Professional Development Certificate
Overview
The certificate in professional development is designed to prepare leaders in designing, implementing, and evaluating learning opportunities for preK-12 educators and related staff.
This 12- to 15-credit graduate-level program offers professional development opportunities for teachers, administrators, and others involved in school improvement initiatives. Throughout the program, students are required to reflect on their learning, make explicit connections between theory and practice, and design staff development processes and materials for use in their own work contexts.
Through the program, participants will:
- Learn to apply research-based standards for staff development
- Be prepared for the multifaceted roles and competencies of staff developers
- Identify organizational and leadership capacities for effective staff development policies and practices
- Be able to articulate effective staff learning principles, designs, and strategies
- Evaluate staff development, including its effects on students, staff, and systems
- Learn to work effectively with groups, including both facilitation and training models of learning
- Identify and access staff development resources, including current research and best practices literature
- Gain awareness of individual strengths and areas for continuous improvement as a professional educator and leader of staff learning
Curriculum
Required coursework (10 credits)
Students must complete 10 credits of coursework:
- OLPD 5364 [Formerly EDPA 5364]—Context and Practice of Educational Leadership (3 cr)
- OLPD 5374 [Formerly EDPA 5374]—Leadership for Staff Development (4 cr)
- OLPD 5501 [Formerly EDPA 5501]—Principles and Methods of Evaluation (3 cr)
Additional elective coursework (2-5 credits)
With certificate program faculty approval, students choose and complete 2-5 credits of coursework focusing on a topic that interests them. Students can complete this requirement in one of two ways:
Independently designed study or project: OLPD 5095
OLPD 5095 [Formerly EDPA 5095]—Problems: Educational Policy and Administration (1-3 cr). Students submit a proposal for an independently designed study or project to the certificate coordinator for approval by submitting the Proposal for Independent Study or Project as Elective Option [PDF].
Examples of independently designed studies or projects include:
- Comprehensive site-level design for staff development, including learning, implementation, and evaluation components
- Evaluation of a current staff development or curricular initiative
- Internship focused on staff development research, policy, or practice with personnel in school districts, state departments, or higher education
- Individualized study or research review of a staff development-related topic
- Attendance at a national conference with documentation, reflection on learning, and specified follow-up application
Focused elective coursework
In consultation with the certificate coordinator, students can choose elective coursework that aligns with individual interests and best practices in the staff development field. Students may choose from the wide range of offerings at the University of Minnesota, including coursework with the following course designators:
- Curriculum and Instruction (CI)
- Educational Psychology (EPSY)
- Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development (OLPD)
- Public Affairs (PA)
- Sociology (SOC)
The certificate coordinator must approve elective coursework. Courses taken before formal admission into the program may be accepted as program credits at a later date. Relevant graduate coursework from other graduate institutions may be approved to fulfill the elective requirement after review of relevant course syllabi. However, all coursework must have been taken within seven years from the date of program completion.
Admission
Admission is open to degree-seeking or non-degree seeking students who meet the following criteria:
- Have completed a four-year college degree with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.80
- Have at least three years of experience working as an education or related professional in preK-12 education
Please note: This program is not offered full-time and therefore is not intended for international students needing a visa to study in the United States.
How to Apply
Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be submitted at any time.
Application Materials
All applicants must submit the following items:
- Unofficial transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended or are currently attending, including
the University of Minnesota. Transcripts can be uploaded directly into the ApplyYourself 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). - Current resume
- Program specific questions: Please address the following five questions on a separate sheet of paper. Please answer each question listed and limit your response to 2 typed or word-processed pages, size-12 font. Upload your responses to the ApplyYourself online application in the "Program Specific Questions" upload area.
- What are you major areas of interest related to professional development?
- What have been your past experiences in the area of professional development?
- What is your current involvement in the area of professional development?
- What is your anticipated or desired career interest related to professional development?
- Why are you interested in the certificate in professional development program?
Application Instructions
- Log in to the online 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 stats.
- 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 “Professional Development” 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. Upload your resume and answers to program specific questions (see questions above) on the "Supplemental Material" page.
- 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 online 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).
Minimum TOEFL score requirements are:
Internet-based test: 79-80
Computer-based test: 213
Paper-based test: 550
Program 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 form:
Student Services clears certificates on a monthly basis. This form must be submitted to Student Services on or before the first day of the month that the student intends to graduate. Students who submit forms to Student Services 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.
Certificate Coordinator
Dr. Jennifer York-Barr
Certificate coordinator
Phone: 612-625-6387
Email: yorkx001@umn.edu
Revised April 2012