Program Overview

As one of the fastest-growing disability categories, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has received more and more attention in recent years, and the need for professionals trained to work with individuals with ASD has also increased. Florida State’s online Autism Spectrum Disorder graduate certificate program offers you a unique opportunity to become better prepared to work with individuals on the autism spectrum. As a participant in the program, you will gain invaluable skills and learn best practices for working with learners with ASD.

Teachers enrolled in the program who are already licensed in the state of Florida in Exceptional Student Education (grades K-12) will be eligible for the Autism Endorsement from the Florida Department of Education upon completion of this program. This endorsement can help increase marketability and open up new job opportunities, particularly in regards to serving students with ASD. The online graduate certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorder at Florida State is particularly suited for practicing professionals serving individuals with ASD in schools, communities, and agencies (e.g., teachers, behavior therapists, speech-language pathologists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, childcare providers, administrators, family members), or individuals pursuing a graduate degree with an interest in providing direct service to individuals with ASD.

Looking for our master's program in ASD? Click here!

Admission Requirements

Admission to a certificate program is required. Students are not enrolled in a certificate program by virtue of being enrolled in related courses. Students must first apply to and be admitted to both the university and to the certificate program in order to be considered enrolled. The following are required for admission to the program:

  • An undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution with a minimum of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student.
  • Students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program must have a 3.0 GPA in their graduate coursework.

Step 1: Apply for admission to the University (select one):

  • Non-Degree Seeking. Applicants must meet deadlines for submitting a non-degree seeking application (available here) and pay the non-refundable application fee before formal admittance to the program. 
  • Degree Seeking

Florida Residency Form: If you are a Florida resident, you must complete the Florida Residency Affidavit, even if you were previously designated a Florida Resident by the university. If you do not complete this form, you will be classified as a non-Florida resident for tuition purposes.

Step 2: Complete the ASD Certificate Admissions Form. Important: The online Certificate Admissions Form must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the end of the semester in which the second certificate course is completed.

Step 3: Submit additional application materials to the program coordinator, Dr. Lindsay Dennis 

  1. A personal statement explaining their interest in attaining the certificate,
  2. Official transcripts
  3. Resume (non-degree seeking students only)

Students enrolled in the ASD master's degree program are automatically eligible for the ASD certificate. No application required.

Course/Degree Requirements

To earn the graduate certificate, you must complete the required courses within 7 years of enrolling in the program and earn a minimum of a 3.0 (grade of B or better) in each required course. After all certificate coursework is completed, but not later than 2 weeks after grades post, submit a Certificate Completion Form. Completion forms approved by the program coordinator and OASIS will then be forwarded to the Registrar's Office for processing and posting and posting to the student's official transcript.

Required Courses (15 hours):

Fall

  • EEX 5210: Assessment and Diagnosis of ASD and ID (3 credits)
  • EEX 5298: Teaching Students with ASD (3 credits)

Spring

  • EEX 5248: Positive Behavior Support (3 credits)

Summer 

  • EEX 5286:  Preparing Individuals for Transition (3 credits)
  • EEX 5767: Augmentative and Alternative Communication for Learners with ASD (3 credits)

There are select assignments in your courses that will be used as evidence that you meet professional standards required of the ASD certificate. You will receive an email from OASIS about purchasing a subscription to a student learning platform. This is where you will upload your signature task assignments into a portfolio. You should upload signature tasks to the portfolio the same semester that you complete the assignment. The following are the assignments (and corresponding course) that are signature tasks that need to be included in your ASD portfolio on VIA:

  • Assessment Profile (EEX 5210)
  • Exam (EEX 5210)
  • Communication Intervention Project (EEX 5298)
  • Positive Behavior Support Plan (EEX 5248)
  • Research-to-Practice Lesson Plan (EEX 5286)
  • Transition Assessment Project (EEX 5286)

Total Credits: 15 Credits

Tuition & Aid

Information about tuition and fees can be found here. Please note that you may incur costs associated with the purchase of books/materials for courses. Students are required to purchase access to a Student Learning and Licensure (SLL) Platform.

The Florida Department of Education offers tuition support for exceptional student education teachers who are taking courses towards an endorsement in autism. The program provides up to $1400 per course for tuition support through annual funding from the Florida Department of Education, Bureau of Exceptional Education and Student Services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B. To apply, students will submit the completed Application, Verification of Employment form signed by your current school administrator, and the Service Obligation Agreement to the FL DOE Project Director. Upon notification of acceptance, students will coordinate with the ESE Student Support and the Registrar’s office to ensure tuition is paid per the University timelines.

Upon completion of the program, recipients must agree to teach children identified as having autism in a Florida public school for a minimum of one year for every six hours of tuition support received and add the appropriate endorsement to their professional certificate. Additional program information can be viewed at http://florida-ese.org/tuition-support.

Additional program information can be viewed at http://florida-ese.org/tuition-support.

Contact(s)