Transition Leadership

The UMB Transition Specialist Training leads to one of two tracks: A Masters in Special Education with a Concentration in Transition Leadership or A Graduate Certificate in Special Education with a Concentration in Transition Leadership

The MEd in Special Education with a Concentration in Transition Leadership is a transdisciplinary mix of five online courses from special education and vocational rehabilitation, and five online secondary transition-related courses. All the courses have built-applied learning assignments and students must complete a one-semester practicum placement (three credits) – for a total of 33 credits. The Graduate Certificate in Special Education with a Concentration in Transition Leadership is appropriate for those students who already have a master’s degree and a preliminary special education license or vocational rehabilitation certificate. The certificate program involves taking five online secondary transition courses with built-in applied learning assignments. Students must also complete a one-semester practicum placement (three credits) – for a total of 18 credits.

Certificate track will be eligible to apply for the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Career Development and Transition’s national certification. For candidates in Massachusetts, candidates will be eligible for the MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Transition Specialist endorsement.

For more information on the national certification, go to https://dcdt.org/dcdt-individual-teacher-certification For more information on the MA state endorsement, go to https://www.doe.mass.edu/licensure/endorsements/transition-specialist.html

For applicants outside of Massachusetts, we cannot confirm that the courses or program meets the licensure or certification requirements of the state where you reside. Please contact the Department of Education for your state to determine whether the course or program meets the state licensure or certification requirements.

The Transition Leadership program is a fully online course of study using UMass Boston’s learning management system, Blackboard Learn.

Graduates of the transition leadership program can expect to hone their skills and find employment opportunities in a variety of settings, such as middle and high school public and private school settings, vocational rehabilitation offices and youth workforce centers. The certificate also provides advanced training for professionals in careers such as special education, social work, guidance counseling, mental health counseling, and occupational therapy.

Applicants to the program must hold a bachelor’s degree in special education, school counseling, vocational rehabilitation counseling, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, or a related field. They should also have a background in working with youth with disabilities between the ages of 14-22.

Applicants interested in earning the Transition Specialist endorsement in Massachusetts must have initial licensure in their field- special education, school social worker, school counselor or vocational rehabilitation counselor.

Individuals applying to the program should be aware that in order to complete program assignments, they will need to have access to students aged 14-17 and 18-22 with a range of disabilities in a public or private school setting. Access to a school system and a variety of professional transition-related staff is also required to complete a system assessment of practices related to transition and career development. Applicants may complete many of the field-based assignments while working in their own school. They will also need consistent access to a computer and stable internet connection in order to use Blackboard and other applications that facilitate synchronous and asynchronous meetings (e.g. Zoom).

This depends on which track you are enrolled in (master’s or certificate), your progress in the program, and the number of courses you take per semester, including summer semester. Many students in the certificate track complete the program in 1.5 years of part-time study. Students in the master’s track can complete the program in 2 years of part-time study.

Scholars can continue working full-time while they are enrolled in the program. This course of study requires approximately 4-7 hours each week to complete course work and assignments. This program also requires pre-practicum and practicum field hours that may be completed during your work hours. In your first semester, you can take no more than two courses. After your first semester, you should meet with your faculty advisor and discuss the appropriate number of courses to take in each remaining semester. Most students in the certificate track take two courses per semester for the first two semesters, and then one course in each of the remaining two semesters. Students in the master’s track can take from one to three courses each semester, depending on the semester and courses chosen.

Yes, students in the Transition Leadership certificate program may complete the practicum within their own school.

Deadline for applications is July 1, 2026. Contact Program Director Maria Paiewonsky by email at Maria.Paiewonsky@umb.edu