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An online graduate certificate in youth development specialist from MU can help you more effectively work with youth in any variety of settings. This certificate can be a great complement to those in other educational or human services professions (e.g., K-12 teachers, social workers, nurses, etc.) who want to specialize their work with youth populations. If you want to enhance your credentials, obtain continuing education credits or boost your qualifications for a career as a youth professional, this may be the certificate for you.
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Quick facts
Official name
Graduate certificate in youth development specialistCampus
Program type
Graduate certificateAcademic home
College of Education & Human Development | Department of Human Development and Family ScienceDelivery mode
100% onlineAccreditation
Higher Learning CommissionCredit hours
12Estimated cost
$7,200.00*This cost is for illustrative purposes only. Your hours and costs will differ, depending on your transfer hours, your course choices and your academic progress. See more about tuition and financial aid.
Career prospects
This degree may help you qualify for positions in
- 4-H
- Local and national afterschool programs (e.g., Boys and Girls Clubs)
- Foster care programs and transition services
- Juvenile justice programs
- Faith-based youth groups
- Non-profit organizations
This program is also a good fit for professionals working or earning a graduate degree in K-12 education, nursing and child life specialist or social work, and seeking advanced training or complementary specialization.
Program structure
Delivery of this program is 100 percent online: no campus visits are required.
Courses are semester-based and offered by multiple universities taking part in the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance. Depending on which university is teaching your course that semester, your courses may have different start and finish dates.
Students typically take one or classes each semester and finish in one year.
Course work includes
- Developmental needs and milestones of youth
- Community youth development settings and programs
- Understanding youth-family contexts and how to engage families in youth programs
- The importance of youth-adult relationships and fostering youth voice
- Policies that influence youth development and opportunities
Delivery
100% onlineCalendar system
Semester-basedTypical program length
1 yearTypical course load
1 or 2 classes each semesterAccreditation
The University of Missouri is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional institutional accreditors in the United States.
Great Plains IDEA
Great Plains IDEA is a consortium of 19 universities offering fully online graduate programs and courses in agriculture disciplines. Students apply to and are admitted by one university, enroll in all of their courses through that university and graduate from that university. However, the online courses are taught by faculty in the discipline from several universities.
Learn more about Great Plains IDEA.