The Great
Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance has
developed an inter-institutional program leading to a Masters of Arts
in Youth Development or a Certificate in Youth Development for delivery
through distance education. Applications for Fall admission are due by July 1, for Spring admission by October 1, and for Summer admission by March 1.
About the Program
Earn credits toward a degree, certificate or cognate in Youth Development
entirely online. Join others in looking at youth issues through strengths-based
curriculum. Learn ways to support youth and help them grow into socially,
emotionally, and cognitively competent adults.
Who Should Consider This Program?
An advanced degree or certificate in youth development is ideal for
professionals in a variety of youth-related fields. Areas include
leaders in youth-serving organizations, like 4-H and Boys and Girls
Club, non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, community recreation
facilities, correctional professions, judges, middle school and high
school teachers and administrators, and extension educators.
Importance of Youth Development
There is a critical need for trained youth development professionals.
An estimated 17,000 organizations currently serve more than 30 million
youth people. National trends are moving away from focusing on problems
and behavior correction, and are favoring a positive approach. Professionals
who understand the strengths-based approach are in demand.
Benefits
of Online Courses
Convenient format lets you fit courses into your work and home schedules.
Instructors will include interactive learning experiences, such as
e-mail, online chats, threaded discussions,* and more.
* Also known as "asynchronous web-talk," threaded discussions
are a form of discussion-over-time allowing you to mull over your
thinking, to probe and question more carefully and reflectively, and often more boldly than you can in a real-time chat or even in
classroom discussions (though they have their own charms and benefits).
It is a good way, too, for helping you develop your critical and creative writing
skills. Most importantly, though, on-line discussions are a wonderful way to bond as a community of learners.
Computer
Needs: You need a computer meeting the minimum specifications,
the capability to access and download materials from the Internet
and a browser equivalent to Netscape/Explorer 6.0 or newer. An e-mail
address is essential as well as access to a VCR (VHS) and FAX.
Take
a quiz
to see if you would be a good distance education student.
Read
tips on how to succeed in an online course.
Participating
Institutions
The
program shares knowledge across 3 land grant universities through
a body of faculty with expertise in youth development. It allows each
campus to contribute course offerings to the degree without any one
institution investing in a complete complement necessary for a Master’s
Degree in Youth Development.
In
addition to Michigan State University, other participating institutions
include: Kansas State University and University
of Nebraska. All institutions are members of the Great
Plains-Interactive Distance Education Alliance and have a history
of success in distance education.
Although
other universities offer programs in somewhat related areas, there
is no other fully on-line program with this particular content area
leading to a master’s degree or certificate.
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Program Educational Objectives
Upon
completion of the program, students will:
Understand,
integrate, and be able to apply conceptual approaches to youth development (i.e., asset building, positive youth development, community youth development, and risk and resiliency);
Understand normative
pathways to development;
Understand youth and family cultural issues/contexts
and their micro- and macro-influences on positive youth outcomes;
Understand
and apply basic research and evaluation skills to youth development
programming through an applied project that serves as a capstone experience
under the direction of the candidate's home institution;
Have
developed skills in problem-solving with "stakeholders" including
funding sources, boards, other agencies, families and other professionals;
Demonstrate
understanding of the development and impact of local, regional,state,
federal, and global policies on youth and be able to advocate through
policy development for optimal youth outcomes;
Be
able to develop and apply resources (e.g., agency budgeting, grant writing
and processing, fund raising) for successful implementation and management
of youth-serving organizations; and
Understand
the history of the youth development area and advocate for the continued
professionalization of the field.
