The Masters of Education (MEd), Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) and Licensure Programs in Special Education with an emphasis in Visual Impairment are designed to prepare professionals to work with individuals with visual impairments either as Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVI) or Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists (COMS). The Visual Impairment Training Program (VITP) is a distance education program with courses offered through a combination of on-campus weekend and summer meetings, and on-line study allowing students to continue working during the school year. As part of every program, candidates will complete a minimum 350 hour internship in their specialty area. The VITP is guided by the professional standards and beliefs in the field of visual impairment and blindness. Coursework is based on the knowledge and skills identified by the Council of Exceptional Children (CEC), the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP), and the North Carolina Department of Instruction (NCDPI). Areas of instruction include compensatory or functional academic skills, including communication modes, orientation and mobility, social interaction skills, independent living skills, recreation and leisure skills, career education, use of assistive technology, sensory efficiency skills, and self-determination.