College Athlete Development Online Graduate
Certificate
This 12-credit hour, online graduate certificate offered by the Department of Special Education, Counseling, and Student Affairs emphasizes how professionals can strengthen knowledge and skills to provide educational and holistic development opportunities for college athletes. This program will assist anyone who would like to expand their skills in the areas of athletic advising, college athlete holistic development, and the ever-changing landscape of college athletics covering topics such as name-image-likeness, athlete mental health and wellbeing, and conference realignment.
Students seeking this certificate must submit a Graduate School application indicating the field of study will be the College Athlete Development graduate certificate program. In addition to the Graduate School application, applicants need to submit the following:
- An official transcript for the bachelor’s degree and for any subsequent undergraduate and graduate coursework.
- A statement of goals and professional experience
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Students will develop an understanding of holistic development approaches, programming, and assessment for college athletes
- Students will explore the uniqueness of the college athlete population, NCAA academic rules, and how to support athletes through cross-campus collaboration
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the complex nature of intercollegiate athletics and how college athletes are impacted
Admissions Requirements:
- Professional resume or curriculum vitae
- 1-2 page statement of goals and professional experience that includes the following information:
- career and professional goals and aspirations, and how being accepted to the program will benefit the goals and aspirations
- the reason for interest in seeking the graduate certificate
- evidence of motivation, leadership, and strong work ethic
- professional experiences that support application
- Minimum 3.0 GPA over the last two years of undergraduate study.
Curriculum:
- EDCEP 854 – College Student Athletes
The purpose of this course is to examine the unique student population known as college student-athletes. The course will explore topics including student-athlete identity, stereotypes, diversity (e.g., gender, race, sexual orientation), pressures and challenges on student-athletes, NCAA rules especially pertaining to academics, athletic advising, collaboration with campus, career development, and life skills/student-athlete development. The topics are informed by foundational and recent literature that review these areas framed by important student development theories.
- EDCEP 864 – Current Issues in Intercollegiate Athletics
The purpose of this course is to explore the complex dynamics of intercollegiate athletics. The course will review the history of intercollegiate athletics, athletic reform, and the changing landscape from the amateur ideal to the present-day business of big-time college sport. Various components of athletic departments will be analyzed to see how they interplay to operate. The course looks at continuously changing current issues affecting student-athletes and higher education institutions.
- EDCEP 863 – Trends in Career Development
This course addresses the role of work in people’s lives across the lifespan, with an emphasis on the application of career development theories, research, practice, and resources to higher education. Topics are presented to help professionals in higher education facilitate students’ academic and career development, planning, and decision-making within the context of the changing world of work.
- EDCEP 837 – Individualized Learning Experience in Higher Education
The purpose of this course is for students to gain a valuable experience in the summer to enhance the application of classroom learning to practical experience. Students can choose from two options to meet course requirements: complete an internship within a collegiate athletics division, or develop a special project with an administrator in collegiate athletics.