Special Programs - Graduate

Certificate of Graduate Study (C.G.S.)

The C.G.S. is a certificate program of advanced study offered in the following areas:

• Advanced Counseling
• Autism Education
• Co-Occurring Disorders
• Creative Writing
• Financial Planning
• Health Psychology
• Literature
• Mathematics Content Specialist: Elementary
• Middle-Secondary Level Special Education
• Modern Biological Sciences
• Physical Education
• Public History
• Severe Intellectual Disabilities
• Teacher Leadership

Postbaccalaureate Middle School Endorsement

Students who hold the baccalaureate degree, an elementary or secondary certificate, and who have a major, minor, or 30 credit hours in one of the following areas: English/language arts, French, general science, mathematics, social studies, or Spanish may pursue the middle school endorsement program. This program consists of the following courses at Rhode Island College: Middle Level Education 510, 520, 530, and 540, as well as specified courses verified through an analysis of the student’s transcript by the Middle Level Program and by the State Department of Education.

Rhode Island Teacher Education (RITE) Program

Students who hold the baccalaureate degree and who have majored in or completed a substantial amount of course work in an appropriate academic area (see appropriate academic areas below) may pursue the secondary education teaching certificate in that area through the RITE program. This is not a degree program and courses taken in this program cannot be used in any graduate degree program at Rhode Island College. This program is designed so that successful applicants can, in most cases, complete the required course work within three consecutive semesters.

Appropriate academic areas are

RITE Admission Requirements

1. A baccalaureate degree with a major equivalent to an undergraduate secondary education major at Rhode Island College.
2. A completed application submitted to the dean of the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, including complete transcripts from a regionally or nationally accredited college or university.
3. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 in all previous undergraduate course work.
4. PRAXIS I (PPST), ACT, or SAT with required score as established by the Rhode Island Department of Education. (This requirement is waived if the GPA in undergraduate course work is a minimum of 3.0.)
5. The minimum GPA required in the academic major. Requirements for GPAs in specific majors are available from the Department of Educational Studies.
6. Two Disposition Reference Forms from an instructor of a college course in the applicant’s academic major, or from a professional who can document the applicant’s experience with youth, or from a work supervisor.
7. A Statement of Education Philosophy.
8. A résumé outlining educational and work experience.
9. A personal interview with the RITE program major advisor.
10. A complete plan of study approved by the RITE program advisor, the chair of the Department of Educational Studies, and the dean.

RITE Program Requirements

The RITE program consists of a minimum of 30 credit hours, as follows: Counseling and Educational Psychology 315; Foundations of Education 346; Secondary Education 406, 407, 411, 412, 421, 422; and Special Education 433.