Graduate Certificate: Youth, Children, & Family Ministry Studies

Students earn a graduate certificate in Youth, Children & Family Ministry Studies by completing a total of four of the following four-credit courses by combining two YCFM courses along with two courses of their choice in BIBL, CHIS, PHIL, or THEO. By finishing two eight-week courses per semester over one Fall and one Spring semester, students can earn their graduate certificate in as little as 10 months, depending on when they begin.

Graduate Certificate Admission and Requirements

Applicants for a graduate certificate must have already earned an accredited baccalaureate degree and must meet the Graduate School of Theology Admissions Requirements.  

See: Graduate Theology Master Degree Requirements

Students must complete all requirements for each of their four courses, including mentoring reports. To familiarize students with our online Learning Management System, all certificate students complete the Graduate School of Theology's OnRamp Program Orientation, which can be completed at the student's own pace prior to their first course. While in the OnRamp Program Orientation course, students will complete a background check and the California Psychological Inventory (CPI). There will be a course fee associated with PRTH6000L Personal Development Lab to cover the costs associated with the background check and the CPI.

Unlike those in our degree-based programs, graduate certificate students are not required to complete PRTH6990 Supervised Ministry. Given the limited number of credits required for a graduate certificate, students are not permitted to transfer previous coursework from other institutions into this program. Students earn a letter grade for each course, which will be transcripted by NNU’s registrar. Students must complete their certificate program with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.50. Students who fail a course may attempt one retake and must complete their graduate certificate within four years of initial enrollment. Standard graduate tuition rates apply, but students who are members of the Church of the Nazarene can apply for a denominational discount.

Graduate certificates are eligible for federal unsubsidized loans and federal PLUS loans.  Students must be accepted to the certificate program and have submitted the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available October 1st for the following Fall semester.  Students must complete the FAFSA each year in order to continue to receive federal financial aid. 

NOTE: Courses completed in one certificate program cannot be applied to an additional certificate.

All four graduate certificate courses can be transferred into an existing Master of Divinity or Master of Arts degree.