Professional Development Certificate

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Program Overview

The Professional Development Certificate provides an opportunity for Blue Ridge Community and Technical College students to expand their knowledge and experience by completing a series of general education and/or degree-specific courses in preparation for career entry or advancement, BR CTC degree completion, or successful university transfer. Required courses in each specialized certificate offer a balanced curriculum in communication, social and cultural awareness, and scientific and quantitative reasoning.

The certificate is designed to be completed in one year of full-time enrollment at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. Concentrations are offered in Public Relations, Social Sciences, and General Education. The specific course requirements for each Professional Development Certificate concentration are outlined below.

Career Opportunities

The Professional Development Certificate demonstrates to employers a student’s commitment to expanding his/her knowledge in the areas of communication, social and cultural awareness, and scientific and quantitative reasoning. The coursework is essential to prepare students seeking to enhance their professional competencies.

Curriculum for a Certificate in Professional Development

General Education Core	12
Specialty Track	18
Total Credit Hours Required	30

General Education Core

Specialty Tracks:

You must select ONE of the following specialty tracks:

General Education Track

Choose ANY credited courses 100 or above

Subtotal Credit Hours Required

Public Relations Track

COMM 205 - ~Professional Communications (3)
PSCI 100 - ~Introduction to Political Ideology (3)
PSCI 101 - ~American Federal Government (3)
SOCI 215 - ~Human Relations (3)
Free Electives (100 level or above) (6)
Subtotal Credit Hours Required 18

Social Science Track

HIST 101+ - Any History 101 or above (3)
PHIL 101 - Introduction to Philosophy (3)
PSYC 203 - ~Introduction to Psychology (3)
Free Electives (100 level or above) (9)
Subtotal Credit Hours Required 18

Program Disclaimer

This curriculum includes a list of courses required for this program of studies for this calendar year. Your Academic Plan can be found on DegreeWorks once you become a degree-seeking student.