Oct 09, 2024  
Graduate Catalog | 2016-2017 
    
Graduate Catalog | 2016-2017 Previous Edition

Early Childhood Mental Health, Graduate Certificate


The Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) program is sponsored jointly by UNC Charlotte’s School of Social Work and Department of Special Education and Child Development.  It is an interdisciplinary post-baccalaureate certificate program that addresses the increasing need for mental health services for children from birth to five years of age.  There is growing interest in infant and early childhood mental health; however, young children are rarely the focus of graduate training programs.  Whereas mental health work with older children emphasizes increased personal choice-making and negotiation skills, mental health work with younger children is focused on the quality of the child’s relationships, resources, and social environment.  Consequently, parents and other caretakers are a much more integral part of prevention and intervention efforts for young children.  Graduates of the EMCH certificate program will be able to:

  • Promote awareness about the importance of early childhood mental health
  • Work with diverse families with young children
  • Identify evidence-informed services for young children and their families
  • Recognize, refer, and perform ecologically valid mental health assessments of young children
  • Explain the relationships between social, cognitive, and communication development in young children
  • Support positive, relationship-focused communication between young children and their caretakers
  • Facilitate positive social-communication skills between young children and their caretakers in a variety of settings

General Requirements for Admission to the Graduate School


Please refer to admission information in The Graduate School  section of this Catalog.

Admission Requirements for Graduate Certificate Program


The ECMH certificate program welcomes professionals with a completed undergraduate or graduate degree in a human services field, including: counseling, education, early childhood special education, pediatrics, allied health services (i.e., occupational therapy, physical therapy,  speech-language pathology), psychology, and social work.  Individuals who are currently enrolled in a human service-related graduate degree program at UNC Charlotte are also welcome to apply to the ECMH certificate program.

If certificate applicants are not already enrolled in graduate courses at UNC Charlotte, they must first complete the Graduate School applications and be accepted by the UNC Charlotte Graduate School.  In addition to Graduate School requirements, admission to the Graduate Certificate in ECMH requires the following:

  • A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75
  • Three recommendations from persons knowledgeable about the applicant’s interaction skills with children and families in a professional context
  • A 2-3 page statement of purpose

Students interested only in the Graduate Certificate in ECMH are not required to take the GRE or MAT.  Certificate students who later wish to apply to the M.S.W. or M.Ed. programs must follow all admissions requirements for those programs, including entrance examinations.  Successful completion of courses in the ECMH certificate program does not guarantee admission to any other UNC Charlotte graduate program.  If a certificate-only student would like to apply for admission to either the M.S.W. or M.Ed. program, the student must complete an additional graduate application.  Students can begin the ECMH certificate program during any semester. 

If an ECMH Graduate Certificate student is accepted into a master’s degree program, courses completed in the Graduate Certificate program may be applied toward the Master of Social Work  program or the M.Ed. in Child and Family Studies  program at the discretion of the Graduate Program Director of the program to which the student applies and in compliance with existing University policy.  However, credits earned in one certificate program may not be used to satisfy the requirements of a second certificate program.

Certificate Requirements


The certificate program requires a minimum of 15 graduate credit hours, including four core courses and one elective course.  Courses are typically available in the evening hours, but this can vary by semester.  Courses required for the ECMH certificate program can be taken in any order. 

Pre- and Corequisite Courses


Course prerequisites and corequisites for CHFD 6240 , SPED 6242 , and SOWK 7127  are waived for students completing only the Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Mental Health.  Permission of the Graduate Program Director is required for enrollment in courses with prerequisites.

Time Limits


If a certificate student is later accepted into either the M.S.W. or M.Ed. program at UNC Charlotte, all courses for the degree must be completed within six years of initial enrollment.  All courses for the Graduate Certificate in ECMH only must be completed within four years from initial enrollment in the certificate program.