Professional development
Certificate program
Program
The certificate program 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
The program is offered through the College’s Department of Educational Policy and Administration (EdPA).
Admission
Admission is open to degree-seeking or non-degree seeking students. Admission requirements to this certificate program include the following criteria. Applicants must:
- 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
Applications and transcripts should be submitted to the professional development certificate coordinator. Application forms [.pdf] are available from EdPA offices, 330 Wulling Hall; 612-624-1006; e-mail: nunne001@umn.edu; or on the Web. Because EdPA faculty review applications on an ongoing basis, applications may be submitted at any time of the year.
Curriculum
Required coursework (10 credits)
Students must complete 10 credits of coursework in the following
list:
- EDPA 5364—Context and Practice of Educational Leadership (3 cr)
Offered each fall, and occasionally in the summer - EDPA 5374—Leadership for Staff Development (4 cr)
Offered once each year; meets once each month through fall and spring semesters - EDPA 5501—Principles and Methods of Evaluation (3 cr)
Offered three times each year—fall, spring, and summer
Additional elective coursework (2-5 credits)
With 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, described
in the following text:
- Independently designed study or project (EDPA 5095)
- Focused elective coursework
Independently designed study or project
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] form. The form is available from EdPA offices or on the Web.
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:
- Adult Education (ADED)
- Human Resource Development (HRD)
- Curriculum and Instruction (CI)
- Educational Policy and Administration (EDPA)
- Educational Psychology (EPSY)
- Public Affairs (PA)
- Sociology (SOC)
Note: For course descriptions and schedules, refer to the University of Minnesota Class Schedule at the University’s One Stop student services Web site.
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.
Once all requirements are met, participants submit a program completion form [.pdf], available at the EdPA office or on the Web. Once approved by program faculty, successful completion of the certificate will be noted on the student’s official University of Minnesota transcript and an official certificate will be issued.
Registration
Currently admitted degree-seeking, certificate-seeking, or non-degree 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 complete a First-Time Registration for non-degree seeking Students packet [.pdf]. Packets are available at the College’s office of Student Services, 110 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-625-6501; e-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu.
For questions about registration, contact Student Services at 612-625-5815.
Note: Certificate coursework completed with undergraduate student status cannot be applied to graduate-level degree programs.
Tuition
Certificate tuition varies, 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.
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.
Residents of Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Manitoba may be eligible for special tuition reciprocity rates comparable to Minnesota resident rates.
General financial aid advising and information are available from the University’s Office of Student Finance (OSF), 200 Fraser Hall, 106 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-624-1111.
For graduate assistantship information (for students enrolled in graduate-level degree programs), contact the University’s Graduate Assistant Office, 200 Donhowe (for mail) or 100 Donhowe (for walk in), Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-624-7070; fax: 612-625-9801.
Program coordinator
Jennifer York-Barr
612-625-6387; e-mail:
yorkx001@umn.edu
For more information
If you have questions about degree and certificate programs at
the College of Education and Human Development, contact:
Student Services
110 Wulling Hall
86 Pleasant Street S.E.
Minneapolis, MN 55455
612-625-6501, fax: 612-626-1580
E-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu
Revised April 2006