Degrees & Certifications
Graduate programs in Parenting Education
Bank Street College has an M.S. entitled “Infant and Parent Development and early intervention.” It involves 41 graduate credit hours. There is also an M.S. with the same title with a focus on early childhood, special and general education for 57 credit hours. Bank Street also has a dual degree of the same title with Hunter College School of Social Work that is 86 credit hours, 34 of which are at Bank Street. Please check the website for details. It is encouraging to see the word parent development and mention of helping professionals find collaborative ways to work with parents and teachers on behalf of children. As is often the case however, the words parents and families are used interchangeably in the courses. See http://www.bankstreet.edu/gs/infant_early.html.
There is a jointly administered degree program between North Carolina State University’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and University of North Carolina at Greensboro Department of Human Development and Family Studies. It is a masters in Human Development and Family Studies with a concentraition in Family Life and Parenting Education. It is 36 credit hours and parenting education content courses are listed in the elective courses. See http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/4hfcs/academics/masters/index.html
The School for New Learning at DePaul University is well known for meeting the needs of adult students and offers a Masters of Arts in Applied Professional Studies focusing on Parenting Education and Support. It is a 52 credit hours (based on the 10 week quarter system) for the Masters with a certification (20 credit hours) involving five of the courses within the Masters degree. Courses meet one weekend per month with an online component between classes. For information see: http://www.snl.depaul.edu/prospective/parenting.asp
Wheelock College lists a Masters degree in “Family support and parenting education” offered through their Graduate School. It is a 36 credit program. See http://www.wheelock.edu/academics/g_acadparent.asp
return to topGraduate Licensures
State of Minnesota parent and family education teacher licensure requirements: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/arule/8710/3100.html
St. Cloud State offers several M.S. programs in Child and Family Studies. After completing core courses for the M.S. which include many parent education classes as part of core and elective course offerings graduate students may work for a Parent Education Graduate Teacher License. Students must take ten specific parent related courses from their many choices for the M.S. and add two additional courses from the special topics courses for the Parent Education Licensure. Students obviously must also meet Minnesota State requirements for teachers as needed as well as Human Relations and Drug Education courses. See http://bulletin.stcloudstate.edu/gb/programs/cfs.asp.
University of Minnesota – Twin Cities offers a M.Ed. in professional studies in family education. See Family, Youth, and Community and M.Ed./professional studies in family education.
return to topThey also offer a parent and family education teacher licensure program through which students obtain the parent and family education state teacher license. See Parent and Family Education Licensure Program. The parent education courses in this program are now available online. See Online Parent Education Courses.
Most students who complete the licensure program also complete the M.Ed. professional studies program in family education because all of the licensure courses can be applied to it.
Graduate Certificates
Iowa State University offers ISU certification, ISU course credit or Continuing Education Units in a program entitled: “Partnering with parents: Walking the journey together.” This includes seven modules designed to strengthen the core competencies of parenting educators. For the certificate the modules need to be completed within a one year period. See http://www.extension.iastate.edu/pwp/isucoursecredits.html. This is also available online. Iowa State has also offered a CEU satellite series entitled “Cultural perspectives on parenting.” See http://www.extension.iastate.edu/homefamily/communities/cultural.parenting.htm.
University of North Texas Center for Parent Education and Family Support at Denton offers a 15 hour “Parent Education Graduate Academic Certificate.” It has been approved since 2002. Courses include human development over the lifespan, parent-child interaction, parent education, family relationships and family-school and community partnerships. See http://www.cpe.unt.edu/roper/module2/intro.html.
The University of Central Oklahoma College of Education offers a M.S. in Family and Child Studies and a “certified child and parenting specialist credential” for graduate students in this M.S. program who take the appropriate internships and examinations. See http://www.educ.ucok.edu/HES/graduate.asp.
Plymouth State University in New Hampshire offers many Masters degrees and offers a 15 credit hour certificate in parenting education through their counseling education department. See http://www.plymouth.edu/graduate/programs.html
Rivier College in Nashua New Hampshire offers a certificate in parenting education through the School of Graduate Studies. See http://www.rivier.edu/academics/departments/education.aspx.
Washington State University, through their Human Development program offers a course covering many of the topics in certifications entitled: “Advanced Parent-Child relationships. See http://academics.wsu.edu.
