Community College Faculty Preparation Certificate

Graduate Certificate Online1 year

Community College Faculty Preparation

Overview

The Community College Faculty Preparation certificate program is currently on hiatus and will not be running a 2024 cohort. Please check back for future updates.

The Community College Faculty Preparation certificate program provides critical coursework and classroom experience to prepare current and future community college instructors. The coursework and mentored teaching experience enhance the technical competencies necessary to effectively pursue a teaching position at a community college and provide participants with an appreciation of the role and goals of the community college.

Join us as we usher in a new era in higher education! The Community College Faculty Preparation certificate program equips current and future community college instructors with rapid and effective adaptation tools to succeed in a highly inclusive, post-pandemic college community.

You’ll be guided by skilled, supportive leaders who currently teach community college in a variety of settings and subjects. The coursework and mentored teaching experience enhance the technical competencies necessary to effectively pursue a teaching position at a community college while also providing you with a greater appreciation of the role and goals of the community college.

“The unique, dynamic virtual classroom climate of CCFP can best be described as academic networking for the busy professional and life-long learner. Adding our program to your curriculum vitae is a must for 21st century learners.” – Sandra Wheeler Abeyta, Instructor, Los Rios Community College District

Graduate-level courses in general pedagogy, curriculum development, instructional communication and assessment are included. Required courses in this program are designed to provide strategies and techniques that foster effective learning among a diverse group of students.

Benefits

This program equips participants with:

  • hands-on experience in a community college classroom
  • strategies and techniques to foster learning among diverse student groups
  • a network of community college professionals
  • graduate-level academic credit from Sacramento State

Audience

This program is ideal for:

  • current community college instructors who wish to enhance their pedagogical knowledge and skills and advance on the pay scale
  • those with a master’s degree who want to teach at the community college level
  • matriculated graduate students who plan to obtain a master’s degree and teach at the community college level

Structure

The Community College Faculty Preparation certificate consists of four courses for a total of 12 units of graduate-level academic credit. This program is designed as a closed cohort, and students must be committed to finishing the cohort. Successful completion of all four courses is required to earn the certificate. Experienced community college instructors may take individual courses without committing to the certificate program.

The course delivery model is 100% online instruction. Participants receive letter grades, A-F, for all courses with the exception of Sponsored Experiences at the Community College. Each course carries academic credit and will appear on an official Sacramento State transcript.

Formal admission to Sacramento State is not required for enrollment in this program; however, completion of a program application is necessary to be eligible to register for classes.

The final course in this program is a sponsored experience at a community college. Individuals currently teaching at a community college may substitute with coaching experience or a campus-sponsored internship as available.

Fees

Currently the program cost is $335 per unit or $1,005 per course (totaling $4,020 is course fees). Total program cost with application fee is $4,050. You can pay for classes as you go. 

A $30 application fee is collected once eligibility is determined.

Since this is a certificate program, financial aid is not available. 

Computer Requirements

Please visit the Canvas for Students information page for a list of requirements.

Student Testimonials

“I absolutely feel that this program played a key role in my ability to find opportunities, and I feel so much more confident in my knowledge and skills as an instructor!”

-Miriam, Program Graduate

“The instructors for these courses were top notch, and provided insight into the diversity of the community college (CC) environment that I feel will be critical in preparation for teaching in today’s CC classrooms. Additionally, the detailed work dealing with the syllabus and lesson plan has given me a strong set of tools to use in my preparation for class instruction. The entire series of courses have been delivered with the utmost in professionalism and have been a great experience.”

-Mike Davis, Program Participant

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Donja Harding

Alum of Sac State’s College of Continuing Education Named Teacher of the Year

Congratulations are in order to Donja Harding, who was named the 2023 Natomas Unified School District Teacher of the Year. Harding is a proud alum of the Community College Faculty Preparation program, offered by Sac State’s College of Continuing Education (CCE).