Improve Learning Accessibility

If you desire to help make learning accessible for every student, our educational diagnostician program may be for you. Educational diagnosticians consult with colleagues and parents to develop customized learning plans, including learner-friendly language and interactive study guides.

You'll learn to:

  • Analyze assessments
  • Design learning plans based on testing results
  • Implement learning strategies to meet individual needs

Get started today to make a difference as an educational diagnostician!

Three posters of what a great teacher represents.

Assistive Technology Lab

As a collaboration among the Department of Psychology and Special Education, the Center for Information Technology Excellence, and Velma K. Waters Library, this unique facility features multiple examples of assistive technology specifically designed to empower individuals with disabilities and educate future teachers.

Admission

Your Path to Becoming a Lion

Admission Requirements

Deadline

  • To earn certification while pursuing your master's degree in special education, you must hold a valid teaching certificate. You may complete your required three years of teaching while accomplishing your coursework.
  • To pursue only the certification, you must hold a master's degree in special education or a closely related field, a valid teaching certificate, and three years of teaching experience prior to admission.

Applications are due by the 10th of every month, and interviews will be held on the third Friday. Applications received after the 10th will be reviewed the following month.

Submit Application

  • Select “Create a new graduate school admissions application.”
  • Select “Texas A&M University-Commerce (Commerce)” as your “Target University.”

  1. Select “Educational Diagnostician Certification” as your “Major.”

Domestic Application Fee 395064

  • Pay the $50 application fee.
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Wait to receive an application confirmation email before proceeding to the next step.

  • After you submit your application, the Graduate School will send a confirmation email within two business days to the personal email account you used for ApplyTexas.

Submit the following documents to your graduate coordinator after you receive an application confirmation email.

Graduate Coordinator DeRene Sutton 395159

Your Graduate Coordinator

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Contact your previous institution(s) and request that they send your official transcripts to your graduate coordinator.

  • We recommend that you request transcripts for all of your academic work.

All international transcripts must be evaluated and the evaluation submitted to the Graduate School.

We accept evaluations sent directly from the following Agencies.

  • If a normal evaluation is submitted, official original transcripts with all marksheets will still need to be submitted.
  • If a WES ICAP or equivalent is submitted, we will not need the official transcripts to be submitted separately.

If your institution is unable to submit a digital copy, hard copies may be mailed to:

Texas A&M University-Commerce
Attn: Graduate School
PO Box 3011
Commerce, Texas 75429-3011

We will need official/original documents. If those documents are the only copies you have, the Graduate School can mail them back to you upon request. Contact your graduate coordinator or more information.

Describe your preparation for graduate work and your academic interests and goals in no more than 500 words.

Submit a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) which includes your academic and professional history and achievements.

Submit a current professional letter of recommendation signed on letterhead.

Look for application updates in myLeo > Apps > Check Application Status

  • Once an admission decision has been made, you will receive an email to your student email account at myLeo > Apps > Leomail.

Once your application to the Graduate School is complete, you can submit your Educational Diagnostician Certification Program Application right away using TK20. If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

You will need to have the following documents ready for upload in order to submit the application:

  • Certification fee receipt
  • TEA Assessment fee receipt
  • Teaching service record
    • A minimum of three years of creditable classroom teaching experience is required for admission to the educational diagnostician certification-only program.
  • Standard Texas Teaching Certificate
    • Note: Candidates on emergency permits, intern or probationary certificates will not be admitted.
  • Official transcripts from the Graduate Office will be reviewed by the certification office.
    • Official transcripts from all institutions must be submitted to the Graduate School in order to satisfy TEA certification admission requirements.
    • For a certification-only program, applicants must hold a master's degree.
    • A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a conferred master's degree or a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a conferred bachelor's degree is required for certification admission. Please note that certification admission requirements may differ from those of the Graduate School and are separate requirements.
If applicable:
  • TEA Transfers
  • Transcripts from outside the United States
    • Contact the certification office for any questions about TEA requirements for transcripts from outside the United States.
    • If your official transcripts are from institutions outside the United States and the country of origin is not exempt by TEA, send the following documentation to the A&M-Commerce certification office:
      • A course-by-course evaluation from a TEA-approved Foreign Credential Evaluation Service
      • Minimum scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT). Please note that TOEFL scores are only valid for a period of two years. Required minimum scores are 24 for Speaking, 22 for Listening, 22 for Reading and 21 for Writing.
        • As of 3/4/2022, a valid standard Texas educator certificate will be accepted in lieu of TOEFL iBT scores.

