Graduate Certificate Program

This 15-unit graduate certificate program offers advanced study and field-based research opportunities for educators interested in leadership roles in adult education. The certificate is particularly appropriate for developers of education and training programs for adults and non-college bound youth.

The goals of this program are to:

1. Prepare educators for careers in workforce training and lifelong learning;
2. Prepare current professionals to move into leadership roles in their specialty area;
3. Teach state-of-the-art skills and competencies in instructional design and delivery; and;
4. Enhance lifelong learning opportunities for students enrolled in the program through advanced study and mentoring by outstanding faculty.

Improving the knowledge and skills of families and workers is one of the most important challenges facing American education. Economists note that even if school reform could be rapidly accomplished, it would have minimal influence on productivity, literacy, or quality of life in the work place during the next 20 years because out-of-school- youth and adults are not subject to school reform, and they will constitute the vast majority of the American workforce until well into the next century.

Successful applicants must have completed a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and demonstrate a record of excellence in working with youth or adults in schools, agencies, or employer-sponsored education and training programs. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained in certificate coursework.
Students will find the program coursework detailed, current, challenging, and transferable to the following employment areas:

• ROP instructors and managers, at both district and regional levels
• Public education (K-12) school personnel who supervise a variety of youth and adult programs, such as GED, School-to-Career, and community-based English tutoring
• Vocational education department chairs and division administrators at community colleges, or at the district level
• Community college instructors
• Human resources training specialists in any field, including law
  enforcement, fire and emergency services, industrial health and safety, medical and allied fields, business education, military, vocational rehabilitation, trades, food services, nonprofit sector, and corporate sector

Program Features

• Practitioner-oriented
• Flexible course times that will accommodate most employment schedules
• Off-campus and on-campus course offerings
• Distance learning options
• Coursework may be applied later to M.A. Degree in Educational Leadership
• Offered by the Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and Postsecondary Education

Course of Study

Required Courses

ARP 565
Psychological Foundations of Adult and Vocational Education
Learning processes of adult and vocational students in relation theories of learning and methods of teaching

ARP 610
Educational Leadership
Concepts and techniques of leadership, analysis of the factors and practice in the procedures of individual and group leadership as applied to educational environments

ARP 730
Seminar in Adult Learning
Patterns and implications of adult lifelong learning

Ed Tech 540
Educational Technology
Rationale, foundation, theories, careers, trends, and issues in educational technology. Implications of educational technology for instruction and information in schools, government, and corporations.

Elective Courses

ARP 568
Adult and Vocational Education in Contemporary Society

ARP 631
Instructional Methods and Materials in Postsecondary Education

ARP 611
Curriculum Theory and Development

ARP 605
Postsecondary Education

Ed Tech 541
Multimedia Development

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Record of excellence working with youth and adults in schools, agencies, or employment contexts
• Demonstrated leadership potential
• Completed program application with resumé
• Letter of endorsement from supervisor or colleague
• Completed SDSU Application for Graduate Study (note: students are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination for admission to the certificate program)

Advisor

Dr. Stephen Barnes will assist and advise you on general questions about the certificate program, and required and elective coursework. He is also available for questions regarding your career goals and options.

Dr. Stephen F. Barnes
Adjunct Professor of Education
Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and
Postsecondary Education (ARPE)
San Diego State University
3590 Camino Del Rio North
San Diego, California 92108
619-594-8806
Email: sbarnes@mail.sdsu.edu

Certificate Program Application

For information about the program application process or to secure an application, please contact:

Linda Libsack-Schmalzel, M.S.
Administrative Assistant
Department of Administration, Rehabilitation, and
Postsecondary Education (ARPE)
San Diego State University
3590 Camino Del Rio North
San Diego, California 92108
619-594-6115
Email: libsack@mail.sdsu.edu