Advanced Certificate in Youth Studies

Format: Online, Synchronous
Application Deadlines
  • Fall 2024 Priority Deadline: April 4, 2024
  • Fall 2024 Regular Deadline: May 16, 2024

Youth Studies is an emerging multidisciplinary field that spans the humanities, social sciences, the arts and sciences. Integrating theory, research, public policy, and youth work practice, Youth Studies provides an opportunity to deepen students’ understanding of the relationship of youth and society.

The Advanced Certificate in Youth Studies is a stackable credential which includes 12 credits toward the MA in Youth Studies. The certificate can be utilized for those who already have a masters degree but found themselves working with young people and want to upskill while being part of an active learning community. It can also be used by those who have not yet decided if they want to commit to a masters degree program.

Through online synchronous coursework, the Advanced Certificate in Youth Studies program provides the flexibility that people need with strong connections to professors and colleagues.

Mode of Learning

The Youth Studies program is excited to introduce a new online asynchronous pathway, providing students with the opportunity to attain their degree entirely online, starting with incoming students in the Fall 2024 semester. Furthermore, we are committed to maintaining our online synchronous option, catering to students who prefer real-time virtual classroom interactions with their professors and peers.

Educational/Career Prospects

  • Potential salary bump at participating agencies
  • Upskilling and a community of committed professionals
  • A stackable credential for those interested in an MA in Youth Studies.
  • A way to demonstrate master’s level capacity for those looking to do an MA in a related field

Admissions Criteria

Candidates for admission to advanced certificate programs must possess a bachelor’s degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher from a regionally accredited undergraduate institution. Applicants are also required to write a personal statement, upload a resume, and provide one letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation may be submitted before or after submitting an application. An individual interview may be necessary if an applicant meets most but not all requirements.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall 2024 Priority Deadline: April 4, 2024
  • Fall 2024 Regular Deadline: May 16, 2024
Apply Now

Student/Alumni Profiles

Carolina Moquete

Advanced Certificate in Youth Studies

"It definitely empowered me to have a certain level of confidence in the work I was doing with young people that I didn’t necessarily have in my first year in the role."

Amanda Ebokosia

MA/Advanced Certificate in Youth Studies

"My cohort has held a two-year WhatsApp group. It's like having your own cheer squad or support group in your pocket. I've now met colleagues who I consider to be real friends."

Chanira Rojas

MA/Advanced Certificate in Youth Studies

"We are a tight-knit group with a passion for providing youth with the tools they need to become empowered individuals that will change their lives and the lives of others."

Carolina Moquete

Youth Studies

"The most gratifying aspect of my job is having the opportunity to plant seeds of what’s not only possible but realistic for my students to achieve. I get to help students impact their future in a positive way every single day."

Recent News About Advanced Certificate in Youth Studies

CUNY SPS Youth Studies Breakfast Event Photo

Agenda-Setting for the Future

March 18, 2024

CUNY SPS Blog

In February 2023, students from the CUNY SPS MA in Youth Studies program participated in an annual breakfast designed to help shape New York City’s youth policy agenda. Two students who attended, Rachel Castillo and LaTroya Lovell, shared their thoughts on the event and the impact it may have on the work being done by youth workers and advocates going forward.
Black & white photo of CUNY students protesting in 1970s used as still from the documentary The Five Demands

Youth Studies Program Introduces Film Series for Annual Community and Youth Organizing Event

March 07, 2024

This year's Community & Youth Organizing series featured screenings of three documentaries that demonstrate youth and/or community organizing principles in action.

CUNY SPS Youth Studies students at Winter Wonderland data sharing event

Partnering with Youth on Policy Change

January 04, 2024

CUNY SPS Blog

In December 2023, students from the CUNY SPS Youth Studies programs participated in Winter Dataland, a citywide event in which the program shares data generated by young people in partnership with YS students and hundreds of other young people in NYC. Patricia Kerrigan, a BA in Youth Studies student, shared her reflections on the evening and the possibilities it offered for youth workers and advocates in the year to come.
The cover of "Whiting Out" by CUNY SPS Youth Studies Professor Dr. Elizabeth Bishop

Whiting Out: Writing on Vulnerability, Racism and Repair

November 14, 2023

Myers Education Press

CUNY SPS Youth Studies Professor Dr. Elizabeth Bishop recently published her book "Whiting Out: Writing on Vulnerability, Racism and Repair." The book "Whiting Out" is for both aspiring and experienced teachers (especially white folks), as well as anyone open to writing new narratives and imagining new possible worlds. The text calls upon all critical educators to (re)commit to deep learning toward our collective anti-racist queer-inclusive liberation, toward intersectional futures where healing, justice, and repair are prioritized.