Parent education

Certificate program

Important Note: This program is currently in transition from the department of Curriculum and Instruction to the department of Family Social Science. Information is currently being consolidated, but links may take you to other departmental web pages.

Complete this program in 1 YEAR!

Program

The parent education certificate program is designed to prepare professionals to plan, coordinate, and teach parent education programs and services for families with children from early childhood through adolescence.

The 16-credit program prepares professionals who are well qualified to deliver programs designed to address the intellectual, emotional, cultural, social, and physical needs of parents and children. In addition to educational settings that may include public-school parent education programs, preschools, child care centers, and Head Start programs, parent educators may also work in health care and social-service agencies and institutions, and faith-based settings.

Certificate courses are offered online. Online coursework is designed to meet the needs of local and distance learners in Minnesota, around the country and the world.

Students participate in live online chat sessions and weekly reflections with their course instructors. They interview parents, read the latest research, and view presentations by University of Minnesota faculty and noted experts in the field.

The capstone course (CI 5949—Student Teaching in Parent Education) allows students to teach and interact with parents in a parent education setting under the supervision of a licensed or highly qualified parent educator approved by core faculty. This individualized student teaching allows each program participant to integrate and apply what they have learned to parent education experiences, preparing them for professional work in the field.

Students must complete the parent education program within four years, beginning with the first completed course, and maintain a 2.80 overall grade point average (GPA).

In Minnesota, a parent educator license is required for employment in ECFE (early childhood family education) programs offered by public school districts. Learn more about the parent and family education licensure program and visit our FAQ page for answers to other common questions.

Curriculum

Students must complete the following courses totaling 16 graduate semester credits:

• CI 5932—I ntroduction to Parent Education (1 cr)- 5 weekly modules

Students will examine the history, philosophy, and implementation of parent education programs.

• CI 5937—Parent-Child I nteraction (3 cr) – 13 weekly modules

Students will analyze and critique of parent-child interaction theory and research; implications for parent-child relationships and parents' and children's development; application in professional work with families.

• CI 5942—Everyday Experiences of Families (2 cr) – 8 weekly modules

Students will examine everyday experiences of families and their relevance to parent education and to the professional development of parent educators. Research information and theoretical knowledge are woven together with observation and personal reflection to create a strength-based approach to both families and professional development.

• CI 5943—Parent Learning and Development: Implications for Parent Education (2 cr) - 8 weekly modules

Students will examine adult, adolescent, and parent learning and development from the perspective of their relevance for parent education. Research information and a variety of theoretical perspectives will be presented and critiqued. Personal professional development will be facilitated through challenging assumptions and examining knowledge and competencies required for parent educators.

• CI 5944—Parent Education Curriculum (2 cr) – 8 weekly modules

Students will examine how parent learning and development, child development, and family systems theories come together to influence the curriculum approaches and materials used in parent education. Students will develop competence in parent education program development; curriculum construction, critiquing, and selection; and lesson planning.

• CI 5945—Teaching and Learning in Parent Education (2 cr) – 8 weekly modules

Students will select, use, and critique group and individual parent education teaching strategies and processes designed to meet the needs of various populations of adult learners. Critical reflection, ethical practices, and other parent educator competencies related to teaching methods and processes will be addressed.

• CI 5946—Assessment and Evaluation in Parent Education (2 cr) – 8 weekly modules

Students will be introduced to theory, terminology, issues, and approaches in assessment and evaluation and apply this knowledge to the tasks of monitoring parent education program performance, assessing parent education program quality, and measuring parent learning and development.

• CI 5949—Student Teaching in Parent Education (2 cr) - 5, 3-week modules

Students will participate in supervised parent education practice designed to meet individual student needs and interests in parent education. The practicum assignment is supplemented with online discussions and chats intended to provide students an opportunity to engage in discussion, reflection, and cooperative learning with regard to the practice of parent education. See Student Teaching in Parent Education to access forms and directions for applying to student teach.

Note: CI 5943-CI 5949 must be taken in the sequence listed. CI 5932, CI 5937, and CI 5942 can be taken in any sequence.

Note: Course descriptions are available on the Web. For course schedules, refer to the University of Minnesota Class Schedule.

Admission

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be submitted at any time.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution or foreign equivalent with a 2.80 or higher grade point average (GPA).
• Complete the equivalent of six semester undergraduate or graduate credits in child development courses before entering the parent education certificate program, completed within 10 years of admission to the certificate program. If these credits have not been completed at the time of application, the applicant may be admitted conditionally until they are completed and recorded on a transcript. The following CEHD courses are examples of child development courses that may meet this requirement:
  
  CPSY 4302—Infant Development
  
  CPSY 4331—Social and Personality Development
  
  CPSY 4343—Cognitive Development
  
  Applicants may be asked to submit syllabi of child development courses they have taken to determine that they include the content required to meet this prerequisite.

