Inclusive and Special Education
Certificate and Diploma Programs
Update
The Inclusive and Special Education department of the TRU School of Education has been undergoing a transition this past year. It is time to update all of you on what has been happening and what the plans are for the future.
The Inclusive and Special Education Certificate (ISEC) and Inclusive and Special Education Diploma (ISED) will be replacing the original Special Education Certificate (SEC) and Special Education Diploma (SED).
The Inclusive and Special Education Certificate looks like this:
- There is no longer a cohort model
- 15 credits are needed in order to complete the certificate program
- There are not any required courses
- Out of those 15 credits, 6 credits may be transferred in from outside universities (e.g. distance or hybrid courses)
- All “transfer in” courses must first be approved by the TRU “Special Education Advisory Committee” (please submit a course number, credit value and course description to the Special Education Coordinator for approval)
- To qualify for the 5+ TQS category, students will need to complete an additional 15 credits (e.g ISED) in an integrated theme. For more information about TQS, please follow the link, www.tqs.bc.ca
The Inclusive and Special Education Diploma looks like this:
- There is no longer a cohort model
- 30 credits are still needed in order to complete the Diploma Program and qualify for the 5+ TQS category
- 9 of the 30 credits are from the following required courses:
- EDPY 4810—Advanced Assessment of Learning Difficulties (Dates offered TBA)
- EDPY 4470—Universal Design for Differentiated Instruction (offered in January 2012)
- EDPY 4220—Field Experience in Special Education (to be completed after EDPY 4810 and EDPY 4470)
- Out of those 30 credits, 12 credits may be transferred in from outside universities (e.g. distance or hybrid courses)
- All “transfer in” courses must first be approved by the TRU “Special Education Advisory Committee” (please submit a course number, credit value, and course description to the Special Education Coordinator for approval)
Note: All TRU Special Education Course offerings will be open to ISEC and ISED students and will rotate in a three year period.
Below is a link that gives you specific information on EDPY 4470 and EDPY 4220 and how to register: http://www.tru.ca/__shared/assets/winter_courses_2011_specialed_advert16653.pdf
Phasing Out of the Inclusive and Special Education Diploma
It is the intention of the TRU Special Education department to phase out the Inclusive and Special Education Diploma, and offer a Master of Education Special Education stream.
The closing date for new Inclusive and Special Education Diploma applicants will be April 30, 2012.
The Inclusive and Special Education Diploma must be completed by August, 2014.
The Master of Education Special Education stream is in its design stages. The intention is to have students with completed ISEC and ISED ladder their course work into the Master's program to gain some prior learning credits upon entry. There are three exit options for the Master of Education, which were approved last year: thesis, project, and final paper.
The ISEC will remain as it is in our program offerings. It is an excellent post-graduate certificate that provides generalist teachers with theory, current methodologies, and best practices to assist exceptional children in K-12 classrooms, learning assistance settings, resource rooms, or community-based agencies.
Increased Fee Structure
In order to enable the Inclusive and Special Education programs to continue, they must be cost recovery. As of September 1, 2011, the tuition rate per course has increased from $353.94 to $736.38. Auxillary fees remain the same for TRU courses. Thus the new total cost for one course is $906.32.
If you have any questions about the above information, please contact:
Nan Stevens, Acting Inclusive and Special Education Coordinator, at nstevens@tru.ca or 250-852-7158
Liz Critchley, Education Advisor, at edadvising@tru.ca or 250-377-6048