Autism Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate

The Autism Studies Post-Baccalaureate Certificate provides you with the knowledge and skill set required to work with both children and adults across the autism spectrum. Learn about the typical traits of individuals on the spectrum, their gifts and challenges, co-occurring conditions, epidemiology, evidence-based interventions, classroom and workplace strategies, family impact, and research and key policy issues. This certificate validates your commitment to working in the field and prepares you to broaden your role as an educator, early childhood professional, mental health professional, occupational therapist, speech-language pathologist, agency staff and disability specialist, researcher, advocate or policymaker.

This graduate degree requires about half the coursework, time, and tuition as a master's degree. The 16-credit program — including five 3-credit courses and one 1-credit course — generally takes up two years to complete. Many courses are offered online and in the evening to accommodate working professionals. View the certificate requirements and course descriptions in the Graduate Catalog.

Combine Your Certificate with a Master’s Degree

Graduate degree programs with up to 9 units of electives can integrate this certificate program and give you the opportunity to enhance your professional credentials. This option may be of particular interest to students in advanced degree programs in:

• occupational therapy
• child life
• education (including early education, elementary education, secondary education, and special education)
• speech-language pathology
• psychology

Bridgers-Moore Autism Studies Scholarship

Students may be eligible for this generous scholarship if they have been admitted to the Autism Studies PBC program and already possess or are working towards a Towson University master’s or doctoral degree in a related field. Download the application (DOCX) for more information and/or to apply.

Why Towson

 Off-Campus Locations

This program is also offered through the Towson Learning Network to employees of local school systems at various off-campus locations. Learn if your school system participates.

News Features

Adjunct Faculty member, Dena L. Gassner, was recently featured in an L.A. Times article. Follow this link to read "Voices from the spectrum: Autistic people deal with the coronavirus".