This graduate certificate will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills to better advocate for the families, children and communities they serve. Students will acquire greater knowledge of the regulatory environment and processes (both governmental and private) in the areas in which they work and will be better able to network within those environments. More specifically, students in this certificate should gain analytical skills regarding community and institutional organizations, historical and cultural differences in human development and of power relations and justice. They should be able to apply these skills in a “service-learning” environment, in addition to demonstrating critical thinking and graduate-level writing skills in the online-classroom environment.

Program Delivery and Tuition Rate

This certificate program is delivered through online courses and is billed at the non-MBA rate.

Admission 

Admission to this graduate certificate program is not competitive. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. 

Application Requirements 

A complete application includes: 

• Official transcript(s) from all previously attended institutions 
• Proof of a conferred bachelor’s degree on an official transcript 

Start Terms 

This program admits new students in the: 

• Fall 
• Spring 

Deadlines 

Application deadlines do change from term to term. For specific deadlines, please see the Graduate Admissions Deadline page. 

How to Apply 

To apply, visit the SUNY Empire application portal and select Graduate: 

https://www.sunyempire.edu/application.html 

Students may begin this 12-credit certificate in the fall or spring terms. The required courses and suggested enrollment sequence are as follows:

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
PPOL 6055	Human Services Policy	3
PPOL 6075	Family Policy	3
PPOL 6045	Advocacy for Children	3
PPOL 6035	Advocacy in State & Community-level Government	3
Total Credits		12

Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:

• Recognize and analyze elements of community and institutional organizations
• Recognize and analyze cultural, historical, and individual differences in human development
• Recognize and analyze differences in power relations, and justice and ethical positions
• Employ critical thinking skills in comparative social analysis
• Apply policy reform concepts in a "service learning" environment