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:

•     Adult/Gerontology Acute Care for Clinical Nurse Specialists

•     Adult/Gerontology Acute Care for Nurse Practioners

•     Advanced Counseling

•     Advanced Study of Creative Writing

•     Advanced Study of Literature

•     Autism Education

•     Child and Adolescent Trauma

•     Co-occuring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

•     Elementary or Secondary Special Education

•     Financial Planning

•     Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

•     Historical Studies

•     Integrated Behavioral Health 

•     Mathematics Content Specialist: Elementary

•     Middle Level Education

•     Modern Biological Sciences

•     Nonprofit Leadership

•     Nursing Care Management

•     Physical Education

•     Public History

•     Severe Intellectual Disabilities

•     Teaching English as a Second Language

•     Teaching English as a Second Language: Bilingual Education Concentration

•     Transition for Youth with Exceptionalities

Rhode Island Teacher Education (RITE) Program

Students who hold a baccalaureate degree and who have majored in or completed a substantial amount of coursework in an appropriate academic area (see appropriate academic areas below) may pursue the Secondary Education teaching certificate or for languages the PK-12 World Languages teaching certificate in that area through the RITE program. (This will appear on the transcript as a CUS; Certificate of Undergraduate Study, as the courses taken are undergraduate offerings.) 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 major at Rhode Island College in an appropriate academic area listed above.

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 G.P.A. of 2.75 in all previous undergraduate course work.

4.    This requirement was removed last year

5.    The minimum G.P.A. required in the academic major. Requirements for G.P.A.s 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 Feinstein School of Education and Human Development associate dean.

Credential Review Pathway (CRP)

The Credential Review Pathway is for individuals seeking a re-issue of their Expert Residency Preliminary Certificate, the addition of another certification or renewal of a certificate that is more than five years expired. After a credential review by faculty, the student is either granted certification or required to successfully complete specific graduate courses to obtain certification. The coursework required for certification will vary for each student. For details on how to apply, see: www.ric.edu/feinsteinSchoolEducationHumanDevelopment/Pages/Credential-Review-Pathway.aspx.

This is not a degree program and courses taken in this program may be transferred to graduate degree programs with the permission of the graduate program.

CRP Eligibility Requirements

•     Bachelor's degree.

•     Minimum 3.0 cumulative G.P.A. in a degree program and 3.0 G.P.A. in appropriate content area courses.

•     Extensive teaching experience in PK-12 academic settings in the certification area. Extensive teaching experience is a full semester of supervised student teaching in the certification area (recent graduate) or 270+ days of full-time professional teaching or 270+ days of full-time substitute teaching in the certification area.

•     April 15 deadline.