Community and learning
Certificate program
Admissions to this program has been suspended. Applications are no longer being accepted.
Program
The community and learning certificate is designed to prepare individuals who work in community-based organizations and programs for the informal educational responsibilities that often accompany their roles.
This 15-credit certificate program prepares students to foster learning outside of the classroom, and in their communities. Students will develop informal teaching and learning skills based on engagement and collaboration, building trust and respect among participants.
The program is designed for individuals involved in community life. Examples include public health worker, youth worker, youth program leader, youth program evaluator, community program developer, community activist, community organizer, community educator, community program evaluator, environmental educator, civic engagement educator, political organizer, and teacher.
Certificate goals include providing students with:
- Broad understanding of the history of democratic educational traditions and practices in community settings
- Greater knowledge of and experience with the pedagogy of teaching and learning in informal learning and everyday life situations
- Leadership abilities that support individual and group learning, civic engagement, and empowerment
The program is offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I). The certificate can also provide a portal to additional study, since courses may be applied toward a graduate level program.
Curriculum
The certificate requires students to complete 15 credits from the following courses:
Students must complete required courses totaling six credits:
- CI 5972—Education in the Community (3 cr)
- CI 5974—The Democratic Learning Community (3 cr)
In addition, students must complete at least nine credits from the following courses (and may not include more than one 4xxx-level course):
- CI 5952—The Everyday Lives of Youth (3 cr)
- CI 5954—Experiential Learning: Pedagogy for Community and Classroom (3 cr)
- CI 5958—Community: Context for Youth Development Leadership (3 cr)
- PHIL 4324—Ethics and Education (3 cr)
- PHIL 4325—Education and Social Change (4 cr)
- PHIL 4326—Lives Worth Living: Questions of Self, Vocation, and Community (6 cr)
- PHIL 8300—Workshop in Moral and Political Philosophy (1 cr)
- Note: Students seeking graduate credit for PHIL 4324, PHIL 4325, or PHIL 4326 must also register concurrently for PHIL 8300.
- PA 5012—The Politics of Public Affairs (3 cr)
- SW 8505—Advanced Community Organization and Advocacy (3 cr) (To enroll in this course, students must be doctoral students in social work, or receive the approval of their adviser and course instructor.)
Check CI course descriptions and schedules; for other courses refer to the University’s One Stop student services Web site. Substituting another elective for any elective in the curriculum requires a formal petition. Contact the program coordinator as soon as possible if you think this may be necessary.
Program completion
Submit the completed application for degree and/or certificate form [.pdf] the semester all requirements will be met. Check the Certificate box, write "Community and Learning" for the major, and list Lynn Englund as your adviser if you are a certificate-only student.
Program staff
Program contact
Lynn Englund
612-624-1055
Email: engl8813@umn.edu
Revised April 2012
