Graduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education
The Martha Bradley Evans Center for Teaching Excellence (in conjunction with the College of Education) offers a 5 course certificate (four 3-credit courses and one approved 3-credit elective) in Teaching in Higher Education!All CTLE courses are available asynchronously online. As part of this program, you will discover best practices in modern collegiate education and develop a great teaching portfolio– so you can feel informed, confident, and prepared to teach the leaders of tomorrow.
Are you a postdoc or other non-matriculating student? Learn how to enroll in courses as a non-matriculating student.
You must use a Gmail account to complete these forms. For your security, your University of Utah Google Workspace address (uNID@gcloud.utah.edu) is preferred. Learn how to access Google Workspace from UIT.
Have other questions? Send us an email at cte@utah.edu!
Course Descriptions & Learning Outcomes
Select each of the sections below to learn more about each course in the program.
- Apply a “student-centered” approach to the way you teach.
- Incorporate active learning techniques, even when you lecture.
- Promote an inclusive, supportive, and respective climate, which supports learning.
- Design an effective course based on the backwards course design approach.
- Create effective teaching tools, including syllabi, lesson plans, and assignments.
- Facilitate student learning based on research from cognitive psychology about how the brain learns and remembers.
- Utilize teaching tools and technologies you experimented with in this course.
- Create a climate and sense of community conducive to learning.
- Design an accessible course that benefits all students.
- Assess student learning in the online environment.
- Create effective and engaging online lessons, activities, and course materials.
- Effectively utilize video in more ways than you had previously considered.
- Utilize tips for surviving the design and teaching of your online course.
CTLE 6200 Course Description
Prerequisites: CTLE 6000
- Describe and differentiate basic concepts of inclusion, equity, diversity, and anti-racism (IDEA) for teaching
- Communicate strategies to create an Inclusive, Diverse, Equitable, and Anti-Racist (IDEA)classroom
- Identify historical contexts resulting in inequities in higher education
- Demonstrate effective strategies to engage with difficult conversations around inequity.
- Research, compare and contrast educational practices and resources to support underrepresented students in their academic and social growth.
- Create a field-specific plan for ongoing work in anti-racist pedagogy at predominately white institutions
CTLE 6800 Course Description
Prerequisites: CTLE 6000, CTLE 6510
- Apply the teaching evaluation process to your own teaching, including evaluations from CTE, a faculty mentor, and a self-evaluation.
- Create a teaching and academic portfolio tailored for a specific institution of higher learning
- Consult with a faculty mentor or the Career and Professional Development Center about applying, interviewing, and negotiating for a faculty position.
- Explore the historical backgrounds and philosophical bases of institutions of higher education. Determine the roles and responsibilities of faculty in institutions of higher education.
- Explore the dimensions of faculty appointment, evaluation, retention, and tenure in institutions of higher education and the implications for applying for a faculty position.
To be approved by CTE certificate advisor. Content of the course should relate to teaching in higher education and/or teaching within your specific discipline.
Program Outcomes & Assessments
| Program-Level Learning Outcomes | Course-Level Assessment | Program-Level Assessment (Teaching and Academic Portfolio) |
|---|---|---|
|
Assess student learning utilizing multiple levels of assessment |
6000, 6510 |
|
| Facilitate challenging classroom discussions leading to student learning | 6000, 6510, 6200 | Design of sample lesson plans for face to face and online discussions |
| Determine the best use of classroom technologies in both online and in-person settings | 6000, 6510 | Sample syllabi for both online and face-to-face courses |
| Create and maintain inclusive and equitable classroom environments | 6000, 6510, 6200 |
Sample syllabi and course design commitment to inclusivity and equity. |
| Reflect on their own teaching strengths and challenges, alongside a plan for growth as an educator. | 6800, 6200 |
Academic Portfolio:
|
Frequently Asked Questions
The next required step is to apply to take courses as a non-matriculating student. You can find more information about that process here: https://admissions.utah.edu/apply/non-degree-seeking/
The certificate consists of five, 3-credit courses. The 4 required courses (CTLE 6000, 6200, 6510, and 6800) are offered in online asynchronous format in fall and spring semester, with the following recommended order for enrollment: 6000, 6200 or 6510, 6800. The 5th course is an elective related to teaching in higher education; this course may be from your specific discipline (with approval) or you can take one of the CTLE 6960 special topics courses offered in fall or spring. This fall, we are teaching Science of Learning for our special topics course, and in spring we are offering Teaching with AI. Typically, students wait until the end of the certificate coursework to take CTLE 6800, as it is best if you take CTLE 6800 during a semester when you are teaching.
Yes, when it comes time for you to take CTLE 6800, the instructor can work with you on alternatives for teaching demonstrations and observations.
Enrollment for the certificate program occurs on a rolling basis; applications are processed as received.
Tuition and fees for the program follow the regular graduate tuition schedule. You can find that information on the University website: https://bursar.utah.edu/tuition-schedules/
Yes, you must take University of Utah courses to earn the credits since the Graduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education is a for-credit certificate.
For the elective, you can take a special topics course, such as CTLE 6960. This course is taught in the fall and spring. Alternatively, you can take a different course already offered at the University of Utah that relates to teaching in higher education. We have a list of previously approved electives (see below), or if you find a course that you would like to count as the elective, you can send in the syllabus for review at: cte@utah.edu
Pre-Approved Electives (need one 3-credit elective):
- BALLE 6780 Ballet Pedagogy I
- COMM 6090 Teaching College Communication
- CTLE 6960 Special Topics
- EDPS 6510 Foundations of Learning
- EDPS 6435 Foundations of Instructional Design
- EDPS 6035 Assessment
- EDPS 7960 Special Topics (Memory)
- ELP 6640 Contemporary Issues in Diversity in Higher Education
- HEALTH 7890 American Professoriate
Courses from Education for Health Professionals certificate: https://uofuhealth.utah.edu/education/avp-office/master-program/certificate-program