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School of Education - George Mason University

The assistive technology (AT) graduate certificate provides supplemental training for practitioners, families, and caregivers who use assistive technology while working with individuals with disabilities.

This 15-credit certificate is appropriate for general and special educators, related service personnel, adult service providers, and families and caregivers who need to apply assistive technology solutions within their specific school, work, home, or community setting.

AT encompasses multiple environments, age groups, disability areas, and professional disciplines. Students in the certificate program can choose electives that focus their learning based on their unique interests and/or professional goals. Each elective is designed to address the specific needs of those working in education, home, community, and/or work environments. In addition, assignments within core courses are designed to provide students the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills learned to their specific discipline and/or area(s) of interest.

What Makes Us Unique?

  • 100% online
  • Coursework Spans Consumer Needs, Abilities, Environments & Age Groups
  • Electives Allow for Focused Learning Paths
  • Dynamic Online Learning Environments
  • Nationally-recognized AT faculty

Why Choose Mason?

  • The online format removes barriers of time and location that would be encountered with a face-to-face program.
  • Mason boasts the second oldest Assistive Technology program in the nation.
  • You will learn from diverse faculty, including practitioners, PhDs, and those who utilize assistive technologies.
  • The courses are project-based and will allow you to gain experience working in the community with real clients.
  • Mason’s Assistive Technology program has produced more PhDs than any other similar program in the country.
  • A virtual lab will provide you with all the software programs you need, for free. Hardware necessary for courses will be sent to you by your professors, or obtained from an organization in your community.
  • Courses in the program may count towards recertification credits for K-12 teachers.
  • Your professors are recognized experts in the field who are regularly awarded Federal and State grants for research and present at professional conferences including CEC, ISAAC, RESNA, Closing the Gap, and ATIA.

How Do I Know If I’m Right for This Degree?

Our program is most appropriate for general and special educators, rehabilitation and medical personnel, related service personnel (OT, PT, SLP, etc.), adult service providers, family members, and caregivers who work with various individuals with disabilities and need to apply assistive technology solutions. For those working in school settings, the certificate gives graduates further opportunities to be voices for leadership at their schools, and while Virginia Department of Education does not award teacher licensure in the area of assistive technology, AT professionals employed in a school system who complete the certificate program may quality for a pay band increase, based on specific school system requirements.

What Types of Jobs Can This Degree Lead To?

Graduates of our program are well-prepared for a variety of career options within government agencies, school systems, private consulting practice, and community service. Students who complete an Assistive Technology graduate program at Mason have been offered positions as Assistive Technology Specialists, and Assistive Technology trainers within government agencies, school systems (that have required professional certification/endorsement), private consulting practice, and/or community service/outreach organizations. In addition, some program graduates have gone on to become sales representatives for Assistive Technology vendors throughout the nation.

What Do Our Graduates Say?

“Mason professors constantly create active learning environments that are engaging and produce meaningful work. Along with fantastic professors and meaningful curriculum, the labs in general at Mason were fascinating, allowing us to study how every kind of assistive technology impacted students in special education, from pencil grips to eye gaze computers and software to speech, and more. You really had the sense that you were working on the cutting edge at the school, every day.”
—Kevin Good, MEd Special Education '12, PhD Education '19

Program Format

All courses are delivered 100% online; students never have to come to campus. Most courses are asynchronous only, with only a few that have one or two synchronous class sessions within the semester-long course. Students participate in a range of online learning activities designed to provide a hands-on, high quality educational experience.

Dynamic Learning Environments
Our courses go beyond just webinars. The program is designed to provide dynamic learning environments that offer:

  • Direct, hands-on opportunities with AT tools
  • Application of AT skills with real clients within authentic settings
  • On-going guidance from knowledgeable faculty
  • Shared experiences with classmates and instructors
  • Opportunities to customize learning based on personal interests and/or professional goals
  • Exposure to a wide range of AT developers and vendors