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Graduate Certificates

Certificates of Graduate Studies (CGS)

Certificates of Graduate Study are primarily for post-baccalaureate-level students and provide advanced applied academic and/or professional training. Admission and retention requirements are extensive. The certificate components consist mostly of Rhode Island College graduate-level courses. Students who complete Certificate Programs at Rhode Island College may request to apply earned credits to an appropriate graduate degree program. Contact the Program Director for specific details.

Certificates of Advanced Graduate Studies (C.A.G.S.)

Certificates of Advanced Graduate Studies are post-Master's graduate degree program that provides practitioners the opportunity to advance in a specialized area of study.


Certificate of Graduate Studies (CGS)

Adult Gerontology with an Acute Care Emphasis for Clinical Nurse Specialists

The program is designed for those who already hold a Master’s degree in Nursing and wish to expand upon their current role as a clinical nurse specialist. It offers an expansion of APRN’s current certification and provides nurses a path to earn APRN certification as an AGCNS.

Contact: Pat Molloy
401-456-9704

pmolloy@ric.edu


Adult Gerontology with an Acute Care Emphasis for Nurse Practitioner

The program offers an expansion of APRN’s current certification. Additionally, this C.G.S. option offers those who do not have their APRN, but who hold a Master’s degree in nursing, the opportunity to expand their current role by earning APRN certification as an Adult Gerontology Acute Care NP.

Contact: Pat Molloy
401-456-9704

pmolloy@ric.edu


Advanced Counseling

(Federal financial aid available)*

This CGS enables students who already have a Master's degree, which is fewer than 60 credits, to obtain 60 credits needed for licensure as a mental health counselor in the state of Rhode Island. Students will be able to take from 15-27 credits depending upon the number of credits they need for licensure. Core courses in counseling practica and internship (a total of 12 credits) will be required of all CGS candidates. Other credits are determined based on the needs of the candidate.

Application deadline November 1 and March 1 

Contact: Monica Darcy
401-456-8023

mdarcy@ric.edu


Advanced Study of Creative Writing

(Federal financial aid available)*

This program has been developed for those from various disciplines and backgrounds who wish to pursue creative writing in a structured environment.  The CGS serves as a credential of extended study in fiction, poetry, or literary nonfiction writing, a valuable asset in many fields. Credits earned may be applied to the M.A. should students wish to apply for and be accepted into the M.A. program.

Contact: Karen Boren
401-456-4648
kboren@ric.edu


Advanced Study of Literature

(Federal financial aid available)*

This program enables students to pursue the study of literature on an advanced, graduate level. Courses can be applied towards the Masters degree if students are admitted to the Masters program later. The certificate may be particularly useful to high school teachers seeking a credential to teach college-credit English courses.

Contact: Anita Duneer
401-456-8678

aduneer@ric.edu


Autism Education

(Federal financial aid available)*

Increases in the incidence of autism in Rhode Island has created the need to extend the learning opportunities for school professionals (teachers and related service personnel) to further develop their knowledge and skills in effective practices that support learning for students with autism.

Contact: Paul LaCava
401-456-9703

placava@ric.edu


Child and Adolescent Trauma​​

The C.G.S. is open to all second year MSW students and those who have earned the MSW or Masters in Counseling and are interested in gaining knowledge and skills in trauma-informed, evidence-based practice with children and adolescents. Enrolled students will have to earn 18 credits in courses that are intended to enhance their understanding of the nature of a traumatic experience from a child’s perspective and explore the ways in which trauma influences the child and family. Included in the array of courses is a field experience and a clinical evaluation class. The curriculum is supported by evidence-based research under the auspices of National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN).

Contact: Daniel Harvey
401-456-8761

dharvey@ric.edu


Co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders

This program is open to all advanced clinical second year MSW students interested in gaining knowledge and skills in evidence-informed practices in Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders.

Contact: Aswood Bousseau
401-456-8627

abousseau@ric.edu


Elementary Education - Specialized

This alternative pathway to certification in Elementary Education was developed specifically to meet the needs of the Teach for America population.

Contact: Lorraine Cotti
401-456-8384

lcotti@ric.edu


Elementary or Secondary Special Education

The program provides an accelerated path to special education certification at the elementary or secondary levels.

Contact: Marie Lynch
401-456-8763

mlynch@ric.edu


Financial Planning

(Federal financial aid available)*

The C.G.S. in financial planning is a program of 18 credit hours (6 courses) that prepares candidates to sit for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ without having to complete a master's program. Completion of the required course work meets CFP Board’s requirements for eligibility.

Contact: Sean Cote
401-456-9028

scote@ric.edu


Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

This program meets a key, identified need to expand nurses’ understanding of quality and safety.

Contact: Pat Molloy
401-456-9704

pmolloy@ric.edu


Historical Studies

This program provides advanced studies in History and allows students to pursue an American, Western, non-Western or World specialization in coursework and research. 

Contact: Ron Dufour
401-456-9784

rdufour@ric.edu


Integrated Behavioral Health​

This certificate program is open to all second-year MSW students interested in gaining knowledge and skills in evidence-informed practices in integrated behavioral health.

Contact: Jayashree Nimmagadda
401-456-8042

jnimmagadda@ric.edu


Middle-Level Education

This program meets RIDE middle grades certification and consists of advanced graduate study and practicum training for students with an undergraduate degree and either elementary or secondary teaching certificate.

