Have you spent the majority of your professional career working with K–12 students and now find yourself in a new position of providing professional development to other educators? Or do you aspire to share your knowledge and expertise with other adult learners — your colleagues, your employees, or your community? Then our professional development facilitation certificate program is for you!
There are significant and fascinating differences between the ways children and adults learn; while children master concepts through guided reinforcement and repetition, adults tend to filter new concepts through a wealth of their own lived experiences. For professional development providers, this requires an entirely different approach to delivering course content.
The three-course Professional Development Facilitation and Leadership Certificate program focuses on the fundamentals and application of adult learning theory, with a primary focus on andragogy (adult learning). By following the courses sequentially, you will come to understand the adult audience and be able to create successful adult-targeted learning experiences in any subject.
To earn your online certificate in Professional Development Facilitation and Leadership, complete all three courses (9 units total) in the following order:
The certificate can be completed in as few as two semesters. Learn more about the University of San Diego’s Professional and Continuing Education Certificate Benefits and Policies.
Online 3-unit professional growth course for educators to learn how to design and facilitate courses, workshops, presentations for peers, other teachers, colleagues which focuses on adult learning theory and implementation.
Once you have enrolled in your course, log in to your account to access the course Welcome Letter, which includes directions on how to access the Online Orientation and your online course.
Online self-paced three-unit professional growth course for educators that focuses on learning how to provide professional development learning experiences to adult learners providing theory and application skills.
Online three-unit course that focuses on learning how to provide professional development learning experiences to adult learners, including in an online platform, that focuses on implementation skills.
Online Self-Paced: Our online self-paced courses are similar to online fixed-date courses, but are designed to give you a six-month period from time of enrollment to complete all assignments. Like fixed-date courses, online self-paced courses are asynchronous, meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime; the difference being there are no assigned due dates in self-paced courses. Your instructor will provide feedback via written responses on your assignments and exams. Grades are based on completed projects, assignments and exams.
How is the self-paced course structured? Like fixed-date courses, online self-paced courses are asynchronous meaning that you can work on your assignments anytime; the difference being there are no assigned due dates in self-paced courses. The content is divided into three or seven learning modules. Each module will cover one or more topics. Within each of the learning modules, you can expect the following components:
Enroll in one or more courses to earn graduate-level extension credits. We recommend that you take them sequentially as they build upon each other.
The first course EDU-X797R covers:
The second course EDU-X716S explores:
The final course EDU-X717S will focus on bringing everything together with application. Topics in the final course will include:
You can expect the following from Online Self-Paced courses:
By studying the fundamentals of adult learning theory and instructional leadership, program participants can expect to:
This adult learning certificate program provides continuing education for those interested in working with adult learners in a training or teaching capacity. Our adult education certificate is ideal for school administrators, teacher leaders, human resource developers, and college instructors and professors.
From classroom management and bullying prevention to teacher leadership, USD certificates provide career-enhancing skills and knowledge.
Bolster your resume as an educator by adding a University of San Diego certificate to your professional development accomplishments.
Boost your career by earning Graduate-Level-Extension-Credit and position yourself for salary advancement at your school.
Excellent experience, I wish I had known about these programs much earlier!
Professional development courses offered by the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional & Continuing Education are taught by faculty that possess a depth and breadth of academic and real-world professional experience.
Employment opportunities in the education field — including adult education — are expected to grow by almost 1 million new jobs by 2030 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). With so many new and emerging opportunities, adult learning institutions and programs are going to have to compete heavily to attract and retain the most talented educators.
This makes furthering your education and diversifying your teaching skill set all the more important. By growing your expertise in a wide variety of educational concepts, you will broaden your career prospects and become a valuable asset in any learning environment.
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District Level Professional Development ProviderInstructional CoachAcademic DirectorConference SpeakerWorkplace TrainerContinuing Education Instructor Anyone interested in leading other adults through trainings, workshops, or presentations.
Requirements for completing a certificate can be found on the certificate page.
Professional and Continuing Education courses that are transferrable to a USD master degree will be stated on the course or certificate page. If you wish to transfer credit, it is your responsibility to confer with the receiving institution before enrolling, as each individual academic institution decides whether or not to accept USD Professional and Continuing Education credit.
You have five years to complete the certificate.
Click here for complete details regarding our refund, drop and transfer policies
Prospective students can request to be placed on a waitlist. Should a space open up in a course, those on the waitlist will be notified. We encourage you to register early for courses.
The Professional and Continuing Education program nurtures key partnerships on the local, national, and international level. The goal is to better serve working professionals who seek to enhance or build their careers and help achieve their highest value and potential. Contact us today to learn more.
High-quality, career-building courses to choose from
In-depth, innovative, and relevant topics
Career advancing certificates
The education industry is always changing and evolving, perhaps now more than ever. Learn how you can be prepared by downloading our eBook.
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