Educational Diagnostician Certification

Educational Diagnostician Certification Program Overview

Our online Educational Diagnostician Certification program empowers special education teachers and other educators to advance professionally and meaningfully impact the lives of those with diverse learning needs. Our CAEP accreditation signifies that our program continually meets the highest quality standards.  

Empowering Educational Diagnosticians: Bridging Theory to Practice

Built on a comprehensive curriculum, our Educational Diagnostician Certification program helps you translate theoretical knowledge into practical skills. You’ll get the distinct advantage of hands-on experience in our two practicum courses as you work one-on-one with an on-site supervisor and apply your knowledge in real-world settings.  

Upon completing our program, you’ll be able to: 

  • Diagnose and assess learning and developmental disabilities in students using standardized and curriculum-based assessments.
  • Assess and conduct cognitive and achievement testing on students facing learning difficulties.
  • Provide recommendations for classroom and student-targeted interventions, behavior plans, and reevaluations. 

Our program is approved as an Educator Preparation Program (EPP) for educational diagnostician certification in Texas and prepares you to take the required exam conducted by a designated agency. Completion of both our program and the certification exam qualifies you to be a licensed educational diagnostician in Texas. Contact us for information about certification in other states and countries.  

An Affordable, Accessible, and Accelerated Path to Certification

UT Permian Basin has some of the most affordable tuition rates among accredited universities. By offering this program online, we save you costs associated with a commute and enable you to participate while maintaining your professional and personal commitments. Complete your studies on a flexible timeline from any location. There’s no need to devote years of your life to our program, either. We offer courses year-round, and like many students, you may be able to complete the 21 required credits in just three semesters. 

Our Program Aligns With Many Careers

Our online Educational Diagnostician Certification program is not just for teachers! If you work in related fields, such as psychology, counseling, or speech-language pathology, you may also benefit from earning additional certification as an educational diagnostician. This credential can lead to a variety of fulfilling careers, including: 

Required Courses
Courses
Duration
Credits
EDSP 6339 - Foundations of Special Education
8 weeks
3
This course is designed to provide the historical and legal foundations of special education and the educational implications for the teacher and exceptional child.
Prerequisites: N/A
Semesters Offered: Spring A 2025 Spring B 2025 Summer A 2025 Summer B 2025 Fall A 2025 Fall B 2025 Spring A 2026 Spring B 2026 Summer A 2026 Summer B 2026 Fall A 2026 Fall B 2026 Spring A 2027 Spring B 2027 Summer A 2027 Summer B 2027 Fall A 2027 Fall B 2027
EDSP 6348 - Curriculum and Instruction for Autism Spectrum Disorder
8 weeks
3
This course is designed to help educators develop strategies and techniques to support students with Autism Spectrum Disorders access the general education environment to the fullest extent possible.
Prerequisites: N/A
Semesters Offered: Fall A 2024 Spring B 2025 Fall B 2025 Summer B 2026 Summer B 2027
EDSP 6353 - Literacy & Language Arts for Diverse Learners
8 weeks
3
This course is focused on improving the success of children and youth with reading disabilities. Students will learn to identify skill deficiencies, modify curriculum, and design and implement instructional strategies to improve the literacy and language arts outcomes of diverse learners.
Prerequisites: N/A
Semesters Offered: Spring A 2025 Fall A 2025 Spring A 2026 Fall A 2026 Spring A 2027 Fall A 2027
EDSP 6386 - Learning Theory & Assessment
8 weeks
3
This course will examine learning theory, learning styles, and assessment techniques. Students will administer and interpret the results of achievement tests in basic skill areas. Prerequisites: Advisor Approval Required
Prerequisites: N/A
Semesters Offered: Fall A 2025 Spring A 2026 Fall A 2026 Spring A 2027 Fall A 2027
EDSP 6394 - Cognitive Assessment
8 weeks
3
This course will examine the use of individual intelligence tests in the evaluation and educational planning for children, youth, and adults. Prerequisites: Advisor Approval Required
Prerequisites: N/A
Semesters Offered: Fall B 2024 Spring A 2025 Spring B 2025 Fall B 2025 Spring B 2026 Fall B 2026 Spring B 2027
EDSP 6395 - Practicum: Professional Practice
16 weeks
3
This course is an in-depth exploration of topics related to diagnostic testing such as the use of authentic assessment and cross-battery assessment in today’s schools. Prerequisites: Advisor Approval Required
Prerequisites: N/A
Semesters Offered: Whole Spring 2025 Whole Fall 2025 Whole Spring 2026 Whole Fall 2026 Whole Spring 2027 Whole Fall 2027
EDSP 6392 - Practicum: Diagnostician
16 weeks
3
Supervised practice as a diagnostician in a school setting. Students are expected to meet regularly with their University supervisor to ensure continued growth throughout their practicum experience. Based on educational policies, the practicum course cannot be taken during the summer semesters.
Prerequisites: N/A
Semesters Offered: Whole Spring 2025 Whole Fall 2025 Whole Spring 2026 Whole Fall 2026 Whole Spring 2027 Whole Fall 2027

