Certificate in Child and Family Studies
Department of Psychology

Overview

The Certificate in Child and Family Studies provides Roosevelt University undergraduates with an opportunity to learn about child development from an interdisciplinary perspective, and addresses issues of parenting, schooling, and the place of children and families in society and culture.

Students pursuing the Certificate will select from a range of courses offered by the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. The Certificate culminates with a three-credit field placement course (PSYC 398) involving substantive, direct interactions with children and families. In these settings (e.g., elementary school classrooms, child care facilities, after-school or YMCA programs, pediatric in-patient units in hospitals), students will gather first-hand experiences to complement their coursework.

Requirements

Four courses (12 credit hours) are required to earn a Certificate in Child and Family Studies.

Students pursuing this certificate must choose three electives from the following list of courses. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this Certificate program, students must choose at least one elective in an area/department outside of their major.

The fourth course for the Certificate is the capstone class (PSYC 398: Field Placement with Children and Families) in which students complete a service-learning placement in an organized setting that caters to children and families, e.g., school classrooms, child care facilities, after-school YMCA programs, pediatric health care settings.

All four courses must be passed with a grade of "C" or higher. Two courses (including the capstone field placement) must be at the 300 level. In addition, only three credits of coursework from another university may be applied towards the Certificate. Additional courses may be approved by the Certificate Coordinator (Steven Meyers, Department of Psychology) as they are offered.

The Certificate in Child and Family Studies can be earned by undergraduates who are enrolled in any of the degree programs at Roosevelt University. Students who plan to apply for federal financial aid and who plan to earn the certificate alone (not as part of a degree program) must have already earned an associate's degree or a higher degree.

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College of Arts and Sciences | Department of Psychology