Pedagogy Certificate Requirements

PhD candidates in the Department of Communication and Culture may earn a Pedagogy Certificate by completing the requirements listed below. Students must file the "CMCL Pedagogy Certificate" form with the Graduate Secretary as soon as they decide to pursue the certificate. This form can be downloaded by clicking here.

1. Completion of C545, Introduction to Pedagogy in Communication and Culture (3 credits)
2. Completion of C622, Seminar in Advanced Pedagogy (3 credits)
3. Completion of C646, Pedagogy Practicum (1 credit)

Students in C646 will put together a course proposal for a course of their own design. The course proposal will include an annotated syllabus that outlines a pedagogical rationale for course organization and assignments. Students may also be asked to write a brief (8-10 page) paper evaluating their teaching experience from a pedagogical perspective. Students enrolled in C646 must select a faculty mentor and notify the Director of Graduate Studies at the beginning of the semester.

4. Pedagogy Certificate Exam

The Pedagogy Certificate exam may be taken during any regularly scheduled qualifying exam period (January, May, August) prior to the prospectus defense.

Students wishing to take the exam must notify the graduate secretary no later than one month prior to writing the examination. Students will consult with one of the faculty who has taught C545 or C622 (Advanced Pedagogy Theory) seminar, and design a reading list appropriate to writing a 4-5 page essay. This reading list should ask the student to read beyond the parameters of the course reading lists for C545 and C622.

The faculty member who advises the student and approves the reading list will write the examination question and will evaluate the exam. The faculty member in charge of the exam must have a signature on file with the graduate secretary, acknowledging her role as examiner. The student's PhD advisor should also have a signature on file.

The exam will be a take-home exam. It will ask the student to prepare one 4-5 page essay. The student will have 24 hours in which to complete the exam. There is no oral defense.

The exam will be graded on a pass/fail basis. If a student fails the exam, she has one opportunity to re-write the essay. This re-take will occur during the next regularly scheduled exam period.