Texas AM University
TAMU 4225
College Station, TX 77843
Program Contact | Tracy Glass |
tglass@tamu.edu | |
Phone | 979.845.4461 |
Website | Program website |
The PATHS Certificate Program leads to a career as a Direct Support Professional - General (DSP-G), a Direct Support Professional - Para-Paraprofessional (DSP-P) or a Child Care Professional (CCP). This six-semester certificate program, offered at the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University, prepares graduates for careers supporting people with disabilities and older adults to live in their communities, as well as teachers and children.
A DSP-G may be employed by a private agency for people with developmental disabilities or older adults, a home health agency, the family of the individual receiving services, or directly by an individual with a disability or older adult. Students working toward a certificate as DSP-P support teachers and students in the classroom and may become employed by school districts or other educational facilities. Students working toward obtaining a certificate as a CCP learn to support children ages 0-5 in a childcare setting.
The program begins with a 4-week summer program that serves as a “college boot camp”. Students learn how to navigate independently within the Texas A&M University campus and community, acquire basic student skills, self-advocacy skills, self-determination skills, and learn about supports available to them. The following semester of classroom coursework provides students with the required skills to gain successful employment as well as enrichment courses to further enhance the quality and depth of the training. During the course of their time at PATHS, students are placed in an onsite practicum position based on their chosen career path. The PATHS Certificate offers opportunities for graduates to be employed immediately as Direct Support Professionals (DSP-G, DSP-P) or as Child Care Professionals (CCP) by providers of community services.
Program information submitted: March 24, 2021
General | |
---|---|
Public or private: | Public |
Type of school: | 4-year college or university |
Is this program a federally funded TPSID program? | No |
Students in this program: | Have graduated or exited from high school |
Number of students: | 13 |
Summer program name | PATHS Summer I |
Description of our summer transition program: | Students attend a 4-week summer program (PATHS Summer I) as a prerequisite to the PATHS Program. This will help the student and staff to determine whether the program is a good fit for their career goals. |
Summer program link: | PATHS Summer I |
Affiliates | |
---|---|
School district or agency partner: | Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University |
Contact person: | Tracy Glass |
Email: | tglass@tamu.edu |
Requirements | |
---|---|
Program serves students who have left high school? | Yes, all of our students have left high school |
Regular H.S. diploma required? | No, an IEP/non-standard diploma/certificate of attendance is accepted |
Criteria for admission |
|
Accepts out-of-state students?: | Yes |
Please indicate which disabilities students in this program have: |
|
Acceptance, Retention, and Completion Rates | |
---|---|
Acceptance rate for the most recent fall term | 83.00% |
Cost | |
---|---|
Is this program able to provide federal financial aid as a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP)? | No |
Students pay for the program in the following ways: |
|
Links to scholarship information: | Scholarships |
Academic | |
---|---|
Students enrolled in this program take the following types of inclusive courses (with students who don't have disabilities) | Students do not take typical college courses |
Students take courses that are only for students in this program: | Yes |
Are students in this program able to access support services through your IHE disability services office? | No |
Credential(s) students earn upon completing the program: | PATHS Certificate of Completion; certification through the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP); certification through Texas A&M University Agrilife Extension for Childcare. |
Is the credential IHE-approved? | Awarded by program, not officially recognized by the IHE |
Employment | |
---|---|
Percent of students in this program have paid work while attending the program: | 70% |
Other career development activities are: |
|
Additional information about career development and work experience | Students are placed in either paid internships or volunteer positions in their chosen field of study to get hands-on experience applying what they learn in the classroom. |
Does this program have a working partnership with VR to provide funding, supports and/or services to students in the program? | Yes |
Housing | |
---|---|
Housing is provided to students: | Yes |
Housing options available: |
|
Extracurricular | |
---|---|
Students participate in student organizations on campus: | Yes |