General Special Education - Supervisor of Special Education Certificate

To help meet today’s demands for high quality programming for individuals with disabilities and to comply with federal and state regulations, the University of Pittsburgh, Special Education Program faculty have developed a web-based course of study leading to certification as a Supervisor of Special Education. This course of study is appropriate for individuals preparing for a professional position with primary responsibility in supervising educational programs and directing the activities of professional and non-professional employees in special education programs.

The web-based offerings were developed as a collaborative effort between the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education (through its State Improvement Grant) and the University of Pittsburgh to make it possible for students at a distance to complete the requirements of this certification without having to leave their jobs or travel great distances to a university or college campus.

The web-based Supervisor of Special Education Certification Program is an advanced graduate program designed to help meet the growing demand for well trained and experienced individuals who can provide leadership in special education at the district or Intermediate Unit levels. The program is built on the position that most supervisory operations in education are, in principle, generic, with their fundamentals of theory and practice in common. The major distinguishing characteristic of this program is the application of supervisory theory to teaching and learning of students with disabilities. Specific emphasis is placed on activities, relationships, facilities, and processes that have particular relevance to special education.

The web-based Supervisor of Special Education Certification Program is offered at the post-baccalaureate level to candidates who have demonstrated, through previous coursework, appropriate work experience, letters of recommendation, and a personal goal statement that they have the appropriate oral and written communication skills, qualifying work experience, organization ability and personal motivation to pursue the professional position of Supervisor of Special education. Then, through six courses and an internship (19 credits), the program provides candidates with the opportunity to develop and knowledge of and competence in the fundamental concepts of supervising special education programs.