Enhance your career by receiving specialized training on teaching students with autism in an understanding, informed and supportive manner to ensure inclusion and success.
Locations
- Fully online (Fall, Spring and Summer entry)
Why Earn an Autism Endorsement at Georgia Southern?
- Earn the endorsement quickly with just 9 credit hours required.
- Enjoy the flexibility of fully-online coursework.
- Complements a variety of career options.
- Approved by Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC).
Georgia Southern’s Autism Endorsement prepares you to be a highly skilled educator of people with autism and an effective collaborator within autistic communities. Although an Autism Endorsement alone does not grant you certification in the field of Special Education, as you work through the program, you will advance your professional practice as a highly skilled teacher who can demonstrate and explain how to plan systematic instruction that meets autistic students’ characteristics, interests and needs.
This program connects to a variety of career fields. Educators, specialists and therapists alike benefit from learning how to develop specialized instruction, curriculum and services to assist autistic individuals as they fully participate in the lives of their choosing through adaptive skills building, social and environmental behavior supports, and targeted curriculum interventions.
In this program, you will also learn how to use assistive technology (AT) to assist individuals with autism to access learning environments. This is just one aspect of the College of Education’s emphasis on using AT to help ensure that students with disabilities thrive.
This endorsement offers candidates a high level of flexibility. With only 9 fully online credit hours, the program can be completed quickly and in a manner that fits your schedule.
Please Note: All applicants certified in Georgia should verify with their employer whether the Autism Endorsement will lead to a certificate upgrade or pay increase.
Ready to Apply?
What Can You Do With an Autism Endorsement?
By pursuing the Autism Endorsement, you will be enhancing your educational and instructional skills to better prepare you to collaborate with autistic people and assist them in meeting their goals. Whether your work is in education, behavioral support or diversity and inclusion, it is crucial to have a clearer understanding of the challenges faced by people with autism and how to offer targeted support.
Where our graduates work:
- Public school systems and districts
- Abroad
- US Army
What our graduates do:
- General education teacher
- Special education teacher
- Special education coordinator
- School psychologist
- Speech therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Behavior specialist or interventionist
What You’ll Learn
In the endorsement, you’ll learn how to work effectively with individuals on the autism spectrum through evidence-based practices, assessments and procedures.
See the Autism Endorsement CurriculumStudent Resources
From advisement and college forms to grants and clinical practice experience, our Student Resources page has what you’ll need.
Get Involved
The College of Education hosts several student organizations where you can find support and networking opportunities among your peers.
Assistive Technology
Assistive Technology (AT) is vital to helping children with disabilities thrive in the classroom. Learn more about Georgia Southern’s resources for understanding how to use AT successfully.
Take Action
Application Deadlines:
- Fall: July 1
- Spring: November 1
- Summer: April 1
The application and all required documents listed on the “admissions requirements” tab for the program must be received by the deadline. If all required documents are not received by the deadline, your application will not be considered for admission.
Follow these steps to complete the Georgia Southern application:
- Complete requirements for a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
- Present a 2.5 or higher GPA on all undergraduate and graduate work combined.
- Possess a renewable Georgia level four induction certificate or higher in any teaching field.
- Submit a completed “Disclosure and Affirmation Form” that addresses misconduct disclosure, the Code of Ethics for Educators and tort liability insurance.
Students seeking to fulfill requirements for this endorsement must complete an admission application through the Graduate Admissions Office. Both new students and students currently enrolled (with the exception of M.Ed. Special Education program students) must complete an admission application to earn the endorsement.
Note: International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES accredited evaluation service and must be a course by course evaluation and include a GPA.
The Georgia Southern University Office of Graduate Admissions oversees the application process for graduate students. You can apply today and review requirements and deadlines.
The College of Education at Georgia Southern is accredited by the following bodies:
- The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- The Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC)
- The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
For more information, visit the College of Education.
The College of Education offers several scholarships and grant opportunities for graduate students. For an overview, please visit here.
Tuition and fees charged by Georgia Southern University are approved by the University System of Georgia annually. For a comprehensive costs and affordability analysis, please visit here.
The College of Education anticipates that graduates of the Autism Endorsement program will seek a certification upgrade. The program listed above leads to a Georgia Certificate Upgrade only. Visit the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for more information.
Federal Law requires colleges and universities to make certain disclosures to prospective students of these programs. These disclosures include information on the University’s authority to operate outside of Georgia, the complaint processes, adverse actions, refunds, and program closure.
For required disclosures about online programs offered by the University, visit the Georgia Southern State Authorization and Professional Licensure Webpage.
Related Programs
Take the Next Step
Develop compassionate and informed skills to help support people with autism. Learn more about earning your Autism Endorsement.
Contact Us
Graduate Academic Services Center
Georgia Southern University
College of Education
P.O. Box 8083
Statesboro, GA 30460
Phone: 912-478-1447
Fax: 912-478-5093
gasc@georgiasouthern.edu