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
- 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.
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.
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.
“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
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
Required Courses (6 credits)
Elective Courses (9 credits)
Students can choose from the following electives based on their interests and professional goals:
Fall Semester
(classes starting in August) |
Spring Semester
(classes starting in January) |
Summer Semester
(classes starting in May, June, or July) |
Priority*: April 1
Space Available: August 15 |
Priority*: November 1
Space Available: January 5 |
Priority*: February 1
Space Available: May 15 |
For more information and to apply, visit the admissions website.
* Priority deadline ensures consideration for the intended semester as well as financial aid options for students. Programs will continue to review applications until at capacity. Some programs do not review applications past the priority deadline.
All application materials must be submitted through Mason’s online graduate application. In addition to meeting general university admissions requirements, applicants will need to provide the requirements below. Please review the FAQ page for more information.
To be considered for graduate studies, the following items are evaluated during the admission review process:
- Graduate application and fee
- 750- to 1,000-word written statement of your goals and interest in the program
- Current resume
- Two letters of recommendation: Applicants should follow the instructions included in the online application to submit the recommendation forms directly to their recommenders. Mason does not accept paper recommendations. Recommendations should be professional or academic in nature.
- Transcripts from all previous institutions attended in the United States. Please refer to the Office of Graduate Admissions information page for specific requirements regarding uploading unofficial transcripts.
- Applicants with transcripts from institutions outside of the United States could have additional requirements. Please refer to the How To Apply page for specific requirements about submitting international transcripts, evaluations, and English language proficiency.
Admission to graduate programs at George Mason University is competitive. Applicants are evaluated on the strength of their academic backgrounds, results of standardized exams (if required by the program), work experience, and any additional evidence of potential success in the program. Faculty admissions review is a holistic review of requirements as well as the applicant’s potential academic and professional success upon completion of the program.
At a minimum all admitted students must have:
- An earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or international equivalent, verified from official transcripts. Expectation of an earned baccalaureate prior to the first day of classes for the term for which the student is applying will also meet this requirement. See the graduate admissions policy for more information.
- A minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale in baccalaureate study. The GPA requirement may be higher for some graduate programs. The university, at its discretion, may additionally consider the difficulty of the baccalaureate degree, relevant work experience, and/or other evidence of ability to succeed in graduate study when evaluating the GPA requirement.
- International students should reference Admission of International Students for additional requirements.
| TUITION CLASSIFICATION |
COST PER CREDIT |
| Virginia resident |
$709.70
(includes MSF*) |
| Non-Virginia resident |
$909.70
(includes MSF*; discounted from $1,624.25) |
| VA resident and PK-12 VA educator enrolled in a CEHD graduate program** |
$603.25
(includes MSF*) |
| CEHD course fee |
$25.00 - $84.00 |
| Total cost for Virginia residents per credit |
$734.70 - $793.70 |
| Total cost for non-Virginia residents per credit |
$934.70 - $993.70 |
| Total cost for VA resident and PK-12 VA educator enrolled in a CEHD graduate program** per credit |
$628.25 - $687.25 |
Graduate new student fee
(non-refundable, one-time fee) |
$60 |
Please Note: Refer to the Students Accounts Office website for more information on tuition and fees. Internship courses will incur a higher course fee to fund on-site assistance involving intensive clinical training/supervision.
*Mandatory Student Fee (MSF): $150.25
**VA state residents who are eligible must apply for the 15% PreK-16 VA Educators Discount in order to take advantage of the lower tuition. Eligible students receive 15% off the total tuition and mandatory student fee.
For information on loans and scholarships, visit the Office of Student Financial Aid. For information regarding grants, tuition waivers, and other merit aid, please inquire with your graduate department. Also, many school districts offer tuition reimbursement options. Speak to your employer for more information.
To be successful in your program, it is important to remember that each student is responsible for knowing Mason’s rules, regulations, requirements, administrative policies and academic policies. Every student must meet with his advisor upon admission to the program to create a program of study. Even if students know which program/s they will pursue and their sequence of coursework, it is beneficial to discuss plans for internships, testing requirements, transfer options if applicable, etc. It is highly recommended that you meet with your advisor at least once per semester to review degree progress and plan for future semesters. The University Catalog, your program advisors, and the staff in the Student and Academic Affairs Office are key resources to assist you as you work toward completion of your degree requirements.
Advisors
| Crystal Trebing |
Jancy Templeton |
Undergraduates and Graduate students (non-cohort) with last names A-R
FCPS Special Education-General cohorts
PWCS Special Education-General cohorts
|
Undergraduates and Graduate students (non-cohort) with last names S-Z
LCPS & FCPS Adapted cohorts
|
cgolden3@gmu.edu
(703) 993-4361
M, R 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
T 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
W, F 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Appointments available virtually or face-to-face.
|
jtemple1@gmu.edu
(703) 993-2387
M 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
T 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
W, F 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
R 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Appointments available virtually or face-to-face.
|
| Click HERE to schedule a meeting with Crystal Trebing. |
Click HERE to schedule a meeting with Jancy Templeton. |
Schedule an Appointment
Current students may schedule or cancel appointments no less than 24 hours in advance. Advisor calendars are open two weeks in advance. If no appointments show as available with your assigned advisor, please check back in a day or two to see if new times have opened up. You can also e-mail general questions to your advisor.
Contact speced@gmu.edu if you have any questions or sschelp@gmu.edu if you have any issues with the scheduling system.
Drop-In Advising
Drop-in advising hours are available virtually through Blackboard or face-to-face in Finley 102. During these sessions, students receive one-on-one advising on a first-come, first-served basis. To access the virtual advising session please use the links below during the times listed:
Mondays: 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesdays: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Sessions are cancelled when Mason is closed or if otherwise indicated.
Forms
Current students should visit MyMason for important forms and documents.
Professional Organizations
CEC
ISAAC
RESNA
Closing the Gap
ATIA
Marci Jerome
Academic Program Coordinator
Yoosun Chung
Anna Evmenova
Cindy George