Admission Requirements

  • Completion of an approved educator preparation program (EPP)
  • A master’s degree from an accredited institution
  • Three years of classroom teaching experience in a public or accredited private school
  • Valid teaching certificate
  • Essay (1-2 pages) that answers the following prompt:
    • What personal characteristics, experiences, and educational background influenced your decision and helped prepare you for this role as a diagnostician?
  • Eligibility for admission to UTPB Graduate Studies:
    • A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4-point scale on the last 60 hours of coursework leading to your baccalaureate degree

Clinical Assistant Professor
Department Chair and Associate Professor of Special Education
College of Education
rosenblatt_k@utpb.edu

Kara Rosenblatt is an associate professor of special education and the department chair of the literacy, Language, and special populations department at the University of Texas Permian Basin.  Dr. Rosenblatt received her PhD in Exceptional Education from the University of Central Florida in 2009.  In her current role, she teaches graduate level special education courses. Dr. Rosenblatt's research interests focus on technology for teachers and students with high incidence disabilities and teacher preparation. She was a special education teacher for 5 years in Florida and Maryland. 

Assistant Professor of Special Education/Special Education Program Co-Coordinator
College of Education
frates_a@utpb.edu

Dr. Frates joined UT Permian Basin in 2022 as an assistant professor of special education. She received her master’s degree in special education and her PhD in curriculum and instruction from Northern Arizona University. Her previous experience includes teaching college courses in special education and working in an elementary school setting as a special education teacher. Her research currently focuses on literacy instruction for students with extensive support needs who are also multilingual learners.

Assistant Professor of Special Education/Special Education Program Co-Coordinator
College of Education
jackson_h@utpb.edu

Dr. Jackson is an assistant professor of special education within the department of Literacy, Language, and Special Populations at the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB). She holds a PhD in special education with a specialization in instructional design, technology, and innovation from the University of Kansas. Dr. Jackson has experience in public and private education as an educator and administrator, with a background in math education. Her research interests include investigating instructional design frameworks and their implementation on affective dispositions of learners in K-12 and higher education. Dr. Jackson has served on multiple research projects to support UDL implementation by consulting with educators and facilitating educator preparation.

We’re pleased to offer program admission on a rolling basis.

Rolling admission refers to our process of accepting and evaluating applications as we receive them and moving any applications that miss the deadline to the next semester. However, if you want to enroll in courses for a specific semester, you will need to make note of the application deadlines found below. If you don’t complete your application and submit the required materials by the deadline, your application will be rolled over to the next semester. 

LengthApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlinePayment DeadlineCourses BeginCourses End
Spring A12/30/241/6/251/10/251/13/253/7/25
Spring B3/3/253/10/253/14/253/17/255/9/25
SemesterApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlinePayment DeadlineCourses BeginCourses End
Summer A4/28/255/5/255/9/255/12/256/27/25
Summer B6/16/256/23/256/30/256/30/258/15/25
LengthApplication DeadlineDocument DeadlinePayment DeadlineCourses BeginCourses End
Fall A8/11/258/18/258/22/258/25/2510/17/25
Fall B10/6/2510/13/2510/17/2510/20/2512/12/25

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