What to Expect

The UIC Assistive Technology Certificate Program (ATCP) is a flexible package of mostly online courses offered by the Department of Disability and Human Development (DHD).

To earn the certificate, students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours. All ATCP students are required to take DHD 440 Introduction to Assistive Technology (3 credits) and complete an ATCP Field Experience (1-3 credits). Students work with their assigned ATCP faculty advisor to choose elective courses based on their professional goals, including an assessment-related course in their area of AT concentration.

Most ATCP students take 3 credits of coursework per semester and complete the program within four semesters (e.g. fall, spring, summer, fall). Individual courses taken prior to admittance may be counted toward completion. Students must maintain a B average overall and only courses with a grade of C or above will meet completion requirements.

When are ATCP courses offered?

Courses are offered fall, spring and summer. Although a few courses are offered multiple semesters, most are offered only once during the academic year. Almost all courses are offered online, except for one or two that require on-campus participation. The chart below shows our current selection of courses or download a printable Course Planning Chart. A minimum of 6 students is needed to run a course.

Our online courses are asynchronous, meaning there is no specific meeting time. Most courses are organized in weekly units. Some courses offer synchronous live sessions for collaborative learning but these are scheduled with the students or offered multiple times during a given week.

All ATCP courses (except DHD 590 Field Experience) can be taken individually for continuing education without applying for the Certificate Program. If the student is later accepted into the ATCP, individual courses with a grade of B or higher can be applied to the program requirements.

What is the ATCP Field Experience?

Students enrolled in the AT Certificate Program must complete a field experience toward the end of the program. There are three options for the field experience:

  1.  Working professionals can complete a field experience within their own work setting and work responsibilities under the supervision of a RESNA-certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP). If no RESNA-certified ATP is available onsite, remote supervision will be provided by UIC ATCP faculty using Zoom (offered all semesters).
  2. Students can complete a comprehensive investigation of regional AT services and an observation of AT service delivery at approved sites in their geographical area (offered all semesters).
  3. Students near Chicago can take DHD 441 Adaptive Equipment Design and Fabrication, a lab-based course taught on-campus during the summer (offered every two years).

For more information on these options, download the ATCP Field Experience Guide.

How do I register for courses?

Most ATCP students are working professionals taking courses for continuing education so they register through UIC’s Extended Campus program. Use the links in the chart below to find individual course registration pages. These pages provide information about the course, including the UIC Extended Campus tuition rate (currently $495/credit hour).

UIC students enrolled in a graduate degree program at UIC should register for ATCP courses through the XE Registration System and will be charged their regular tuition rate.

What do I receive at the end of the program?

Students earn graduate credit for each course completed and these are listed on their official UIC transcript. Upon successful completion, a printed certificate suitable for framing is issued. Most professional organizations accept graduate-level university coursework as units of continuing education (CEUs).

 

Online Courses

DHD 559Ergonomics and Safety for Workers
with Disabilities (CRCC approved)
Instructor: Hedman		1 credit
DHD 562Mobile Technology and Computers:
Built-in Accessibility Features (CRCC approved)
Instructor: Hooyenga		1 credit
DHD 567AAC for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Instructor: Taege & Politano 		2 credits
DHD 569Environmental Modification
Instructor: Hedman		1 credit
DHD 594Special Topic: Technology to Support Universal Design for Learning
Instructor: Skalitzky 		1 credit
DHD 594Special Topic: Assistive Technology and Transportation
Instructor: Salkas 		2 credits
DHD 594Special Topic: 3D Printing in Assistive Technology
Instructor: Hooyenga		1 credit

Blended/Lab-based Course at UIC

DHD 441Adaptive Equipment Design and Fabrication
Instructors: Hooyenga, Graham & Hedman		3 credits

Resources

DHD 440 Introduction to Assistive Technology Required Course (fall or spring)
Instructors: All ATCP faculty 		3 credits
DHD 544 Assistive Technology in Early Childhood Settings
Instructors: Cochrane & Politano 		2 credits
DHD 548 Assistive Technology Tools for Education
Instructors: Cochrane, Lenzo & Bass		3 credits
DHD 553 Assistive Technology for individuals who are Visually Impaired or Blind
Instructor: Sessler-Trinkowsky 		1 credit
DHD 554 Augmentative Communication Assessment
Instructor: Politano 		3 credits
DHD 555 Consideration, Assessment, and Documentation of AT in PreK-12 Educational Settings
Instructor: Cochrane 		3 credits
DHD 566 Intro to Microcontrollers in Assistive Technology
Instructors: Hooyenga & Browning		2 credits

DHD 440 Introduction to Assistive Technology Required Course (fall or spring)
Instructors: All ATCP faculty		3 credits
DHD 555 Consideration, Assessment, and Documentation of AT in PreK-12 Educational Settings
Instructor: Cochrane 		3 credits
DHD 556 Seating and Positioning for Wheelchair Mobility
Instructor: Sposato		1 credit – first 5 weeks
DHD 557 Manual and Powered Wheelchair Technology
Instructor: Sposato		1 credit – last 10 weeks
DHD 568 Supporting Augmentative Communication in Educational Settings
Instructors: Malnar & Politano		3 credits

Blended/Lab-based Course at UIC

DHD 551 Computers, Communication and Controls in Rehabilitation Technology
Instructors: Hooyenga, Politano & Sposato 		3 credits