Youth Development, M.A. (Minimum of 36 Credits is required for this degree.)

Youth Development Specialist Certificate
(Minimum of 13 Credits is required)

Youth Program Management and Evaluation Certificate (Minimum of 13 Credits is required)

The online Master of Arts Degree or Certificate program in Youth Development addresses the need for advanced education in youth issues and does so through a strengths-based curriculum.  Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of adolescence, this program supports youth to make them socially, emotionally and cognitively competent adults. 

This program is ideal for professionals in a variety of youth-related fields and organizations, such as: 4-H, Boys and Girls Club, non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, community recreation facilities, correctional professions, elementary, middle and high school education and extension educators.  Professionals who understand the strengths-based approach are in demand.

Participating Institutions
This program is part of a multi-state alliance offering fully online graduate programs in the human sciences.  Several universities share knowledge through a body of faculty with expertise in youth development. It allows each campus to contribute course offerings to the degree.  In addition to Michigan State University, other participating institutions include: Kansas State University, University of Nebraska, South Dakota State University, Texas Tech University, and the University of Missouri. All institutions have a history of success in distance education.

Competencies expected with Completion of Master’s Degree in Youth Development

1. 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);
   
   
2. Understand normative pathways to development;
   
   
3. Understand youth and family cultural issues/contexts and their micro- and macro-influences on positive youth outcomes;
   
4. 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;
   
   
5. Have developed skills in problem-solving with "stakeholders" including funding sources, boards, other agencies, families and other professionals;
   
6. 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;
   
   
7. 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
   
   
8. Understand the history of the youth development area and advocate for the continued professionalization of the field.

Tuition and Fees
All courses will have a common price of $430 per credit hour (effective Fall 2009). There is no in-state versus out-of-state tuition.

Instruction
Students admitted to the program at Michigan State University enroll at MSU for all courses, whether they are taught at MSU or by another participating university.

Courses are taught online using a course management system accessed through your web browser. Some courses have supplemental materials on videos or CDs and others may require phone conferencing. Interactivity between students and professor is through e-mail, phone conferencing and the Internet classroom.

Master's Program – Required Courses
Foundations of Youth Development - 1 credit
Community Youth Development - 3 credits
Adolescents and Their Families - 3 credits
Program Design, Evaluation and Implementation - 3 credits
Youth Professionals as Consumers of Research - 3 credits
Administration and Program Management - 3 credits
Youth Development - 3 credits
Youth Policy - 3 credits
Youth Cultural Contexts - 3 credits
Youth Issues/Life Skills - 3 credits in a specific contemporary youth issue course (i.e. Violence or Youth and Appearance)

Electives to reach 36 total credits.  Electives, internships or independent study credits must be approved ahead of time by your advisor. 

A final project or capstone experience is required for the Master’s degree program along with an oral defense of the project.  The Youth Development Master’s degree program is a Plan B Master's program.

Certificate Program:
Two 13-credit graduate certificates are available. Students seeking certification must apply for Graduate School admission. The foundation seminar must be taken only once.

Youth Development Specialist Certificate
Foundations of Youth Development - 1 credit
Plus 4 of the following courses:
Youth Development - 3 credits
Community Youth Development - 3 credits
Adolescents and Their Families - 3 credits
Youth Policy - 3 credits
Youth in Cultural Contexts - 3 credits
Youth Issues/Life Skills - 3 credits

Youth Program Management & Evaluation
Foundations of Youth Development - 1 credit
Plus 4 of the following:
Program Design, Evaluation and Implementation - 3 credits
Administration and Program Management - 3 credits
Youth Professionals as Consumers of Research - 3 credits
Youth Policy - 3 credits
Youth Issues/Life Skills - 3 credits

DESCRIPTION OF COURSES

Foundations of Youth Development (1 credit) This course will examine the fundamentals of youth development and the youth development profession. Through this introduction to the field, students will explore the ethical, professional, and historical elements of youth development as it has evolved toward professionalization.

Community Youth Development (3 credits) This course focuses on the national emphasis of a strength-based or asset approach to community youth development, encompassing individual development (i.e., positive youth development) and adolescent interrelationships with environments. Emphasis is placed upon research, theory, and practice applied in communities throughout the U.S. Students will explore existing models, read theoretical and applied literature, and examine current community efforts as a basis for understanding community youth development.

Adolescents and Their Families (3 credits) This course will cover adolescent development as it is related to and intertwined with family development; reciprocal influences between adolescents and their families are examined. Working with youth vis à vis the family system will be highlighted.

Program Design, Evaluation and Implementation (3 credits) This course will discuss the theoretical, methodological, and pragmatic issues involved in conducting programs and scholarship. Included in the course is an overview of the program development process and outcome evaluation of community children and family programs. Modes of outcome scholarship and their implications for community-based programs are discussed. Students will develop knowledge through participating in a community-based project involving the practical application of program design and evaluation methods.

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Contemporary Youth Issues (3 credits) This course will present issues faced by youth today and associated risk and resiliency factors. A different topic will be presented each year, with the course rotating among participating universities. Past topics have included Youth Violence, Youth and Appearance, and Volunteerism. The course may be taken more than once, as long as the topic areas are different each time.

Youth in Cultural Contexts (3 credits) This course will examine the cultural context factors that affect youth from a holistic perspective within and outside the family unit. The course will provide an understanding of the cultural heritage of differing family structures and types. Students will explore the social and educational processes experienced by youth through in-depth reading, writing, discussion, critical listening, viewing of contemporary videos, and informal interviews with youth. Students will be encouraged to think critically about society and culture, gain further knowledge of how ethnic groups fit historically into society, and examine the results of how history has shaped the current cultural climate of the U.S.

Youth Professionals as Consumers of Research (3 credits) This course will help youth development professionals understand and evaluate research reports to reduce anxiety about applying research results and theories to practice. Specific emphasis will be on research and theory reports related to youth development.

Administration and Program Management (3 credits) This course will introduce students to the development, administration and management of youth-serving organizations.

Youth Development (3 credits) This course will introduce students to the developmental period of adolescence. The theory and research of positive youth development will be the lens through which this developmental period is examined. The course will emphasize how the developmental tasks of this life stage are influenced by (and influence) family and home, school, peers, and other contextual forces. The course will help students recognize and become familiar with the major issues and transitions adolescents face as they successfully navigate this developmental stage by critically examining the theoretical and research literature.

Youth Policy (3 credits) This course examines various federal and state policies designed specifically for youth. Students will examine how and why policies for youth are constructed. A guiding question that will be used to evaluate existing state and national policies is whether they contribute to, or act as, barriers to desired developmental outcomes. Grant Development & Management (3 credits) Basic Grant Development and Management will introduce students to the grant-getting process and provide an overview of what happens after a project is funded. The following topics will be covered: researching funding sources, generating cutting edge ideas, assessing needs, planning a project, establishing credibility, formulating a sustainable budget, designing an evaluation plan, managing the funded project, and disseminating project results.