Special Education
Visual Impairments Licensure, PK-12 Graduate Certificate (VILI)
This certificate offers the required coursework for PK-12 teacher licensure in Teaching Students with Visual Impairments.
15-32 credits – Students who have completed graduate or undergraduate coursework in a special education university program prior to admission to the certificate may request that courses in the certificate program be waived based on completion of the content in prior coursework. Students waiving coursework must complete a minimum of 15 credits to be eligible for the certificate.
Co/Pre-requisite to entry into the program: EDSE 501 Intro to Special Education
Courses offered every fall, spring and summer semester:
- EDSE 511: Characteristics of Students with Visual Impairments (1 credit hour) – Must be taken in the first semester of VI coursework
- EDSE 662 Consultation and Collaboration (3 credit hours)
- EDSE 790: Internship in Special Education (1-6 credit hours) Must complete six credits of internship.
Fall course offerings:
- EDSE 512: Braille Code (3 credit hours)
- EDSE 522: Assistive Technology for Individuals with Sensory Impairments (2-3 credit hours)*
- EDSE 513: Medical and Educational Implications of Visual Impairments (3 credit hours)
Spring course offerings:
- EDSE 662: Consultation and Collaboration (3 credit hours)
- EDSE 518: Curriculum and Assessment for Students with Visual Impairments (3 credit hours)*
- EDSE 616: Braille Reading & Writing (3 credit hours)* – pre-requisite: EDSE 512
Summer course offerings:
- EDSE 514: Orientation & Mobility for Students with Visual Impairments (2 credit hours)
- EDSE 532: Positive Behavior Supports (3 credit hours)
- EDSE 613: Teaching Methods for Students with Visual Impairments (3 credit hours)*
Pre-requisite to internship (prior to completion of the program): Language Development and Literacy course (EDSE 503), passing VRA score, or current collegiate professional license
Students who are completing the Masters in Special Education in conjunction with their licensure program will need to complete the following courses to meet the MEd course requirements. Click here for a chart showing overlap in coursework of the VI licensure certificate and MEd. The MEd courses can be taken at any point in a student’s program.
- EDSE 503: Language Development & Reading
- EDSE 517: Computer Applications for Special Populations
- EDSE 590: Special Education Research
Tuition Assistance and Grant Funding
Visual Impairments Consortium: The Virginia Consortium for Teacher Preparation in Visual Impairments is made up of six universities: George Mason University, James Madison University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Radford University and Virginia Commonwealth University. Its primary goal is to prepare teachers to be highly skilled at working with students with visual impairment and blindness. Classes will be offered through video conferencing equipment to establish real-time, interactive, multipoint instruction among the six universities. The consortium is supported by a grant from the Virginia Department of Education. Every semester, a limited number of tuition stipends are awarded to qualified applicants.
Graduate Research Assistantships: Part time positions are available for students interested in providing research support to faculty.