VITP Graduate Program Track Descriptions
The Master's of Education Program (M.Ed.): is a 49 to 54 hour program with two focus areas:
Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI) and Orientation and Mobility (O&M). Graduates of this program
will be eligible to apply for state licensure as a teacher of students with visual impairments or O&M
certification through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals
(ACVREP).
Teacher of the Visually Impaired — Candidates must already have an initial teaching license.
Candidates who enter without a background in special education may be required to take additional
credit hours.
Orientation and Mobility — Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in education or a related field
such as rehabilitation counseling, sociology, or psychology. Candidates who enter without a
background in special education may be required to take additional credit hours.
The Master's of Arts of Teaching in Visual Impairments (MAT): is a 60-credit-hour program of study
for prospective students who do not have a teaching credential and are seeking initial teacher licensure in
visual impairments.
Add-On Visual Impairment Licensure: is designed to enable a person with a teaching license to obtain
licensure as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired in North Carolina. Specific program plans are established
on an individual basis, with requisite courses determined by previous degree(s) earned and prior university
coursework.
Certification in Orientation and Mobility: is designed to provide an individualized program of
instruction to enable a person with a degree in a related field to obtain certification as an Orientation and
Mobility Specialist. Specific program plans are established on an individual basis, with requisite courses
determined by previous degree(s) earned and prior university coursework. Individuals must complete the
course work in either the graduate program or the licensure add-on program to become eligible for certifi-
cation in Orientation and Mobility.
Personal/Professional Development: Most courses offered within the program may be taken by
interested individuals for personal information and growth, to enhance professional skills or to meet con-
tinuing education requirements designated by a particular profession. Admission to courses would be as a
Special Student.
Grant Information Those wishing to work with PreK-12
th
grade students who are blind or visually
impaired as either a TVI or COMS may be eligible to receive funding through NCCU's grant funds
received from the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), U.S. Department of Education through
grant H325K130405 (October 2013-September 2018). These funds cover full in-state and partial out-of-
state tuition/fees and provide a small stipend each semester a student is enrolled in classes.
Work Payback In return for receiving OSEP funding students will be expected to work either as a TVI or
COMS for a period of two years for every year funding was received.
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