Admissions in Special Education -- Director Endorsement

Director of Special Education Endorsement at UIUC applicants must possess a master's degree from an accredited institution and an initial certificate in the field of special education (e.g., Learning and BEhavior Specialist (LBS) I; LBS-II; or a related field (e.g., school psychology, school counselor, specialist in deaf and hard of hearing, specialist in low vision and blindness, speech/language pathology, social work) and have completed a minimum of two years of full time teaching or other direct service experiences with students with disabilities in grades PK-12.  In addition to the requirement above for Graduate Admissions the applicants for the Director of Special Education Endorsement Focus must also provide the following materials:

  1. One of the three letters required for Graduate Admission must be from the individual's direct supervisor (either current or previous).
  2. Verification of teacher or related personnel certification and two years of teaching or other direct experience with students with disabilities in grade PK-12.  This can be demonstrated by submitting a copy of the candidate's teaching certificate(s) and a letter from his/her employer verifying length of time working directly with students with disabilities. 
  3. A professional resume/vita describing the applicant's academic work, and other professional experiences.
  4. Applicants who pass the initial GPA screening will also complete an interview with two faculty/staff members (one form the Department of Educational Organization and Leadership and the other from the Department of Special Education.) In the case of applicants who are a distance away from the UIUC campus, a telephone conference call will take the place of an on-campus interview.  The faculty involved in the interview will complete a rating form to indicate if the applicant should be considered for acceptance.  Upon successful completion of the interview, the com pelted file will be forwarded to the Special Education Curriculum Committee for a final decision concerning admission to the program.

For more information please contact:  Bernie Laumann, Assistant to the Head
                                           email: (blaumann@uiuc.edu)
                                           phone: 217.244.3551