Youth Development

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

Two graduate certificates are available: Youth Development Specialist and Youth Program Management and Evaluation. Each certificate requires 12 hours and a one-hour foundations course for a total of 13 credit hours. The foundations course is required for both certificate programs.

Students in this program will:

• Understand, integrate, and be able to apply conceptual approaches to youth development
• Understand normative pathways to development
• Understand youth and family cultural issues/contexts and their micro- and macro-influences on positive youth outcomes
• Understand and apply basic research and evaluation skills to youth development programming through an applied project that serves as a capstone experience under the direction of the candidate's home institution
• Develop skills in problem-solving with "stakeholders" including funding sources, boards, other agencies, families and other professionals
• Demonstrate understanding of the development and impact of local, regional, state, federal, and global policies on youth and be able to advocate through policy development for optimal youth outcomes
• Be able to develop and apply resources (e.g., agency budgeting, grant writing and processing, fundraising) for successful implementation and management of youth-serving organizations
• Understand the history of the youth development area and advocate for the continued professionalization of the field
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Prepare for a career working with youth, including:

• 4-H
• Boys and Girls Club
• Non-profit youth organizations
• Faith-based groups
• Community recreation leaders
• Juvenile corrections professionals
• Elementary, middle, and high school educators
• Extension educators
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Graduate Faculty: Online youth development courses are taught by the best faculty in the discipline from several universities including: Kansas State University, Michigan State University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
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Certificate Courses:
Courses for the Youth Development Specialist Certificate:
CYAF 861 Foundations of Youth Development Seminar (1 credit)

Four of the courses listed for 12 credits:
CYAF 864 Community Youth Development (3 credits)
CYAF 868 Adolescents and Their Families (3 credits)
CYAF 872 Youth Development (3 credits)
CYAF 875 Youth in Cultural Contexts (3 credits)
CYAF 878 Youth Policy (3 credits)
CYAF 894 Contemporary Youth Issues (3 credits)

Courses for the Youth Program Management and Evaluation Certificate:
CYAF 861 Foundations of Youth Development Seminar (1 credit)

Four of the courses listed for 12 credits:
CYAF 863 Youth Professionals as Consumers of Research (3 credits)
CYAF 869 Administration and Program Management (3 credits)
CYAF 873 Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation (3 credits)
CYAF 878 Youth Policy (3 credits)
CYAF 894 Contemporary Youth Issues (3 credits)
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