Intervention Specialist Endorsement

Introduction

This endorsement program prepares educators to design and implement developmentally appropriate, evidence-based instruction that is responsive to the strengths, needs, and experiences of all learners, including those at risk for academic challenges. Candidates learn to develop individualized curricula that integrate students’ interests, family perspectives, community contexts, and impactful practices to promote meaningful engagement and achievement. The program emphasizes alignment of instruction and assessment with Georgia’s mandated content standards, ensuring that learning experiences and assessment measures accurately demonstrate student mastery of required competencies.

Participants develop expertise in using multiple valid and reliable assessments to evaluate students’ cognitive, social-emotional, communication, motor, adaptive, and aesthetic development and to differentiate instruction based on assessment data. Coursework and field experiences build knowledge of the effects of stress and trauma, the promotion of resilience and mental health, and the role of supportive relationships in fostering positive developmental outcomes. Throughout the program, candidates strengthen their ability to collaborate effectively with families, multidisciplinary professionals, and community agencies to support children’s learning, development, and overall well-being.

Highlights

1. Faculty are nationally- and internationally-renowned scholars in child and adolescent development, social-emotional learning, individual and academic intervention, and behavior.

2. Endorsement is approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC), which allows program completers to add the endorsement to an existing teaching credential. Candidates who complete the endorsement are also eligible to upgrade their Georgia teaching certificate to a T-5 if they continue on to complete the master’s degree, or T-6 if they continue on to complete the specialist degree.

3. Allows candidates to engage directly with expert faculty who are working to shape impactful changes in their classrooms.

Curriculum

The program requires the completion of five courses (15 credit hours) that can typically be completed across three to four terms. Candidates are required to complete EPSY 6011 and EPSY 6310 prior to enrolling in the remaining three courses in the endorsement.

Courses

• Course 1: EPSY 6011/6011E (Foundations of Human Development for Education)

• Course 2: EPSY 6020/6020E (Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Classroom and Beyond)

• Course 3: EPSY 6070/6070E (Prevention and Intervention with School-Age Youth)

• Course 4: EPSY 6310/6310E (Application of Behavior Principles and Prevention and Intervention in School and Related Settings)

• Course 5: EPSY 7330/7330E (Individual Academic Interventions)

How to Apply

The Intervention Specialist Endorsement may be completed independently as a non-degree (endorsement) course sequence or integrated into the program of study of graduate (M.Ed., Ed.S.) degree-seeking students. All applicants must complete a UGA Graduate School application .

1. Select your campus (Athens) from the drop-down menu.

2. Select “Non-Degree or Transient” from the Degree Level drop-down menu.

3. Then select the non-degree, Initial Educator Cert [NON_GM_TEACH] program from the Intended program drop-down menu.

4. For Area of Emphasis, select Intervention Specialist.

Required Documents for Application

Non-degree seeking applicants, please include the following documents with your application:

• Current resume/CV
• Unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
• Brief statement (one page) that demonstrates your interest in seeking the endorsement

Graduates: Apply now

Deadline to Apply

• Fall semester: July 1

• Summer semester: April 1

• Spring semester: November 15

Applying for Graduation

All endorsement/certificate candidates must apply for graduation using the graduation application available in Athena upon completion of the last endorsement class by a given deadline for the semester in which they intend to graduate.

Deadline to Apply to Graduate

• If you are graduating in fall semester, apply to graduate by October 15.
• If you are graduating in spring semester, apply to graduate by March 15.
• If you are graduating in summer semester, apply to graduate by June 15.