- Home
- » Academics
- » Programs and Majors
- » Undergraduate
- » YMCA Senior Director Certification
- » Requirements
Requirements — Supplemental Major: The YMCA Senior Director Program
A cooperative program between Aurora University and The YMCA of the USA gives students the opportunity to complete a bachelor's degree and the requirements for the YMCA of the USA Senior Director Certificate supplemental major in the same amount of time it normally takes to complete the bachelor's degree alone.
Coursework offered in the YMCA Senior Director Certificate Program may be counted toward requirements in one of 11 major fields of study where appropriate. For most majors, this will mean that a minimum of two or three courses in the YMCA supplemental major may be counted toward primary major requirements. A student may be able to complete the YMCA Senior Director Certificate by taking as few as four or five courses in addition to coursework that meets primary major requirements.
Students choose a major from one of several fields of study and complete on-the-job training as part of the professional practicum requirement for the YMCA Senior Director certification.
Your Choice of Majors: The YMCA Certification Supplemental Major may be combined with any one of the following primary majors:
Business Administration
Physical Education
Recreation Administration
Social Work
Any one of these majors will open a variety of exciting career options in the YMCA. Students will have an opportunity to grow professionally as an expert in a chosen field, as well as to become part of the 150-year YMCA tradition of human and community service. This career preparation program has both a solid theoretical base and a proven dimension in real-world practice. Group work is an intervention strategy that has been perfected during more than a century of experience at George Williams College - where the leaders of the YMCA and other major human/community service organizations were educated.
After selecting a primary major from one of the areas noted above, the student completes the YMCA Supplemental Major by selecting at least one course from each of the eight categories outlined below. In addition, the Professional Practicum (at least three semester hours) and the capstone course must be completed in order to complete the required 30 semester hours of approved YMCA supplemental major coursework.
| Required Courses | |
| PED/REC4830 | Principles and Practices of the YMCA (3) |
| PED/REC4940 | YMCA Internship (3) |
| Management/Administration | |
| BUS3200 | Principles of Management (3) |
| BUS4600 | Intrapreneurship and Innovation (3) |
| PED4100 | Administration of Athletic Training, Fitness, and Physical Education (3) |
| REC4350 | Administration of Recreation and Leisure Services (3) |
| Organizational Behavior/Human Resources | |
| BUS2010 | Legal Environment in Business (3) |
| BUS3200 | Exercise Principles and Assessment (4) |
| BUS3250 | Human Resource Management (3) |
| BUS3280 | Organizational Behavior (3) |
| COM3000 | Organizational Communication (3) |
| PSY3470* | Industrial/Organizational Psychology (3) |
| Communication/Outreach | |
| BUS3310* | Integrated Marketing Communications (3) |
| COM3510* | Corporate and Professional Communication (3) |
| ENG/COM2040* | Technical and Professional Writing (4) |
| BUS2300 | Principles of Marketing (3) |
| PED4370 | Facilities and Special Events (3) |
| Human Development/Learning | |
| EDU2260 | Theories of Learning (4) |
| PSY3250 | Lifespan Development (4) |
| PSY3350* | Child and Adolescent Development (4) |
| PSY3360* | Adult Development and Aging (4) |
| PSY3400* | Cognitive Psychology (4) |
| Community and Policy | |
| REC4340* | Political & Policy Implications for RecreationAdministration (3) |
| SOC3400* | Social Problems in Urban Society (4) |
| SWK3150* | Social Welfare: Institutions and Policies (4) |
| SWK3300* | Generalist Practice II: Communities and Organizations (3) |
| Programming/GroupWork | |
| PED/SOC3450* | Social and Applied Psychology (3) |
| PED2250 | Introduction to Fitness and Health Promotion (2) |
| PED3040 | Sports Management (3) |
| REC3040 | Sport and Event Management (3) |
| REC3330* | Recreation Programming and Supervision (3) |
| SWK3140 | Generalist Practice I: Groups (4) |
| Diversity and Access | |
| COM3500* | Intercultural Communication (3) |
| IDS1600 | Cultural Diversity and Expression (4) |
| PED2000 | Inclusive Physical Education (3) |
| PSY3460* | Exceptional Individual (3) |
| REC2000 | Introduction to Inclusive Leisure Services (3) |
| SOC3350* | Race, Ethnicity and Power (4) |
| SWK4100* | Social Work Practice with Diverse and Vulnerable Populations (3) |
| Assessment/Evaluation | |
| ECN3300 | Business Statistics (3) |
| MTH2320* | General Statistics (3) |
| PED3150* | Assessment in Physical Education (3) |
| PED3250 | Exercise Principles and Assessment (4) |
| PSY3520* | Experimental Psychology (3) |
| PSY4520* | Psychological Assessment (3) |
| REC4750* | Assessment and Evaluation in Leisure Services (3) |
| SWK4200* | Social Work Research I (3) |
| SWK4300* | Social Work Research II (3) |
Completing the Aurora University YMCA Senior Director Professional Sequence of coursework provides the student with an opportunity both to complete the bachelor's degree and to earn Senior Director Certification from the YMCA of the USA. These two credentials can provide strong preparation for career tracks in the YMCA and other social service organizations.
*These courses carry prerequisites; see course descriptions for details.
Academic information on departmental Web sites reflects the university's most current curriculum. The print version of the catalog, which is also posted online, may differ from this information.
