Program Overview

College and University Faculty Preparation Graduate Certificate

Overview

The College and University Faculty Preparation Graduate Certificate is designed to prepare future higher education faculty to meet the challenges of today's higher education landscape. This graduate certificate aims to develop the knowledge and experience of current and aspiring faculty in teaching, learning, and technology in college and university classrooms.

Program Description

The program exposes students to culturally-relevant educational frameworks, pedagogical knowledge, higher education policy, and advancements in educational technology. It helps students excel as educators in postsecondary settings and enhances their marketability in the academic job market. The 15-credit graduate certificate prepares students to become familiar with contemporary issues, challenges, and opportunities in higher education.

Program Highlights

• Five 3-credit courses, completed in as little as two semesters
• Semester-long teaching field experience or research project
• Reflective use of evidence-based teaching best practices
• Development of an online teaching portfolio for future job applications
• Choice from a rich selection of courses to better understand and be more effective in higher education contexts
• Introduction of innovations that enhance students' classroom learning
• Enhancement of marketability for faculty positions by pursuing an additional specialization
• Learning from an accessible, supportive faculty and accomplished higher education practitioners
• Shortening the path to a doctoral degree by earning credits that may be transferable

Career Opportunities

• Higher education consultant
• Higher education researcher
• Postsecondary development specialist
• University administrator
• University professor
• University lecturer
• Adjunct instructor

Related Degrees

• Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies (Ph.D.)
• Any graduate-level degree program

Program of Study

Core Courses (6 CR)

• Faculty Roles and Responsibilities
• Effective Technologies in Teaching and Learning

Elective Courses (6 CR)

• Learning-centered Community College
• How to Mentor Graduate Students
• Culturally-Sensitive Pedagogies and Assessment
• Introduction to Assessment and Measurement in Teaching
• Research in Curriculum and Teaching
• Diversity in the College Classroom

Teaching Field Experience or Research Project (3 CR)

Teaching Field Experience

• Teaching Assistant: Assist a professor with instructional responsibilities at Howard University.
• Teaching Internship: Assist a professor with instructional responsibilities with institutions that hold an MOU with Howard University.
• Summer Internship: Assist a professor with instructional responsibilities with institutions that hold an MOU with Howard University during the summer.

Educational Research Project

• Teaching as Research: Involves the deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance the learning experiences and outcomes of students and teachers.

Tuition & Fees

Full-time students not enrolled in a Howard University graduate degree program but enrolled in the Graduate Certificate program pay the per-credit-hour rate for the academic year. There are no scholarships awarded for the tuition of a non-degree Graduate Certificate. Additionally, Title IV federal financial aid is not available for Graduate Certificate programs unless otherwise noted in writing. If a certificate program is not eligible for Federal Direct Loan funding, students may be able to borrow a private alternative loan with the lender of their choice to help alleviate costs associated with the certificate program.