Graduate Student Teaching Certificate of Completion
Enhance your teaching credentials with a free, research-based professional development program in 18-24 months
PROGRAM OVERVIEW:
The Graduate Student Teaching Certificate of Completion (GSTCC) Program offers CSU graduate students an opportunity to learn about, reflect on, and apply best practices in teaching at the college level. Participants will develop greater competence and confidence as current or future teachers by participating in research-based professional development activities. Program participants who successfully complete the requirements before they graduate earn a Certificate of Completion that demonstrates their commitment to college teaching and can enhance their professional credentials on the job market. The program takes approximately 50 hours and can be completed in 18-24 months.
Time to Complete
18-24 Months
Cost
Free
Requirements
3 Professional Development Courses + 3 Workshops
Eligibility
All CSU Grad students
Certificate Requirements
To earn the Graduate Student Teaching Certificate of Completion, participants must complete all of the following before graduating:
Students may complete these requirements in any order.
3 Best Practices in Teaching (BPiT) Courses
Best Practices in Teaching (BPiT) courses are asynchronous, 3-week professional development Canvas courses facilitated by TILT staff that require approximately 5 hours of time per week for 3 weeks (15 hours total). BPiTs join faculty, graduate students, and postdocs in learning about teaching through individual work, collaborative asynchronous discussions, and feedback from facilitators.
Complete three total BPiT Courses, chosen as follows:
Inclusive Classroom Climate
Choose 1
- Inclusive Pedagogy
- Classroom Climate
- Student Motivation
- Accessible and Inclusive Electronic Content
Inclusive Instructional Strategies
Choose 1
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
- Rubrics as a Tool to Support Student Success
Classroom Strategies
Choose 1
- Planning an Effective Class Session
- First Four Weeks
- Teaching Online: Facilitation and Engagement
3 Required Workshops
Workshops are focused, 60 or 75-minute sessions offered in person or virtually at least once a semester.
Complete all three workshops
Writing a Teaching Philosophy
This workshop gives participants the opportunity to learn about best practices in creating a teaching philosophy and analyze sample teaching philosophies from different disciplines.
Classroom Strategies – Optimize Your Time and Increase Student Engagement
This workshop offers several techniques to manage class time and student engagement in a positive and productive manner.
Developing a Teaching Persona
This workshop explores why and how we might develop a teaching persona that works for us as instructors and is also conducive to student learning.
5 Certificate Learning Outcomes
Participants completing the certificate requirements will satisfy the following 5 learning outcomes grounded in the scholarship of teaching and learning and reflective of prominent and contemporary issues in teaching in higher education.
Inclusive Classroom Climate
Develop skills and confidence in creating a supportive, accessible, and inclusive classroom climate
Inclusive Instructional Strategies
Use a variety of inclusive instructional strategies that engage all students, are accessible, and promote critical thinking
Classroom Strategies
Identify and use classroom strategies that cultivate an effective, engaging, and productive learning environment
Teaching Philosophy
Create a teaching philosophy and persona informed by research-based practices from the Teaching Effectiveness Framework
Reflection
Recognize and appreciate reflection as a tool to refine future teaching practices
Reflection
Recognize and appreciate reflection as a tool to refine future teaching practices
This outcome is accomplished through successful completion of BPiT course Practice and Reflect assignments, participation in Teaching Squares, or a similar experience offered by your department.
What You'll Gain
The Graduate Student Teaching Certificate (GSTCC) Program helps you learn, reflect on, and apply best practices in college teaching. You’ll develop greater competence and confidence as a teacher through research-based professional activities.
Upon completion, you’ll receive a Certificate of Completion that demonstrates your commitment to excellence in teaching – a valuable addition to your CV and job applications.
Key Benefits
- Flexible schedule
- Applicable skills
- Collaborative learning
- No cost
Upcoming Workshops
*BPiT courses and workshops are offered throughout the year. Check the TILT professional development calendar and create a learning plan for yourself. Also, when you enroll in the GSTCC, upcoming BPiTs and workshops will be announced and registration links provided through Canvas Announcements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enroll in the GSTCC program?
To enroll in the program, click on the “To Enroll Please Click Here” green button on the top right corner of this page. Enrolling in the program will enroll you into the GSTCC Canvas shell where you will find more information about the program. You will also use the Canvas shell to submit the required materials for each of the 6 requirements (including completion certificates for Best Practices in Teaching courses and post-workshop written requirements).
