Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder is a 12 credit hour fully online program. It serves two groups of professionals: (1) those who work in school districts and are responsible for teaching students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and for developing appropriate individualized education plans that include academic instruction, and effective intervention practices in the areas of communication, daily living, and social skills; and (2) those who work in human service agencies that also provide intervention practices in the areas of communication, daily living, and social skills as well as prepare students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to live, work, and learn as adults.

For further information, please contact Dr. Leslie Bross at 704-687-0889 or lbross@uncc.edu.

For application materials, please visit gradadmissions.uncc.edu.

Program Objectives
As specialists in public schools and human service agencies in the area of autism spectrum disorder, completers of the program are prepared to:

  • Work as public school teachers in a broad range of educational settings including the general education classroom and special education programs
  • Work as human service agency personnel implementing research-validated intervention strategies for children, youth, and adults in community agencies
  • Implement research-validated instruction/intervention strategies for children, youth, and young adults with autism spectrum disorder
  • Assess the effectiveness of individualized instruction/intervention programs for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Admission Requirements for Graduate Certificate in ASD

  1. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university in education or a related field of study
  2. An Application for Admission to the Graduate School
  3. Original transcripts that indicate a minimum overall GPA of at least 3.0

Notes: Applicants to the Graduate Certificate in ASD are not required to take the GRE or MAT. However, individuals who are interested in completing the ASD Graduate Certificate as part of the M.Ed. in Special Education degree must take the GRE or MAT to meet the admissions requirement for the M.Ed. in Special Education. If accepted into the master’s degree program, a maximum of twelve (12) Graduate Certificate hours may be applied toward the M.Ed. degree program in Special Education with the permission of the Graduate Program Director. Admission to the Graduate Certificate program does not ensure admission into a master’s degree program.

Certificate Requirements
The Graduate Certificate Program in Autism Spectrum Disorder requires a 12 credit hour sequence of courses. No transfer credit is accepted. Students must earn grades of “B” or above in each of the courses in the 12 credit hour program of study.

SPED 6115 Introduction to Autism Spectrum Disorder (3)
SPED 5200 Concepts and Principles in Behavior Analysis (3)
SPED 6225 Behavior Analytic Intervention in Communication (3)
SPED 6335 Evidence-Based Practices for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder (3)