Youth Development Specialist
The Youth Development Specialist Graduate Certificate provides flexibility so you can build a certificate program to benefit your career goals with maximum impact.
Summary
Helping youth navigate childhood and transition to adulthood is challenging and rewarding. Our online youth development specialist graduate certificate can help you enhance your work with youth in a variety of settings. This certificate helps any educators, service providers or practitioners of youth better support them emotionally, socially, and cognitively as they make the jump into adulthood. If you want to enhance your credentials or boost your qualifications for a career as a youth professional, this may be the certificate for you.
This youth development program uses a strengths-based curriculum to provide you with research and professional skills that support youth to make them socially, emotionally, and cognitively competent adults.
There is an increasing demand for employees of youth-serving organizations to obtain graduate degrees, certificates, and/or licensure. The Youth Development program offered as part of the Great Plains IDEA is a recognized leader in professional development and advanced degrees in youth development.
The graduate certificate in youth development will benefit:
- Elementary, middle, and high school educators
- Extension educators
- Military youth specialists
- Any service providers or practitioners working directly with youth
Diverse career opportunities
Non-profits
Boys and Girls Clubs of America
Community recreation
Juvenile justice facilities
Military youth programs
Middle and high school programs
University partnerships
Iowa State University is a member of Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GP-IDEA), a consortium of universities that have come together to offer fully online degree programs. This collaboration provides Iowa State University students the opportunity to take courses taught by Youth Development faculty and professionals across institutions.
Admission Requirements
Graduate College Requirements:
- 4 year Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent)
Academic Records/Transcripts
Minimum 3.0 GPA (Program may alter requirement.)
Proof of English Proficiency
For specific program requirements and application process, visit the Graduate College program webpage.
Credits
Total: 12
The Course Planner provides a list of courses and shows when they are traditionally offered.
Non-degree credits
You may take up to nine graduate credit hours as a non-degree-seeking student before being formally admitted to the program. If you are interested in taking courses as a non-degree student, please start by applying as a non-degree student through the Admissions Office (link to non-degree application) and contact gpideainfo@iastate.edu to schedule your courses once your application has been approved.
