Social and Human Services - Senior Services and Activities Certificate

Program Requirements  Specialty Cluster  Career Management  Electives  Certificate Outcomes

See program requirement sheet.

The Senior Services and Activities Certificate provides students with the basic knowledge, skills and abilities for entry-level employment working with seniors and with other populations where activities are helpful in increasing quality of life. It is intended for students with some prior education and training in Human Services, Health Care or related fields who wish to expand their scope of practice. The certificate requirements include foundational courses, a set of specialty courses focused on increasing knowledge and skills in either senior services or activities, and a hands- on experiential education component.

Settings where this certificate can be helpful include senior centers, retirement homes, adult family homes, skilled nursing care facilities, assisted living communities, adult day care and treatment programs, advocacy programs and community recreation centers.

The senior services courses are designed to provide students with information about the process of aging, and the special circumstances and challenges facing seniors and their families in contemporary society. The activities courses build skills in a variety of modalities of recreation and wellness, such as horticulture, art, music, movement and group interaction.

All students complete a field practicum, jointly supervised by the faculty and professionals, in cooperation with community based agencies. This provides an opportunity to directly apply the knowledge and skills developed in the classroom to a relevant work setting.

Credit/Grade Requirements This Certificate requires successful completion of a minimum of 44 credits as outlined. A minimum of 30 credits or one-third of the required credits, whichever is less, must be earned at Edmonds Community College. Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 in all college-level courses.

Graduation Application A completed Graduation Application form must be submitted to Enrollment Services by the 10th day of the quarter in which the student expects to graduate. Forms are available online or at Enrollment Services located in Lynnwood Hall.

Students are advised to:

• Plan their schedule several quarters in advance in order to accommodate courses that are offered only once or twice a year,
• Review the college catalog for required course prerequisites and include these in schedule planning, and
• Communicate with a faculty adviser.

Note: This requirement planning sheet is not a substitute for meeting with an academic adviser. Meeting the requirements to graduate with an Edmonds Community College degree or certificate is ultimately the responsibility of the student.

PGM Code – 336C
Effective summer 2011 | Rev: 02/11