Community College Graduate Certificate

The community college graduate certificate is designed to prepare graduate students to work in community college settings as teaching faculty or counselors. Courses offered in this program provide students with an overview of the community college and its role in the American higher education system. Students will gain insights and experiences in the classroom and in fieldwork that will strengthen their knowledge and skills in working with community college students, faculty, and staff. The certificate program consists of 18 units; 9 units are from the master’s degree program and must be approved by the student’s master’s degree program graduate advisor; and 9 units are specific to the study of college students, the community college, and fieldwork; 15 units must be completed at CSULB. All students will be required to:

Application Information

Submit a Graduate Certificate in Community College application to the CED Office of Graduate Studies.
Be enrolled in the Counseling, Student Development in Higher Education Master’s Program (SDHE).

Program Requirements

Admitted students are required to:

Complete 9 units of coursework as outlined below:

SDHE 511 - Equity and Access for the U.S. College Student (3 units)
SDHE 610 - Introduction to the Community College (3 units)
At least one semester of fieldwork must be completed at a community college:
SDHE 643 - Fieldwork: Student Development in Higher Education (3 units)
or
SDHE 644 - Advanced Fieldwork: Student Development in Higher Education (3 units)

Complete an additional 9 units total

Complete an additional 9 units of coursework approved by the SDHE master’s degree program graduate advisor for consideration to fulfill the 18 units required for the certificate. These courses may include student development theory, teaching and learning, counseling diverse student populations, and/or counseling the adult, or any other courses deemed appropriate by the SDHE program graduate advisor.