Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education K-12 Teaching
This fully online certificate is suited for conditional and provisionally licensed special educators in Virginia schools. Read our Application Checklist for a complete list of the admissions items required as you process your online application. If you do not currently hold a provisional license, you can complete the SEDP 630: Trends in Special Education for eligibility to be employed by a Virginia school district. To find a good fit, contact local school districts with your special education employment interests.
SEDP 630 is offered every semester at the VCU School of Education and alternates being offered online or face-to-face. Students can complete the VCU non-degree application to enroll in future courses, as seats are available. The schedule of classes is your resource as you review class offerings and availability.
Certification students are able to apply for financial assistance if they meet certain eligibility requirements. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website to learn about the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.
Students will be prepared to become fully licensed special education teachers who work with children with high-incidence disabilities (e.g., learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and mild to moderate intellectual disability). This certificate is designed so that participants can complete requirements within 18 months or five semesters. Courses are held in the Spring, Summer and Fall semesters.
Eligibility requirements
- Current employment as a teacher under the Special Education, General Curriculum endorsement
- Provisional teaching license with endorsement in Special Education, General Curriculum K-12
- At least 18 months to 2 years left before provisional license expires
- Verification from hiring school district, from Human Resources or Principal, of employment as a provisionally licensed teacher under the Special Education, General Curriculum K-12, submitted as a letter of reference
- Note: No entrance exam (i.e., GRE or MAT) required
Current and future provisional special education, general education teachers, please see the NEW Course Finder tool to plug in your VDOE requirements to identify courses at VCU School of Education that fulfill these requirements.
VCU BULLETIN INFO
PROGRAM BASICS
How to apply: Graduate application
Semester of entry: Fall, spring or summer
Application deadlines: Fall: Aug. 1; Spring: Dec. 31; Summer: Mar. 1
Late applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.Resources and Checklists
Application Checklist - Certificate in Special Education K12 Teaching [PDF]
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- General admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School
- Bachelor's degree
- Verification and recommendation from hiring school district of employment in a Virginia school as a provisionally licensed teacher under the Special Education, General Curriculum K-12 certification
- Three letters of recommendation addressing the student's potential for graduate study in education
- Statement of intent
- Transcripts of all previous college work
FOR MORE IN-DEPTH INFO
- Future Teacher Program Guide - SPED, H&PE, Art & Music [PDF]
- Special education academic programs
- Special education funding
- Special education forms and resources
- Ruth Harris professorship in dyslexia studies
- Licensure to program comparison chart
- NEW Course Finder tool
Certificate in Special Education K-12 Teaching alumni - Application to M.Ed. in Special Education, General Education concentration
Certificate in Special Education K-12 Teaching completers are able to transfer/utilize courses completed toward the M.Ed. in Special Education-General concentration program. This means that you may only need 12 (4 courses) graduate credit hours to complete a master’s degree in special education. There is a time limit to your courses to transfer into your program. It must be within 7 years of when you began your certificate, thus we recommend you apply in your final semester of your certificate program. Note: This transfer only applies to the general education concentration.
Please utilize this Checklist and FAQ document and reach out to soeinfo@vcu.edu or the program coordinator with any additional questions.
Curriculum Requirements
The VCU Bulletin has a list of curriculum requirements for this program.
The School of Education (SOE) degree programs that lead to professional licensure are designed to prepare students to meet the requirements for professional licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia as outlined by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The SOE has determined that the curriculum includes applicable educational prerequisites for the following professional licensure(s) and/or certification(s) as outlined on this page of our website.
Ready To Get Started?

- Jenna Lenhardt, Ph.D.
- Director, Strat Recrt & Outrch
- (804) 827-2479
- SOEinfo@vcu.edu

- Colleen Thoma, Ph.D.
- Interim Department Chair
- (804) 827-2651
- cathoma@vcu.edu