When are the BPiT courses and workshops offered?
The 3 required workshops are offered at least once a semester (including the summer term). We work to rotate the dates/days/times we offer the workshops each semester to help meet participants’ schedules. If you are unable to attend a live version of the Writing a Teaching Philosophy or Developing a Teaching Persona workshops, we do have on-demand recordings you can view.
Several BPiT courses are offered every semester (including the summer term), but not every BPiT is offered every semester. You’ll need to watch the TILT calendar and note the Canvas announcements that come through (if you’re registered) to ensure that you sign up for BPiTs that satisfy Learning Outcomes #1, #2, and #3 (only certain BPiTs satisfy each).
How do I track my progress?
When you enroll in the GSTCC, you are automatically enrolled into a GSTCC Canvas shell where you will submit required documentation of having satisfied each of the requirements, allowing you to track your progress.
In the Canvas shell, you will see a Module assignment for each learning outcome that needs to be satisfied by a BPiT course or a workshop. There will be 6 assignments that align with the 6 requirements (3 BPiT courses and 3 workshops). When you complete a BPiT course, you receive a completion certificate for that course. You will upload that certificate under the Module assignment for the Learning Outcome that BpiT course satisfies. Once received, the program director will mark that learning outcome assignment “complete”.
The workshops require you to complete a written assignment following your participation in the workshop (an action plan for Classroom Strategies, a teaching philosophy draft for Writing a Teaching Philosophy, a 4-question reflection for Developing a Teaching Persona). When you complete the workshop and the required written assignment for each, you upload them under the respective Module assignment. Once received, the program director will mark that learning outcome “complete” (or “incomplete” if it is incomplete or doesn’t satisfy the expectations).
Do I have to be a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) to participate?
The GSTCC is open to ALL CSU graduate students. You do not need to be a graduate teaching assistant at any time to enroll in and complete the Certificate.
Can I complete the Certificate online/asynchronously?
Nearly all of the requirements of the GSTCC are offered virtually, though there is one workshop that is only offered in person (Classroom Strategies: Optimize Your Time and Increase Student Engagement). BPiT courses are offered virtually and asynchronously, though they are scheduled and run at specific times (for example, a BPiT may run January 12-February 1). BPiTs are not offered “on demand.” The Developing a Teaching Persona and Writing a Teaching Philosophy workshops are routinely offered virtually and synchronously. If you need access to an on-demand recording of these two workshops, they are available.
What if I am completing my graduate degree soon?
The program is designed to be completed in 18-24 months, though some have completed it in 12-18 months. It can be difficult to complete it in less time unless you completed a department or program-specific GTA training or pedagogy-focused graduate-level course that satisfies some of the requirements. Completing the program in less than 18-24 months requires ensuring that you register for and complete the required BPiT courses and workshops on an accelerated schedule.
If you don’t have enough time to complete the Certificate, do note that you can still enroll in and complete specific BPiT courses (such as Inclusive Pedagogy, Classroom Climate, Active Learning, etc.) and workshops. These are ideal stand-alone professional development opportunities for learning more about or fine-tuning your understanding of pedagogy-related topics.
What if I start the certificate but don't complete it?
If you complete some of the requirements of the GSTCC but are unable to complete all of them before you graduate, you will not receive the Certificate of Completion. However, you will be able to highlight on the job market or in other contexts the Best Practices in Teaching courses and workshops you completed. For example, you could showcase what you learned from taking the Inclusive Pedagogy BPiT course and the Developing a Teaching Persona workshop if those are the two requirements you completed.
Can credit-bearing courses or GTA training from my department count toward Certificate requirements?
Yes! Some credit-bearing pedagogy-focused graduate courses and department-provided GTA training can satisfy one or more of the requirements of the GSTCC. CSU courses that currently satisfy one or more GSTCC learning outcomes include E607A, E607B, SPCM675, EDUC713, EDAE620, HES684, and MU684.
Please contact program director Dr. Kelly Bradbury ([email protected]) to inquire about a particular course or training and whether it might satisfy some Certificate requirements.
What do I receive after I complete the Certificate of Completion?
After you satisfy the GSTCC requirements, you will receive an electronic Certificate of Completion signed by TILT’s Executive Director. You can include the Certificate in job or other application materials and note it on a CV or resume.
Contact Info
Dr. Kelly Bradbury
Program Director, Graduate Student & Postdoc Teaching Certificate of Completion Programs
Contact
Email: [email protected]