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Higher Education Assessment Specialist Graduate Certificate

To download the program brochure, please click here (PDF).

As a leader in assessment, JMU's Center for Assessment and Research Studies and the Assessment and Measurement Ph.D. program receive frequent requests for trainings, workshops and presentations on assessment practice by institutions and individuals who are trying to meet accreditation and accountability demands. This certificate is designed to meet that need while recognizing that busy assessment practitioners desire professional development that fits into their busy lives.

This online certificate program will provide the most up-to-date information about assessment practice in higher education, and help you develop skills to apply that knowledge at your institution.

JMU's Higher Education Assessment Specialist graduate certificate program offers professional development and certification for assessment practitioners at institutions of higher education. All coursework is delivered entirely online, making it convenient for your busy schedule.

Certificate Program Objectives:

  • Students will discuss policy issues in higher education and how policy affects assessment practice in colleges and universities.
  • Students will develop professional assessment skills, including instrument design and consultation, through applied projects and experiences.
  • Students will participate in all phases of the assessment process working on an assessment-related experience at his or her home institution.
  • Students will develop, select, and critique higher education assessment instruments guided by modern validity theory.
  • Students will identify the appropriate measurement tools and statistical analyses needed for common assessment situations.
  • Students will develop communication skills necessary for assessment practice including: interpersonal, consultation, and professional etiquette

Course Descriptions:

PSYC 501, Workshop in Psychology: Public Policy Related to Assessment in Higher Education (3 credits). This course examines the role of assessment, accountability, and quality assurance in the governance, funding, and purposes of higher education. It briefly examines the history of relevant higher education accountability policy. The primary focus of the course is on current policy and its implications for assessment practice. 

PSYC 501,Workshop in Psychology: Foundations of Measurement and Assessment Design (3 credits). This course provides a foundation for the more technical aspects of assessment including development/selection of methods, data collection, and analysis. 

PSYC 601, Instrument Design for Higher Education Assessment (3 credits). This course covers issues in assessment instrument design in higher education. Reliability and validity issues associated with instrument development will be covered throughout the course. Students will examine the appropriateness of instrument selection, adaptation and development. The Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing will be discussed from the perspective of both the test user and the test developer. 

PSYC 601: Assessment Consultation in Higher Education (3 credits). This course provides guided opportunities, both online and as part of JMU's Assessment Institute, for supervised application of sets of assessment skills and competencies. The purpose is to develop one's professional self as an assessment practitioner. Students will engage in an assessment project at their home institution. Ethics will be emphasized throughout the assessment process. 

Each course is offered during JMU's regular semester schedule. For the dates of upcoming semesters, click here.

Schedule

Fall - PSYC 501: Public Policy Related to Assessment in Higher Education
Spring - PSYC 501: Foundations of Measurement and Assessment Design
Fall - PSYC 601: Instrument Design for Higher Education Assessment
Spring - PSYC 601: Assessment Consultation in Higher Education

Admission

Admission to the certificate program requires that applicants have completed at least a bachelors degree (B.A./B.S.) and have a working knowledge of basic statistics including hypothesis testing, correlation, regression, and significance testing including analysis of variance. Applicants are encouraged to be engaged in or have an opportunity to engage in assessment practice at his or her home institution.

We are now accepting applications for the upcoming fall semester.

1. Go to www.jmu.edu/outreach , and click on "Apply Online Now." Follow the instructions there to complete the Certificate Programs Application; you will need to create a username and password to access the application.
2. Choose the correct certificate program from the drop-down menu.
3. Complete the application, and submit in online with a $45 application fee.
4. Once we receive your application, it will be processed within 2-3 business days, and then sent to the program coordinator for approval. Once an admission decision is made, you'll receive a letter notifying you of the decision. Please also watch your email carefully for further instructions about activating your JMU eID and password. We will register you for the course indicated on your application.
5. Please send the following documents to:
Theresa Ulmer
JMU Outreach & Engagement
395 S. High St.
MSC 6906
Harrisonburg, VA 22807

a. A curriculum vitae or resume
b. A one-page personal statement regarding your professional goals and
how the certificate program will assist you in meeting those goals
c. Official copies of all graduate and undergraduate transcripts

Once we receive these materials, they will be forwarded to the program coordinator for approval and official admission into the certificate program.

Tuition for 2013-14: $377/credit hour in state, $407/credit hour out of state

For information about application and registration, contact:
JMU Outreach & Engagement
540.568.4253
outreach@jmu.edu
www.jmu.edu/outreach


For information about the certificate, contact the Program Coordinator:
Robin Anderson, Psy.D.
Associate Director of the Center for
Assessment and Research Studies
Associate Professor, Graduate Psychology
540.568.3293
ander2rd@jmu.edu
www.jmu.edu/assessment