Need specialized expertise in autism — without committing to a full master's degree right now? GCU's 15-credit Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders gives you focused, practical knowledge across five courses, each with clinical experience built in. And every credit counts toward the full M.Ed. in Autism Spectrum Disorders if you choose to continue.
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The certificate covers the five most essential areas of autism specialization: the nature and needs of individuals with autism and pervasive developmental disorders; evidence-based teaching strategies; social communication interventions; assessment and curriculum design for ASD; and Level 1 characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. Five courses. Focused. Practical. Directly applicable to your classroom or clinical setting immediately.
Every one of the five certificate courses includes 10 hours of required clinical experience — meaning you accumulate 50 hours of structured, hands-on work with students or individuals with autism spectrum disorders by the time you complete the certificate. This isn't just academic preparation — it's applied, supervised practice from course one.
All 15 certificate credits apply directly toward GCU's 36-credit M.Ed. in Autism Spectrum Disorders. If you complete the certificate and decide you want to continue — to add the M.Ed. and the School Supervisor credential eligibility — you pick up exactly where you left off. No repeated coursework, no credits lost.
A GCU Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders is an institutional credential awarded by Georgian Court University upon successful completion of the five-course program. While it is distinct from NJ state certification (which comes through the M.Ed. completion and state application), it is a recognized credential that documents specialized professional preparation — valued by employers, principals, and special education supervisors who are hiring for autism specific expertise.
Admission to the ASD Certificate program uses the same requirements as the M.Ed. — including a valid NJ instructional or educational services certificate. This ensures that all certificate students are practicing, credentialed educators who can apply what they learn immediately in professional settings.
One in 36 children in the United States is currently identified with autism spectrum disorder — and most of those children are educated primarily in general education settings. The teachers, specialists, and support professionals around them need more than introductory awareness; they need real expertise. GCU’s Certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders provides exactly that.
The 15-credit, five-course program moves systematically through the knowledge base of ASD specialization. You’ll begin with the nature, prevalence, etiology, and diagnostic characteristics of autism spectrum disorder and related pervasive developmental disorders (EDC5301). You’ll advance through evidence-based teaching strategies and collaborative inclusion models for students with ASD (EDC5302), social communication intervention techniques grounded in observation and applied practice (EDC5303), assessment and curriculum design specific to ASD (EDC5304), and finally the identification, assessment, and intervention strategies specific to Level 1 characteristics — often called high-functioning autism — that are increasingly common in general education settings (EDC5305).
Each course includes 10 hours of supervised clinical experience, so you’re not just reading about ASD — you’re working with students who have ASD, reflecting on that experience, and developing the professional judgment that comes only from direct practice. By the end of the certificate, your 50 clinical hours and five course artifacts together document a level of ASD specialization that sets you apart in any general or special education hiring environment.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Autism GCU Certificate | ||
| EDC5301 | Nature & Needs Indivs w/Aut&PervasDevDis | 3.0 |
| EDC5302 | Strategies Teach Students w/Aut & DevDis 1 | 3.0 |
| EDC5303 | Soc Communic Intervent Students w/ASD | 3.0 |
| EDC5304 | Assess & Curr Inter for Autism Spec Dis | 3.0 |
| EDC5305 | Intervent & Supports Level 1 Char ASD | 3.0 |
| Total Credits | 15.0 | |
Requires 10 hours of clinical experience.
Additional courses required for master’s degree:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| EDC5002 | Diversity in Inclusive Education | 3.0 |
| EDC5010 | Curr Leadership for the Incl Sch | 3.0 |
| EDC5013 | Curr Lead & Mang for Diverse & Incl Sch | 3.0 |
| EDC5014 | Methods of Res for Leaders in Incl Sch | 3.0 |
| EDC5102 | Superv of Instr in the Incl School | 3.0 |
| EDC5158 | Instr Technology for Incl Education | 3.0 |
| EDC6401 | Superv & Leadership of Instr & Learning | 3.0 |
| Total Credits | 21.0 | |
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