The Certificate in Institutional Research at Florida State University is an online certificate program consisting of 18 credits of graduate-level course work. The Certificate curriculum is designed to provide academic and professional development opportunities for institutional researchers, administrators, graduate students, and faculty from all areas of higher education. Students will enhance their knowledge and understanding of institutional research, have the opportunity to explore national databases, and apply their knowledge to practical applications.

The courses offered this summer can be taken independently or toward completion of the Certificate in Institutional Research:

Introduction to Institutional Research (3 credits)
This course provides an introduction to the theoretical and practical application of institutional research as a discipline in higher education. Institutional research has direct applications to many, if not all, administrative and strategic activities within the institution. Course content addresses local, state, and national issues in institutional research, examines organizational, administrative, political, and ethical issues in institutional research, and exposes students to national databases.

Student Success in College (3 credits)
American higher education is changing dramatically as an increasingly diverse population gets ready for college. This change provides an exciting opportunity to strengthen our human resources. Meanwhile, the college graduation rate has been just around 50 percent for decades, so one common question in the minds of policy makers and administrators is: How can the educational system effectively promote student success in college? This course examines the theories and research on student success and explores the effective policies, programs, and practices that can be adopted to promote student success in higher education.

Data-Driven Decision Making for Institutional Research (3 credits)
This course will provide an introduction to the theoretical and practical application of data-driven decision making for institutional researchers. This class focuses on how to collect, analyze, review, and present data and information to decision makers. Higher education leaders are tasked with making hard decisions for which they have incomplete, inaccurate, misleading, and subjective information. This class provides structured tools and approaches to help institutional researchers develop materials that will assist higher education leaders make data-driven decisions.

More information (including course syllabi) is available on the FSU web site or by emailing IRCertificate@coe.fsu.edu.

Jill Peerenboom
Program Coordinator
Certificate in Institutional Research
Florida State University
jpeerenboom@admin.fsu.edu