Overview
The Prevention and Family Science Graduate Certificate is a fully-online and stackable certificate that teaches students to apply developmentally-appropriate, prevention-based programs across a range of human services and health-related sectors.
The Prevention and Family Science certificate prepares students to:
- Identify evidence-based prevention programs that can be used to solve behavioral and mental health issues
- Work effectively with individuals and families to promote healthy development across the lifespan
- Learn best practices to implement evidence-based programs that promote healthy development and wellness across individuals, families, and communities
Using evidence-based practices, applied learning, and real-world scenarios, students will develop core skills and content knowledge in a variety of topics including:
- Lifespan development
- Youth mental health
- Health promotion
- Social justice
- Health equity
- Community engagement
- Social networking
- Policy-related advocacy efforts
Courses
HDF 536: Family Health and Prevention Across the Lifespan
This course introduces the principles of Prevention Science and evidence-based approaches to improve the physical and mental well-being of individuals, families and communities. Fundamental concepts include risk, resilience, protective factors, and health promotion in families.
HDF 511: Child and Adolescent Development
This course focuses on the biopsychosocial development of children and adolescents, the contexts in which they develop (homes, schools, neighborhoods), and the implications for intervention and prevention science.
HDF 513: Promotion of Healthy Adulthood and Aging
This course provides the knowledge to: (a) the relationship between biopsychosocial factors and health aging (b) risk, resilience, and protective factors for physical and mental health in adulthood and later life
HDF 533: Family Policy for Problem Prevention
This course examines the political, socio-economic, and cultural forces influencing development and implementation of national and local policies that impact families in the United States.
Tuition per credit based on 2024/2025 academic year rates (subject to change): $887
Admissions
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE NOT required
- College transcripts
- Two letters of recommendation
- Resume/CV
- Statement of purpose
- Relevant work experience
- Reasons for applying to the online program at URI
- Courses most looking forward to taking
- Professional goals, as well as plans for achieving these goals
*Applicants with a GPA lower than 3.0 may be considered for provisional admission — please contact online@uri.edu before applying to discuss the GPA requirement.
Summer 2025 Dates
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Career Opportunities
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This certificate program will train professionals working in applied fields to effectively implement developmentally-appropriate practices and evidence-based programs across multiple contexts including schools, families, peers, and other social networks. Professionals will be taught to apply their skills across a variety of health and social service sectors, including health promotion, lifespan development, healthcare administration, education, public health, behavioral sciences, and case management.
Public Health Educator
Designs and implements programs to educate communities about health issues, disease prevention, and healthy lifestyle choices. They may work in various settings such as schools, community centers, or healthcare organizations.
Youth Program Coordinator
Develops and implements programs aimed at preventing risky behaviors among young people, such as substance abuse, delinquency, and teenage pregnancy. They may work in schools, community centers, or non-profit organizations.
Community Health Worker
Provides outreach, education, and support to individuals and communities to promote health and prevent disease. They may work directly with community members to address health concerns and connect them with resources and services.
