Education Leadership and Management, Special Education Director Graduate Certificate (Online)

Graduate Curriculum Committee

Nermin Bayazit, PhD
Lyndsey Benharris, PhD
Anne Howard, PhD
Laurie Link, EdD
Margaret O’Hearn-Curran, PhD
Phillip Saisa, EdD
Robert Shapiro, PhD, BCBA-D
Annette Sullivan, EdD

Graduate Certificate, Special Education Director (online)

Program Description

This new certificate program offers three specialized courses and experience that equip current school administrators with additional skills and competencies necessary for becoming effective educational leaders in the area of Special Education Administration. This certificate program is an interdepartmental program and, although it stands on its own, is a part of the M.Ed. Education Leadership and Management.

Required Courses, 9 credits

• SPED 9120 - Special Education and the Law
• EDLM 8028 - Public School Finance, Human Resources and Personnel Administration
• EDLM 9240 - Leadership for Educational Teams

Program Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate knowledge of policy and program regulations related to Massachusetts Chapter 766, IDEA, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act and how they apply to school-based settings.
• Demonstrate understanding of organizational structures that support the effective management of human resources
• Develop knoweldge about strategies for addressing fiscal and other core functions of school administration
• Demonstrate an understanding of compliant practices for conducting IEP team meetings and manifestation determination meetings
• Demonstrate an understanding of strategies for effective communication, collaborative problem solving and conflict resolution

Admissions Standards and Criteria

You must meet the following requirements to be eligible for admission.

• Submit graduate application and $50 application fee
• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, with official transcripts
• Overall undergraduate GPA of not less than 2.8
• Official transcripts of graduate-level coursework from a regionally accredited institution (if applicable)*
• Professional resume
• Students with undergraduate GPAs of less than 2.8 may also be considered for admission based on their professional work experience.
• No GMAT is required
• An essay, no more than one page in length, in response to one of the following questions:
• Tell us about a positive situation in which you helped a person and made a significant difference in that person’s life.
• What are the most important factors in establishing a long-term working relationship with students, friends, etc.?
• Tell us about a significant event that involved you in a teaching or helping mode.
  • Describe the situation as it occurred at the time.
  • What did you do in that particular situation?
  • How did you feel about the situation at the time you were experiencing it?
  • How do you feel about the situation now?
  • What would you change, if anything?