statement of purpose” with the parameters of this certificate program.
A valid Michigan teaching certificate.

Courses required to complete the Certificate (minimum of 15 credits)

ED 5750 - Administration of Child Development Centers Credits: 3 hours
ED 6060 - Early Childhood Education Methods and Materials Credits: 3 hours
ED 6080 - Seminar in Early Childhood Development Credits: 3 hours
ED 6110 - Assessment in Early Childhood Inclusive Education Credits: 3 hours
ED 6140 - Engaging Diverse Families in Educational Settings Credits: 3 hours

Elective Courses (3 hours)

ED 7120 - Professional Field Experience Credits: 1 to 12 hours
Credits needed: 3 hours

Notes

*Students working toward the state ZS endorsement must meet three requirements:

Completion of 27 graduate credits, of which 15 credits must be courses specific to Early Childhood.
Professional experience at two of three early childhood levels (infants/toddler, preschool, kindergarten-grade 3).
Passing grade on the state level examination.

In addition to the 15 required Early Childhood credits, students may transfer in 12 credits of existing graduate coursework OR may elect to take additional graduate coursework toward a Master’s in the Practice of Teaching degree - Early Childhood Emphasis.