Family and Consumer Sciences: http://futurestudents.wsu.edu/academics/fos/study.asp?ID=FCS_T#892
Cornell University while not using the word parenting education developed a 90- hour credentialing program frequently used by professionals working with parents and using a parent and family empowerment model entitled “Empowerment skills for family workers.” See http://www.human.cornell.edu/hd/fdc/. Many other educational programs and States offer this credentialing. See: Family Life Education and related courses at Edmonds Community College
return to topGraduate Programs in Family Studies
Family Studies Masters Degrees are offered at many Colleges and Universities. While not using the word parents in the titles these programs often address family relationships, dynamics, development, etc. which apply to parents. In addition to those listed above, Petersen’s Guide lists the following programs when parenting education is a search topic: I will place an asterick next to those that specifically list that they do research in parenting topics.
West:
Arizona State University, Department of Family and human Development
Brigham Young, School of Family Life
Colorado State University, Human Development and Family Studies*
Concordia University Family Life Ministry , Seward, NE*
New Mexico State University Family and Consumer Sciences
University of Denver, College of Education M.A. in Child and Family Studies
University of Minnesota, College of Education and Human Development, Family, Youth & Community Education
University of Nevada, Reno, M.A. in Human Development & Family Studies
University of New Mexico, College of Education, Family Studies
Mid-West:
Auburn University, Human Development and Family Studies*
Middle Tennessee State University, Child Development and Family Studies
Southeast Missouri State University, Homes Economics, Family Studies
University of Kentucky, Family Studies
University of Missouri-Columbia, Human Development & Family Studies*
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Child & Family Studies
South Central:
Oklahoma State University, Family relations and Child Development
Texas State University-San Marcos, Family Relations and Child Development
Texas Tech University, Family & Consumer Sciences
Texas Women’s University, Family Sciences
University of Texas at Austin, Child Development and Family Relations*
Southeast:
Florida State University, Family and Child Sciences
Nova Southeastern University, Family Support Studies
Mid-Atlantic:
Penn State University, Human Development & Family Studies
University of Delaware, Individual and Family Studies
University of Maryland, Family Studies
Virginia Tech, Human Development
Northeast:
Smith College, Education and Child Study
Syracuse University, Child and Family Studies
University of Connecticut, Human Development & Family Studies
University of New Hampshire, Family Studies
Wheelock College, Family Studies, Family, Culture and Society Program
CERTIFICATES in PARENTING EDUCATION
Iowa State University Extension Certificate of Completion
Must complete all modules within 12 months. Modules can be taken online, in person weekl,y or in a 2-day workshop. Modules are: The Journey of Parenting Education; Exploring Child-Rearing Strategies and Assessing Parenting Education Resources; Understanding Child and Parent Development; Feeding Children and Physical Activities for Families; Guiding, Nurturing and Motivating Children; Measuring Programming Outcomes; Financial Stability and Family Well-Being; and other modules.
University of North Texas Parent Education Graduate Academic Certificate
This is a 15 hour program. Graduate courses are taken at the post baccalaureate and post-Master’s level and include: Human Development Across the Lifespan; Parent-Child Interaction; Parent Education; Family Relationships; and Partnerships: Family, School and Community.
Plymouth State University
This is a 15 graduate credit Parenting Education Certificate Program intended for matriculating students, counselors, teachers and other human relations professionals interested in enhancing their understanding of parenting education, developing skills necessary to work with parents and in planning new or refining existing parenting programs. Required courses: Foundations and Multicultural Aspects of Parenting; Strategies of Parenting Education; Graduate Practicum; plus 2 additional 3-credit courses in the areas of Human Development and Special Education.
Rivier College Department of Education
The Parenting Education Certificate Program is designed for parents, counselors, teachers, psychologists, social workers, and other human services workers interested in enhancing their understanding of parenting education, developing skills necessary to work with parents, and in planning new or refining existing parenting programs. This is a minimum of 24 Semester hours. Students must have a Bachelor’s degree in education or a related field. See other requirements for admission.
Required courses: Advanced Psychology of Human Development; Nature of the Exceptional Learner; Foundations and Multicultural Perspectives on Parenting; Developing and Implementing Parenting Programs; Basic Human Interaction Skills; and select one Counseling Course: Counseling Psychotherapy for Children; Group Counseling; Marriage and Family Therapy, Practicum; or Practicum in Parenting Education.
Wheelock Child & Family Studies Certificate in Parenting Education
This 15 credit post-baccalaureate program consists of 4 courses and a 150 hour supervised practicum in the Fall or Spring semesters, with full and part-time options. The courses are: Perspectives on Parenting; Adult Development; Organizing and Leading Parenting Groups; and an elective, e.g., Families and Violence; Working With Families of Children With Special Needs. Credits completed in the Certificate program can be applied by students to students who complete the Child and Family Studies Master's program. For more information contact the Admissions Office at admissions@wheelock.edu. For course descriptions, go to http://www.wheelock.edu/cat/.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign