The Graduate Certificate in Post-Secondary Teaching at the University of Kansas is designed for current KU graduate students from any discipline who wish to learn more about effective teaching and learning in post-secondary educational settings, with a foundation in the psychology of teaching and learning. Students will learn about how to implement effective, inclusive, research-based practices to promote learning and engagement in both face-to-face and online instruction. The certificate draws on basic and applied interdisciplinary research from the disciplines of education, psychology, and cognitive science to explore human learning and development and to understand how research in these fields informs innovative approaches to post-secondary teaching and learning.

Completion of the Certificate in Post-Secondary Teaching represents an additional credential for graduate students from a variety of academic fields who are preparing for careers involving the teaching of adult learners, such as university faculty positions.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet both the University and departmental admission requirements to be considered for the program.

University of Kansas Graduate Admission Requirements

• All applicants must meet the requirements outlined in the Admission to Graduate Study policy. 

Graduate Certificate in Post-Secondary Teaching at KU Application Requirements:

Applicants must be a current KU graduate student from any discipline.

• A completed graduate application.

NOTE: These are the admission requirements in place at the time this catalog content was published.

This is a 12 CR certificate, consisting of 4 courses (3 CR each): a course in fundamentals of college teaching, a course in college student development, a course in instructional technology / digital pedagogy, and an elective course.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
EPSY 820	Research and Practice in College Teaching	3
or C&T 996	Teaching and Learning in the College Classroom
ELPS 883	The College Student	3
or ELPS 884	College Student Access, Persistence, and Success
or ELPS 973	Research on College Students
C&T 977	Teaching with Technology in Higher Education	3
In addition to the 9 hours listed above, students take one of the following courses in consultation with their faculty advisor:		3
COMS 920	Introduction to Teaching Oral Communication
EPSY 807	Theories and Research in Human Learning
EPSY 836	Behavioral & Systems Neuroscience in Education
EPSY 837	The Neuroscience of Motivation and Emotional Behaviors
FREN 704	Methods in Foreign Language Instruction
HIST 807	Professional Development Colloquium in Pedagogy
JMC 806	College Teaching
MEMT 915	Teaching Music in Higher Education
MTHC 830	Pedagogy of Music Theory
MTHC 840	Pedagogy of Music Composition
SPAN 801	Teaching Spanish in Institutions of Higher Learning
SPED 958	Advanced Research in Universal Design for Learning
SW 987	Teaching Social Work: Philosophy and Methods
Total Hours		12

At the completion of this program, students will be able to: 

• Use research on teaching, learning, and student development in post-secondary education to inform course design.
• Apply a broad base of knowledge to recognize and use effective, high-impact, engaging, ethical, and inclusive teaching and assessment practices.
• Evaluate research on teaching, learning, and student development in post-secondary education.
• Develop a critical and reflective awareness of the characteristics of college students and the implications of research on college students for effective instructional practices.
• Use instructional technology tools in a manner consistent with theory and research on digital pedagogy.
• Develop and articulate a personal philosophy of teaching.