Best Urban Education and Leadership graduate certificate programs - Updated 2019

Urban areas throughout the United States combine a rich diversity of race, ethnicity, language, culture, and class with high concentrations of poverty. The 18-credit Graduate Certificate in Urban Education will assist early-career certified teachers and other education professionals in understanding, valuing, and contributing to the rich tapestry of schools and communities in urban and urbanizing settings in order to enhance learning outcomes for all students. The certificate prepares educational professionals to work in urban environments through a focus on building a deep understanding of urban residents; creating strong partnerships between schools, families, and communities; and developing the leadership skills necessary for leading change initiatives related to urban education.

The Theory and Practice in Teacher Education offers a graduate certificate in urban education for aspiring and experienced educators. The certificate gives educators an opportunity to serve diverse urban communities by strengthening their knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to educational equity. Urban and urbanizing communities are often characterized by racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity. However, school curricula, instructional strategies, and the racially homogenous teaching force rarely address the needs of urban communities and represent a growing cultural gap between communities and schools. Educators who complete the Urban Education Graduate Certificate will be prepared to leverage the assets of students and families from diverse backgrounds to engage in meaningful change in the classroom, community, and beyond. The certificate prepares educational professionals to work in urban environments through a focus on developing a deep understanding of various marginalized groups, collaborating with community members and organizations to form strong partnerships, and building strategies for teaching and leadership that promote academic achievement and positive social change in urban schools. Required courses include Introduction to Urban Education, TPTE 595 Diversity Pedagogy, TPTE 540 Social Justice and Social Action, TPTE 540 and a 3-credit hour elective course.

The Urban Education Graduate Certificate program engages students in collaborative, education-focused work with diverse groups of people in urban settings. Develop a deep understanding of urban schools and communities, with a particular emphasis on the economic, historical, political and social factors that shape urban education. Learn to create connections between theory and practice and move beyond stories of urban school failure to analysis of successful approaches and policies. To earn the Urban Education Graduate Certificate, you must complete four graduate-level courses (12 credits) in the College of Education. Non-matriculated students may transfer up to nine credits of coursework before enrolling in the certificate program. All courses are delivered in the classroom on Temple’s Main Campus in Philadelphia. You can enroll part or full-time and have up to two years to complete the certificate program. In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Graduate Certificate offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for .

The Certificate in Urban Education will enable students to utilize knowledge and skills from Education, Urban Studies, and the Social Sciences to become effective educators in central city schools. Graduates from the Certificate in Urban Education Program will have an understanding of the characteristics and cultural backgrounds of the students who attend urban schools. Students should be better able to foster meaningful connections between the educational goals of the schools and the personal and cultural experiences of young people from the central cities. Urban Education and Leadership program will complement the graduate programs offered in the School of Education by providing additional professional knowledge and experiences that will enable graduates to function more effectively in central city schools.

Flexible Structure: Fully online with some on-campus optionsTime to Complete: 9 months is typicalProgram Begins: Fall, spring, and summer termsCurriculum: 5 courses, 10 credits Course listings See Graduate Professional Development (Continuing Studies) Cost:View current tuition rates See Continuing Studies and Certificates. Your coursework in the Urban Teaching certificate program may be applied to Hamline School of Education’s Master of Arts in Education. Take a continuing studies course or certificate. Courses start throughout the year on campus or online.

The Urban Education Graduate Certificate from Bridgewater State University provides students with skills and knowledge to act as agents of change in large urban school districts, as well as in smaller urban centers that share many social and economic characteristics of large urban districts and benefit from the similar approaches. The coursework will provide background about the systemic social, cultural, racial, economic and political factors that influence urban areas as well as practical methods for working with diverse students enrolled in districts in those areas. This graduate certificate program is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare teachers to work in urban education contexts. The courses in Urban Education and Leadership program will explore systemic and local factors affecting teaching and learning in urban schools, as well as engage students in applying practical pedagogical skills for working with diverse populations. As many schools change and become more diverse, all teachers could potentially benefit from coursework that addresses urban contexts.