The Youth Development Specialist Graduate Certificate is designed to assist youth professionals to train individuals in the second decade of life with the skills necessary for a successful transition into adulthood. The program addresses the need for advanced education in youth issues and does so through a strengths-based curriculum.
The online format and course schedule of the certificate program allows flexibility to accommodate both full-time students and working professionals. The College of Social Science, in collaboration with Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA), offers this program with all course work delivered via the World Wide Web at www.gpidea.org.
Requirements for the Youth Development Specialist Graduate Certificate
The program is available totally online. The student must complete 12 credits of course work in collaboration with Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA).
The program is available totally online. The student must complete 12 credits of course work in collaboration with Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA).
Two of the following Core Courses (6 credits)
Foundations of Youth Development 3
Youth Development 3
- Complete 6 credits of electives from the following courses:
Adolescents and Their Families 3
Adolescent Health and Sexuality 3
Consumers of Research 3
Positive Youth Development in Community Settings 3
Youth, Sports, and Society 3
Youth, Families, and Technology 3
Youth-Adult Partnerships 3
Youth and Complex Social Systems 3
Youth Culture 3
Youth Policy and Positive Youth Development 3
For the most up-to-date information, visit the registrar's website.
Michigan State University is a member of the Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA). This multi-state alliance of accredited universities offers fully online undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the human sciences. Universities share knowledge through a body of faculty with expertise in the fields. This allows each campus to contribute unique course offerings to the degree programs and students have access to experts in the field regardless of location. For instance, MSU faculty in the area of early care and education have been awarded grants to study and create innovative online learning strategies to work with children.
The Innovative Digital Education Alliance (IDEA) (https://www.idea.edu/) is different than other online universities in that:
- The curriculum is developed by inter-institutional faculty teams at Research 1 institutions. The degrees are not just a collection of classes.
- All courses and programs receive full institutional review prior to implementation and meet the rigorous institutional academic standards of all member schools.
- Courses are taught by professors with expertise and research interests in content areas.
- Students seeking admission must meet institutional admissions standards.
In addition to Michigan State University, other participating institutions in these programs include:
- Colorado State University
- Iowa State University
- Kansas State University
- Montana State University
- North Dakota State University
- Oklahoma State University
- South Dakota State University
- Texas Tech University
- University of Missouri-Columbia
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
For more information please contact:
Meagan Rau, MSU Innovative Digital Education Alliance Campus Coordinator
Address: 552 W. Circle Drive, 14 Human Ecology Building
Phone: 517-432-2266
Email: gpidea@msu.edu