At which campus can I study this program?
Program Description
The undergraduate certificate in Small Group Conflict and Collaboration is designed and delivered by the World in Conversation (WinC), Penn State's undergraduate center for public diplomacy. Students who complete this 15-credit certificate will be trained dialogue facilitators: they will have an understanding of the forces that shape human communication on the interpersonal, societal, and global levels, and they will be able to apply this understanding by leading small group dialogues, applying a unique communication methodology developed by WinC over two decades. WinC is a laboratory for the sociological study of small groups and facilitation techniques that make communication across borders possible. As such, the study of facilitated dialogue that a student undertakes at WinC is truly "applied sociology"—because sociological concepts practically intersect with and shape communication technologies. The combination of mindset and skills that a facilitator develops as a result of this fusion of disciplines is what makes impossible conversations possible. While students at WinC are trained in the specific academic context of applied sociology, trained facilitators are necessary in all environments in which human beings conflict and collaborate. As such, the competencies developed through this certificate are relevant across all academic disciplines. This certificate will prepare students to take on key roles in high level decision-making in education, politics, business, or law. They might also use this credential to build a career in areas as varied as Science, Medicine, Organizational Change and Leadership, Social Policy, Business Management, Marketing, Social Work, and Education.
Program Requirements
To earn an undergraduate certificate in Small Group Conflict and Collaboration, a minimum of 15 credits is required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| LA 496 | Independent Studies | 6 |
| SOC 369 | Foundational Theory and Practice in Small Group Facilitation  | 3-4 |
| SOC 469 | Advanced Theory and Practice in Small Group Facilitation | 6 |
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Liberal Arts Academic Advising
814-865-2545
Use the Liberal Arts Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program
Contact
University Park
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY
211 Oswald Tower
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-2527
sociology@psu.edu