This program is open to ALL eligible candidates regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, disability or age.
Application deadlines: May 1st for Summer admission and November 1st for Spring admission
Find out all the information you would need to obtain your alternative certification in Learning and Behavior Disorders (P-12).
MAT Alt Cert in LBD
The special education licensure program provides a strong foundation in general education content, special education theory and methods, and teaching experience. Extensive classroom experience allows students to develop the skills, competencies, and confidence for successful teaching, including strategies for inclusion, behavior management, social skill instruction, and modifying instruction in the general curriculum. Students also benefit from the supervision and mentorship of experienced practitioners and field supervisors. The program's special education professors are experienced practitioners who are experts in their fields as researchers, teachers, and administrators.
Classes start in the Spring each year. Students must complete weekly field hours in school or community placements that serve individuals with learning and behavior disorders. Prior to the end of the program a 12-week student teaching placement must be successfully completed. Completion of this degree/licensure program will only lead to certification as an LBD teacher (not an Elementary, Middle or Secondary content area teacher).
Licensure to teach students with learning and behavior disorders prepares candidates to teach students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and mild intellectual disabilities at all grade levels from kindergarten through high school. Students with learning and behavior disorders may spend all or part of their time in traditional classroom settings but may also receive special education instruction for part of the day in resource rooms, or in self-contained classrooms within the school.
For details about curriculum information, visit the Graduate Catalog.
This program can be completed in a traditional classroom format or entirely online.
This program leads to Kentucky certification for Learning and Behavior Disorders, grades P-12. Applicants to the program should have excellent academic credentials as well as successful experience working with children and/or adults with Learning and Behavior Disorders (LBD). Completion of this degree/licensure program will lead to certification as an LBD teacher only (not an Elementary, Middle or Secondary content area teacher).
Students must complete weekly field hours in school or community placements that serve individuals with learning and behavior disorders. Prior to the end of the program a 12-week student teaching placement must be successfully completed.
Candidates to initial teacher certification programs are required to submit credentials supporting their academic ability, creativity and collaboration, communication and critical thinking skills, positive disposition, and commitment to the teaching profession. These credentials include test scores, transcripts, writing samples, and letters of recommendation which support the candidate's ability to succeed in a rigorous teacher education program. Competitive candidates will be invited to a formal, faculty interview.
Candidates for admission should review the following which outline the expectations of the teaching profession:
Questions about the application should be directed to teacher@louisville.edu. Candidates will be notified via e-mail regarding the admission decision no later than six weeks after the application deadline. Applicants who are selected for admission will receive information about a mandatory orientation session.
Application Deadline: May 1st for Summer admission and November 1st for Spring admission by 5:00 p.m.
Please note: If the application deadline falls on a Saturday or Sunday, we will accept the admission portfolio on the Monday after the deadline by 5:00 p.m.
Candidates who meet the following criteria may be eligible to apply to the Master of Arts in Teaching program. Candidates considering application to the MAT program should contact the MAT admissions counselor (teacher@louisville.edu) prior to applying for admission. Admission is competitive. Candidates who meet minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission to the program.
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Department of Special Education
Brandon Gossett
Office: 502-852-0574
College of Education and Human Development
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
Students would primarily be certified to teach students with learning and behavior disorders (LBD) in Kentucky.
The program leads to LBD certification only. Individuals completing this program would not be certified to teach in a typical classroom (Elementary, Middle or Secondary) unless they completed an additional certification program.
For general information on financial aid resources, please visit the University of Louisville's Student Financial Aid office. The College of Education and Human Development has it's own web page dedicated to financial aid that contains some extra information not listed here.
The CEHD has a long history of offering scholarships to prospective and current students pursuing an education degree program. The CEHD provides over $225,000 annually and selects recipients three times per year. Scholarship selection is competitive and applies to tuition only. Apply online for a CEHD Scholarship before the deadline (April 15th, June 1st and/or October 15th). Applicants should expect notification in four to five weeks after the posted deadline.
Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program that provides up to $4,000 per year to those who intend to teach in a public or private school that serves students from low-income families. Teachers must be certified in a high-need field. (Amount is pro-rated based on part-time or full-time status up to a maximum of $8,000 for graduate students.)
Applicants must complete the FAFSA (although financial need is not required) and be admitted to a teacher certification program. Applicants must score above the 75th percentile on a college admission test or maintain a cumulative gpa of 3.25 for eligibility.
Recipients must teach for a minimum of four years within eight calendar years of completing the teacher certification program. Those who fail to complete the service obligation must re-pay the loan, with interest charged form the first date of disbursement.
Traineeship Program funds are available to help defray part of the tuition costs for courses that lead to teacher certification in special education or early childhood education. The Kentucky Department of Education has allocated federal professional development funds to provide tuition assistance for special educators and preschool teachers in obtaining certification in the area in which they are teaching. With the increasing shortage of fully certified teachers seeking teaching positions in special education and early childhood education, a major focus of the Traineeship program is on teachers seeking alternative certification, emergency or probationary certification, and working toward full certification while enrolled in a Kentucky institution of higher education. Further information can be found at http://kytraineeship.org/about, including eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and more!
Funding may also be available through the WHAS Crusade for Children Special Education Scholarship Award.