  • Go to tamuc.tk20.com
  • Scroll down and click “Admissions”
  • Select “Click here to create your account.”
  • Complete the “Create Applicant Account” form.
  • Note: You will be creating a password for this account.
  • Store the password you create in a secure location so you can refer to it later.
  • After completing the “Create Applicant Account” form, TK20 will provide your username.
  • Store your TK20 username and password in a secure location so you can refer to them later.
    • You will use the username to log in to review your admission application once submitted.

  • Log into your TK20 account
    • Click on the “back to login” link.
    • Enter your username and password.
    • Click the green “Log Into Your Account” button.
  • Click on the “Create New Application” button.
  • Select “Educational Diagnostician” application
  • Click the “Next” button.
  • Complete the application.

  • Upload documents by clicking on the “+ Select File(s)” button for the item you are uploading.
  • Once you have completed all fields in the application, click the “Submit” button.
  • Look for an email from TK20 confirming your submission.

To check your application status:

  1. Log in to your TK20 Student Admissions account
  2. On the “Home” tab, locate your application under “Recent Messages”
  3. Click on the application.
  4. If you are admitted, the message will indicate your application was “Admitted”
  5. If you lack admission requirements, the message will indicate “Denied.”
    • Click on “Review Document” to view your deficiencies and reason(s) for denial.

Once both the Graduate School and Certification Program Applications are complete, the Educational Diagnostician Program Director will reach out to schedule an interview. Interview days are typically scheduled on a monthly basis.

Once accepted, please sign and return the “letter of invitation.”

  • Apply for scholarships once you are admitted
  • Contact your financial advisor with any questions.

Note: This program is not eligible for Federal or State loans or grants.

  • Apply for scholarships once you are admitted.
  • Contact your financial aid advisor with any questions.

Note: This program is not eligible for Federal or State loans or grants.

Once registration opens and you are eligible to enroll, your graduate enrollment specialist is here to help you complete registration.

Contact your graduate enrollment specialist if you have any questions regarding your degree plan and registration.

Graduate Enrollment Specialist Audrey Weiss 395278

Your Graduate Enrollment Specialist

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If you are an H1B or H4 applicant, please contact the Graduate School for details at [email protected].

Note: This program is not available to international students.

Program Requirements

Once admitted, you must:

  • Earn a 3.5 GPA on ALL required coursework (no course substitutions may be applied on graduate certificates)
  • Earn a grade of B or better in PSY/SPED 572, PSY/SPED 573, and SPED 574 (also needed to register for 691)
  • Submit a Completion of Certificate Request while taking your final graduate certificate courses.

The Texas State Board of Educators also requires you to complete the following:

  • Three years of full-time classroom teaching experience
  • Master's degree
  • Minimum of 12 graduate-level semester hours completed at Texas A&M University-Commerce, as certifying institution
  • Approval for TExES registration during last semester of coursework, not to exceed six semester hours

COURSE Offerings

  • SPED 524 Characteristics of Students with Mild Disabilities
  • SPED 526 Characteristics of Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities
  • SPED 528 Special Education Law
  • PSY/SPED 572 Principles of Assessment and Measurement
  • PSY/SPED 573 Principles of Cognitive Assessment
  • SPED 574 Principles of Psycho-Educational Assessment
  • PSY 691 Clinical Practicum Psychology

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