The certificate in Trauma-Informed Care is a 15-credit program designed to provide participants with foundational knowledge about trauma and the ability to apply that knowledge to their specific settings in order to increase effectiveness with traumatized populations. The program is appropriate for students and professionals in mental health, education, crisis and emergency services, medical settings, criminal justice, law and law enforcement, non-profit and human services industries, and anyone who works with individuals or systems exposed to trauma. The certificate program may be particularly useful for (but is not limited to) students in the following graduate programs: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Psychology, Education, Health Administration, Health Care Administration, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Public Health. Because most of these graduate degree programs permit 6-9 credits of elective coursework, students can often embed some certificate coursework within their degree program. The certificate program is open to degree-seeking, and non-degree graduate students meeting the admission requirements, as well as current undergraduate students eligible to take graduate-level courses.
Program Requirements
The certificate in Trauma-Informed Care requires completion of three core courses (9 credits), along with two elective courses (6 credits). The certificate program is a hybrid learning format, with most courses structured as asynchronous online courses.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the general requirements for graduate admission (see here ) and/or be active graduate student at Valparaiso University.
Early Admission for Undergraduate Valparaiso University Students
The early entry program, an option available only to undergraduate students at Valparaiso University, allows qualified students to apply for early entry into the Certificate in Trauma-Informed Care program and complete up to nine credits of graduate coursework toward the certificate during their senior year. Prior to March 1st of their junior year, undergraduate students with a 3.300 grade point average or higher may apply for early admission to this certificate program. Only students who have completed general psychology and abnormal psychology courses by the end of their junior year are eligible to apply. In addition to evidence of strong academic performance, applicants must submit an application, a detailed essay, and present two strong letters of recommendation.
Students accepted into the program may take up to nine credits during their senior year that may apply to both their undergraduate educational requirements and their graduate certificate in Trauma-Informed Care. These credits are beyond the minimum 27 credits required for the BA degree, and include up to three of the required certificate courses.
Commitment to completing the Trauma-Informed Care certificate program at Valparaiso University must be made prior to January 1st of the student’s senior year, and by this date the student must have completed 100 credits. Furthermore, all requirements for entry into the certificate program, including a final transcript and evidence of continuing strong academic performance (3.300 grade point average), must be met before final admission is granted.
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