Community Engagement Professional Certificate Program

Job Specific Certificate Opportunities

The Professional Certificate Program for Community Engagement consists of a series of courses that together provide the conceptual framework, specialized tools, interpersonal skills and technical skills necessary to accomplish community-building goals. This content area will enable participants to:

• Serve as an agent for change in their community;
• Implement strategic and entrepreneurial approaches to community challenges;
• Recognize the impact of increasing social and economic diversity;
• Understand the role that race and class play in community development;
• Recognize institutional barriers that can prevent fair asset distribution;
• Develop useful coalitions with organizations and residents at the grassroots level;
• Measure the impact of community work;
• Plan and implement an organizing campaign; and
• Work with, energize and lead volunteer efforts.

The program courses build the capacity of community stakeholders to manage and shape the challenges of neighborhood life. It is designed to provide community development practitioners, residents, board members and others with the training they need for personal and professional growth. The courses emphasize a hands-on approach, combining lecture with case studies, site visits, small-group exercises and other participatory learning methods.

Earning a Professional Certificate

Participants earning their professional certificate in Community Engagement will take a combination of required and elective courses that underscore the importance of interpersonal as well as technical capacity-building skills. The content area will enable candidates to:

• Design and implement community-building strategies;
• Mobilize resources for change;
• Build effective partnerships;
• Negotiate conflicts in communities and organizations;
• Implement economic development activities pertaining to revitalization;
• Evaluate the impact of program and project activities; and
• Design and implement a community organizing campaign.

With prior approval by training division staff, candidates may receive credit for relevant courses taken no more than two years prior to enrollment in the Professional Certificate Program.

Candidates must take the online tests for the applicable required courses. Learn more about online testing for Professional Certificate Program courses.

It is recommended that courses be taken in the prescribed order, however this is not required. Once the above courses have been successfully completed, the final step toward completion of the certificate requirements is a comprehensive final examination.

Proficiency

Participants earning their professional certificate will take a combination of required and elective courses that underscore the importance of interpersonal as well as technical capacity-building skills. The curriculum will enable candidates to:

• Design and implement community-building strategies;
• Mobilize resources for change;
• Build effective partnerships;
• Negotiate conflicts in communities and organizations;
• Implement economic development activities pertaining to revitalization;
• Evaluate the impact of program and project activities; and
• Design and implement a community organizing campaign.