Contact: Brittany Richer Ahnrud
401-456-8170

bricher@ric.edu


Modern Biological Sciences

(Federal financial aid available)*

This curriculum provides for advanced study of the biological sciences and their application in the laboratory.  Designed to be completed in one year of full-time study, the program consists of 15-17 credit hours that include required and elective graduate-level course work as well as research experience.

Contact: Deborah Britt
401-456-8705

dbritt@ric.edu


Nonprofit Leadership

Certificate of Graduate Study (CGS) in Nonprofit Leadership is designed to strengthen leadership and analytical skills for current and future leaders of nonprofit organizations. The program will afford students key competency skills in nonprofit management areas including, but not limited to, fundraising, strategic planning, personnel, finance and governance.

Contact: Michael Andrade
401-456-8864

mandrade@ric.edu


Nursing Care Management

(Federal financial aid available)*

The Nursing Care Management Certificate of Graduate Studies (CGS) has been designed to meet a rapidly emerging need in health care, that of preparing nurses for nurse care/case manager positions across health care settings

Contact: Joanne Costello
401-456-9570

jcostello@ric.edu


Public History

Designed for students with an undergraduate background in History and/or workplace experience in the field, this 15 credit CGS provides an introduction to graduate study in History, and intensive training in the practical application, scope, methodologies and procedures of public history.

Contact: Ronald Dufour
456-9784

rdufour@ric.edu


Secondary Education - Specialized

This alternative pathway to Secondary Education certification, which includes coursework in Special Education, was designed to meet the needs of the Teach for America population.

Contact: Ying Hui-Michael
456-8024

yhui@ric.edu


Severe Intellectual Disabilities

This cohort-based program offers teachers who are currently certified as a teacher of students with mild/moderate disabilities an extension of their skills to the skills, knowledge and perspectives they need to effectively support students with severe and complex disabilities. It provides an accelerated path to teacher certification in Severe Intellectual Disabilities.

Contact: Susan Dell
456-8557

sdell@ric.edu


Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)

This C.G.S. meets RIDE requirements for ESL certification. The 8-course program allows students with an early childhood, elementary, secondary or K-12 teaching certificate to obtain the certificate to teach English as a Second Language at the appropriate grade level.

Contact: Sarah Hesson
456-8789

shesson@ric.edu


Transition for Youth with Exceptionalities

This program will educate a cohort of professionals to implement effective, research-based transition practices to improve transition outcomes for Rhode Island youth with exceptionalities.

Contact: Paul LaCava
401-456-9703

placava@ric.edu


Project Management

Admissions to the program are temporarily suspended.


Supply Chain Management

Admissions to the program are temporarily suspended.


Physical Education

Admissions to the program are temporarily suspended.
For more information, contact Dr. Robin Auld.


Mathematics Content Specialist: Elementary

Admissions to the program are temporarily suspended.
​For more information, contact Department Chair, Dr. Stephanie Costa​.


Certificate of ADVANCED Graduate Studies (CAGS)

School Psychology (Federal financial aid available)*

Contact: Shannon Dowd-Eagle
401-456-8023

seagle@ric.edu

*Federal Financial Aid. RIC has received approval to offer federal financial aid to students in several certificate programs.  The most common form of financial aid for graduate students would be federal Direct Student Loans.  Application procedures and brief program descriptions may be found at this link on our web site: www.ric.edu/financialaid/Pages/Graduate-Students.aspx.


Certificates of Graduate Study are short-term programs designed to increase knowledge and skills in a specific discipline or career focus. Federal student aid regulations classify some of these certificates as Gainful Employment programs, and require the college to disclose certain information relating to the cost of each program, the number of certificates awarded and the occupations for which the program prepares students.
​ For more information see http://www.ric.edu/financialaid/Pages/Important-Links.aspx


APPLICATION TO CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS

  1. Persons wishing to be admitted to a graduate program must hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution at the time they begin their graduate studies at Rhode Island College. The following material must be forwarded directly to the Academic Dean of the School to which application is made:
    1. Completed application for admission to graduate study accompanied by a non-refundable application fee;
    2. Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records;
    3. Copy of teaching certificate (when applicable);
    4. An interview may be required.
    5. Three recommendations attesting to the candidate's potential to do graduate work.
    6. See individual programs for additional requirements.
  2. Applications must be completed within one year. After that time prospective students will need to reapply or update their application.
  3. Upon recommendation to a program a graduate applicant has one year to submit the Plan of Study or request deferment.
  4. If applicants have completed a substantial amount of post-baccalaureate work before applying for admission, this work will be evaluated with all other credentials submitted in support of admission.
  5. To be accepted as a graduate degree candidate, applicants are expected to have attained an average of B overall (3.00 on a 4.00 scale) in their undergraduate work. Admissions committees may also consider the undergraduate G.P.A. in the candidate's undergraduate major or coursework related to the prospective major. Applicants with undergraduate averages below this level, but not less than 2.00, may be admitted to degree candidacy upon the submission of other evidence of academic potential, i.e., satisfactory performance in post-baccalaureate work or professional experience as evidenced by publications or letters of recommendation. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Page last updated: February 16, 2021