Certificate in Community Engagement

The certificate in Community Engagement provides a theoretical understanding of community engagement and an opportunity to explore the practical application of current best practices of community engagement. The certificate has been designed to develop skills, knowledge, and understanding of actively engaging communities in order to secure resources, provide human and social services, and/or evoke change. The certificate in Community Engagement is open to all students within all Colleges, regardless of major, as well as those from the community wishing to begin their academic journey.

Today’s professionals working in the nonprofit sector, acting as change agents or who are leaders of their communities, are faced with greater competition for resources within an increasingly interconnected community. This requires developing the ability to systematically design and implement processes to actively engage their communities in order to meet the needs of their stakeholders and achieve organizational objectives. This certificate emphasizes the practical applications and theoretical underpinnings of community engagement. These skills are helpful to those working in a variety of settings, including nonprofits, human services agencies, educational institutions, and/or government programs.

Students completing this certificate will meet the following goals in the 4 core courses:

Goal A: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the practical application of community engagement.

Goal B: Students will understand the theory related to community engagement.

Goal C: Students will learn to develop an effective community engagement plan.                           

Goal D: Students will analyze ethical considerations of community engagement.

Goal E: Students will demonstrate professional oral communication skills. 

Goal F: Students will demonstrate competency in writing and formatting papers in a professional style.

Community Engagement consists of 18 undergraduate credits. Twelve (12) credits make up the core of the certificate program, and students may choose six (6) credits from a menu of approved electives.

Note: Students are held to all prerequisite requirements; some students may require more than 6 courses to complete this certificate.

Curriculum

Core Requirements (12 credits)

SOC 303 Contemporary Social Problems

SOC 312 Community Health & Social Issues

SOC 314 Community Organizing & Advocacy

SOC 304 Ethnic Groups and Minorities

Electives (6 credits)

SOC 301 Urban Sociology

SOC 302 Marriage and the Family

SOC 303 Contemporary Social Problems

SOC 304 Ethnic Groups and Minorities

SOC 309 Poverty and Welfare

SOC 318 Social Change

SOC 320 Society and Technology

SOC 323 Law & Practice in Human Services

SOC 350 Sociology of Disaster

SOC 351 Disaster and the Media

SOC 352 Crisis Communications

SOC 353 Environmental Sociology

SOC 404 Human Trafficking

SOC 405 Social Deviance

SOC 425 Child Abuse: Recognition and Investigation

SOC 459 Sociological Perspectives of Delinquency

SOC 464 Working in the Helping Professions

SOC 468 Case Management

PSY 301 Social Psychology

PSY 309 Interpersonal Communication Skills

PSY 310 Community Psychology

PSY 315 Group Dynamics

PSY 364 Disability Issues

PSY 412 Crisis Intervention

PSY 453 Families and Crisis

PSY 483 Addictive Behavior

ORG 302 Psychology of Leadership

ORG 477 Introduction to Conflict Management

ORG 478 Mediation Skills

CRJ 206 Corrections and Rehabilitation

CRJ 301 Juvenile Justice

CRJ 305 Women and Crime

CRJ 309 Correctional Rehabilitation: Problems/Alternatives

CRJ 322 Criminal Profiling

CRJ 341 Community Corrections

CRJ 461 Organized Crime

CRJ 469 Domestic Violence

CRJ 472 Terrorism

CRJ 473 Hostage Takers

CRJ 474 Victims of Crime

CRJ 475 Community Policing

CRJ 476 Topics in CRJ: Elder Abuse

ETN 335 Italian American Heritage and Culture: A Local Perspective

ETN 336 Irish American Heritage and Culture: A Local Perspective

ETN 337 African American Heritage and Culture: A Local Perspective

ETN 338 The Black Woman

ETN 340 Hispanic Culture and Enrichment

ETN 341 Native Americans

POL 326 Public Policy and Social Issues

POL 340 Criminal Justice Policy

POL 360 Education Policy

POL 370 Energy and Environmental Policy

POL 380 Health Care Policy

NFP 301 Intro to Nonprofit Agencies

NFP 302 Management of the Nonprofit Organization

NFP 303 Foundations of Fiscal Management for Nonprofit

NFP 304 Advocacy and Public Policy

LES 323 Law & Practice in Human Services

This information applies to students who enter this degree program during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. If you entered this degree program before the Fall 2023 semester, please refer to the academic catalog for the year you began your degree program.