The Transition for Students with Disabilities Graduate Certificate provides students with increased knowledge and awareness of state-of-the-art transition planning, as well as experience with specific strategies related to transition assessment, instruction, and community/business collaboration. Those who complete the Transition for Students with Disabilities Certificate program will be able to critically examine and implement effective transition planning while ensuring students are accessing the general education curriculum; effectively collaborate with the business and general community to access work and post-secondary experiences for students with disabilities; implement customized job development strategies to meet the needs of students and the business; identify and collaborate with various community based organizations; learn strategies to develop self-determination and self-advocacy skills for students with disabilities; and understand cultural and ethnic diversity issues related to transition planning.
The courses are aligned with the APSE (www.apse.org) professional standards and will provide the knowledge and skills to pass the national Certification of Employment Support Professionals (CESP).
Admission Requirements
Application Deadlines
Application deadlines vary by program, please review the application deadline chart for specific programs. Other important dates and deadlines can be found by using the One Stop calendars.
Admission
Applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree prior to admission, with a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average. Applicants with a graduate degree must have a minimum 3.0 graduate grade point average. Applicants must also complete the reason statement in the application.
Application
- Students wishing to obtain this certificate must declare their intention by applying to the program office or director.
- All graduate certificate applicants—even those already enrolled in a UWM graduate program—must apply to the Graduate School.
- Graduate degree and previously admitted graduate non-degree students who decide to pursue a certificate program must submit the application before completing 6 credits in the certificate sequence.
- Applicants must possess a baccalaureate degree and have a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average to be admitted into a certificate program.
Credits and Courses
The certificate requires a minimum of 15 credits. Students take five required courses and then, in consultation with the Program Coordinator, they may choose to take an optional 3 credit course in Business Management for more in-depth knowledge of working with the business community.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| EXCEDUC 679 | Critical Issues in Transition Planning for Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| EXCEDUC 703 | Job Development and On the Job Support for Individuals with Disabilities | 3 |
| EXCEDUC 705 | Transition Assessment for Individuals with Disabilities | 3 |
| EXCEDUC 707 | Linking Academics and Self-Determination to Transition Planning | 3 |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Choose one: | ||
| Introduction to Workforce Education and Development | ||
| Principles of Marketing | ||
| Human Resources Management | ||
| Marketing Strategy: Concepts and Practice | ||
| Leadership, Team Building, and Effective Management | ||
| Total Credits | 15 | |
Additional Requirements
Transfer Credit
No more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM. These courses are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the certificate program.
Grade Point Average Requirement
A minimum cumulative 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses taken at UWM is required.
Articulation with Degree Programs
- Credits and courses required for a certificate may double count toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions:
- Degree programs must approve the courses from certificates that can double count toward the degree.
- All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may count towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree. (Note: Students in PhD programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements)
- Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit.
- Courses completed for a degree may be counted toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements.
- A course may count toward no more than one certificate and one degree.
- Students may not earn a certificate subsequent to a concentration in the same area.
Time Limit
Certificate program time limits shall be established as follows:
- 18 or fewer credits/Three years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
- 19 or more credits/Four years from initial enrollment in the certificate sequence.
For certificates that are designed as add-ons to degree programs and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program.