Requirements
Admission Requirements
Applicants to any program within the School of Educational Leadership will be required to sign a disclosure of information waiver giving any prior institutions the applicant may have attended permission to supply IWU representatives all information relevant to the applicant's fitness for teacher training or licensure recommendation, including but not limited to his/her conduct, standing, or reputation while attending said institutions. Any information obtained may be considered by IWU in its decision whether or not to admit an applicant, to permit his or her continuance in a program, or to recommend him/her for licensure.
To meet the admission requirements for the Special Education Teaching Certificate, candidates must:
- Have completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting body or the Association for Biblical Higher Education verified on original transcripts sent by the institution directly to Indiana Wesleyan University.
- Have an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher from the baccalaureate degree granting institution at which at least of minimum of 30 hours was completed or a graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher from master’s degree granting institution.
- Possess a valid (but not necessarily current) state teacher’s license.
- Have at least one year (i.e., a minimum of one semester and one day) of teaching experience from an approved and accredited public, private, or parochial school in the United States or abroad.
- Show supporting documentation demonstrating access to a P-12 classroom.
NOTE: While not an admissions requirement, candidates seeking Intervention Specialist - Mild/Moderate licensure in Ohio must have successfully passed twelve credit hours (undergraduate or graduate level) of teaching of reading courses – including at least one 3-credit hour course in phonics – as part of their program completion requirements.
Program Completion Requirements
To complete the Special Education Teaching Certificate, candidates must:
- Successfully pass the admission, mid-program review, and program completion gateways.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above in all graduate work and a minimum grade of “B-” in each course.
- Successfully pass all Key Assessments with a score of a “3” or “4” for all rubric criteria.
- Successfully pass all Professional Dispositions with a score of a “3” or “4” for all rubric criteria.
- Successfully pass all Clinical Experience requirements .
- Candidates seeking Intervention Specialist Mild/Moderate licensure in Ohio must have successfully passed twelve credit hours (undergraduate or graduate level) of teaching of reading courses - including at least one, three credit hour course in phonics as part of their program completion requirements.
Candidates must pay all tuition and fees to receive a certificate and be recommended for certification.
Clinical Experience Requirements
All clinical experience requirements are embedded in specific courses and must be passed successfully to complete the program. Per Council for Exceptional Children standards, candidates must complete clinical experiences across a variety of grade levels, settings, and disability types.
Minimum Computer Requirements
Students are expected to possess a computer throughout the duration of their program. Student computers must be able to run a supported browser and handle additional plug-ins as identified by the Learning Management System (LMS) company. Students should be able to produce, send, and receive documents that are compatible within the two most recent offerings of Microsoft Office to complete most of the assignments. IWU will offer support to students on only these two offerings of office software. Computer and Internet connection may need to be fast enough in some courses to watch streaming videos, participate in live meetings, upload large files, install software, and listen to audio lectures. In addition to these minimum expectations, participation in a CAPS course or program may entail additional computing and/or technology requirements.
Application Procedures
To be considered for admission to the Ohio Special Education Certificate program, complete each of the following steps. For more information, call 866-498-4968 to speak with a Program Representative.
- Application Apply online at indwes.edu.
- Transcripts Official transcripts are required from the baccalaureate degree-granting institution. Indiana Wesleyan University will accept for its permanent file only those transcripts sent in a sealed envelope directly to IWU by the registrar of the attended institution(s). Official transcripts must exhibit the official seal and signature of the registrar. Transcripts that are stamped “student copy,” “issued to student,” or “unofficial” cannot be accepted as official.
- Teaching License Candidates must submit a copy of their valid (but not necessarily current) state teaching license.