Degrees & Certifications
Framework for Understanding Parenting Educator Professional Preparation and Recognition
Courses in Parenting Education
Iowa State University Extension Certificate of Completion
Iowa State University offers ISU Extension certification, ISU course credit, social worker hours, Iowa teacher licensure renewal credit, or Continuing Education Units in a program entitled: "Partnering with parents: Walking the journey together." This includes eleven 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. Modules can be taken online. Each module is highly interactive and takes place over a two week period. 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. 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.
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://hd.wsu.edu/gradstudies/courses/hd558.htm.return to top
Graduate Certificates in Parenting Education
North Carolina State offers a 12 credit hour graduate certificate in family life and parent education. Courses include: Collaborations and partnerships in youth and family settings, family relationships over the life course OR Complex Family Issues, Effective Management of Family Resources OR Environmental Influences in the Family, Family Health and Well-Being OR Family Communication and Coaching. See http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/4hfcs/academics/cert/.
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://www2.wheelock.edu/wheelock/x250.xml.
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. See http://www.plymouth.edu/graduate/academics/degrees/masters/med/counselor-education/parenting-education/. 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. The Parenting Education Certificate Program for River College: http://catalog.rivier.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=68&poid=3914. 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.
University of Minnesota Family Education Graduate Certificate Program in Parent Education (16 course credits) - http://www.cehd.umn.edu/CI/Programs/college/Certificates/ParentEd.html. Courses include: Introduction to Parent Education (1 cr.), Parent-Child Interaction (3cr), Everyday Experiences of Families (2cr), Parent Learning and Development: Implications for Parent Education (2cr), Parent Education Curriculum (2cr), Teaching and Learning in Parent Education (2cr), Assessment and Evaluation in Parent Education (2cr), and Student Teaching in Parent Education (2cr). Courses are taught online and students must complete courses within 4 years.
University of North Texas 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.coe.unt.edu/cpe/career#Graduate return to top
Graduate Degrees 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 finding 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://bankstreet.edu/graduate-school/academics/programs/infant-and-family-development-programs-overview/.
At St. Cloud State University (MN)
http://bulletin.stcloudstate.edu/gb/programs/cfs.asp
and the University of MN
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/CI/Programs/college/PS/Family/default.html
Master’s degrees are available simultaneously with teacher licensure in parent education.return to top
State Teacher Licenses in Parent/Family Education
State of Minnesota parent and family education teacher licensure requirements: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/rules/?id=8710.3100
St. Cloud State offers several M.S. programs in Child and Family Studies. After completing core courses for the M.S. which include many parenting 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 program in family education.
They 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 parenting education courses in this program are now available online. See http://www.cehd.umn.edu/ci/ParentEd/online.html.
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. return to top
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