How to apply

Application materials:

All applicants must submit the following items online:
• Unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended or are currently attending, except the University of Minnesota. Transcripts can be uploaded directly into the Apply Yourself online application system. For instructions on how to upload your transcripts into the application system, click here.
• If you completed coursework at a university outside of the United States, your transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation center. Request a “course-by-course” evaluation. This process can take 4-6 weeks, so please plan in advance. You can use any provider that is an accredited member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). A suggested provider of this service is Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE), P.O. Box 514070, Milwaukee, WI 53203-3470 (414-289-3400, fax: 414-289-3411).
• A one-page personal statement describing professional qualifications, interest in the field of parent and family education, and how applicants expect to apply knowledge gained through the certificate program to their professional work
• A current résumé of educational and professional experience

Application instructions:

• LOG IN TO THE ON-LINE APPLICATION SYSTEM TO APPLY TO THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM. Be sure to save your PIN and password so you can access the application system to view your admission status.
• When completing “Application Information” you will be asked what type of program you are applying to—choose “Certificate” from the pull down menu. Next you will be asked for your primary program objective—choose “Parent Education” from the pull down menu.  You do not need to select a second or third emphasis. You can skip those boxes and continue to complete the rest of the page.
• Continue through the application pages. On the SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL page you will have the opportunity to upload your transcripts and goal statement.
• Be sure to hit SUBMIT after you have completed the application. You will receive a decision notification by email within three weeks of submission of your application.
• CLICK HERE TO BEGIN THE ON-LINE APPLICATION PROCESS.

Nonnative English speakers and/or international students

All nonnative English speakers must submit an official score report from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Note: For nonnative speakers of English, you must have a score of at least 213 on the computer-based TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) if the student’s primary language is other than English. A minimum score of 550 is required on the paper-based TOEFL.

Registration

Currently admitted degree seeking, or certificate seeking students may register online for coursework at the University’s One Stop student services Web site.

Students who want to begin certificate coursework before admission to a University of Minnesota degree or certificate program should use the One Stop non-degree registration option. Authorized signers in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction are:

• Jessie Eastman (eastm004@umn.edu; 612-625-2545)
• Kathryn Louis (loui0032@umn.edu; 612-625-9809)

For questions about non-degree registration, see FAQ for non-degree graduate registration.

Tuition/Financial aid

Certificate tuition and other fees vary, depending on a student’s enrollment status and residency. Tuition fees are charged according to the following criteria:

• Students seeking the certificate only pay the CEHD departmental master’s (M.Ed.) tuition rate
• Students enrolled in certificate and master of education (M.Ed.) programs pay the CEHD departmental master’s tuition rate
• Students enrolled in Graduate School programs (e.g., M.A., Ph.D., Ed.D.) pay Graduate School tuition rates.

Current Tuition Rate – M.Ed. and Certificate Programs Tuition Rates for 2010-2011

This includes administrative licensure, post baccalaureate certificates, and additional licensure. The plateau for these programs is 12 credits.

	Resident*
Per credit	$572.17
12-18 credit plateau	$6,866.00

* Students in online programs are considered distance learners, and charged the “ resident” rate.

For current tuition rates and additional fees, see the college’s tuition and fees. Tuition rates are determined annually by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents before fall semester. Students may be billed for additional fees at the time of registration.

Financial aid advising and information are available from the University’s One Stop Student Services, 612-624-1111; email: helpingu@umn.edu.

Residents of Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Manitoba may be eligible for special tuition reciprocity rates comparable to Minnesota resident rates. Information about tuition reciprocity is available at the University’s Office of Admissions Web site.

For graduate assistantship/scholarship information (for students enrolled in graduate degree programs), contact the Graduate Assistant Employment office, 200 Donhowe (for mail) or 100 Donhowe (for walk in), Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-624-7070; fax: 612-625-9801.

Apply to student teach

CI 5949—Student Teaching in Parent Education is offered every spring semester. Students wishing to student teach in in the spring must apply in the fall. Application materials are due by October 15th. See Student Teaching in Parent Education to access forms and directions.

Certificate completion

Final certificate clearance depends on completion of all course requirements, including the posting of final grades to the student’s transcript and approval by program faculty.

In addition to completing all program requirements, students must complete the following forms:

• Graduate Application for Degree/Certificate Form
• Program Certificate Completion Form (Submit to CEHD Student Services, 360 Education Sciences Building, 56 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455 or email to cehdinfo@umn.edu.)

The College of Education and Human Development Graduate Student Services clears certificates on a monthly basis. The forms must be submitted on or before the first day of the month that the student intends to graduate. Students who submit the forms after the first day of the month will be cleared to graduate at the end of the following month.

Successful completion of the certificate will be noted on the student's official University of Minnesota transcript and an official certificate will be issued.

Core faculty

Ruth G. Thomas
612-625-1362, email: thoma006@umn.edu

Susan K. Walker
612-624-1273, email: skwalker@umn.edu

For more information

Contact Heather Cline at 612-624-1294 or famed@umn.edu.

See also frequently asked questions (FAQ) about parent and family education programs.

Revised January 2012