Certificate in Economic Justice and Advocacy
With a Certificate in Economic Justice and Advocacy from Fort Hays State University – offered on-campus and online – students will build foundational knowledge to advocate for victims through economic advocacy and equity.
Departmental partnership
The Department of Applied Business Studies and Criminal Justice Programs – home to the Center for Empowering Victims of Gender-based Violence – have partnered up to bring this new certificate to FHSU, to educate and support individuals working in victim advocacy roles, management positions, and survivor-centered businesses.
Although one out of four women and one out of nine men have experienced physical abuse, 20 people per minute are experiencing domestic violence, and there 50,000 reports of workplace violence, only 20% of businesses offer training on domestic violence. One solution is to prepare business and management teams to create an inclusive workplace is to provide training and build awareness within the organizations.
Course No. | Course Name | Hours |
---|---|---|
Required Courses - 7 hours | ||
CRJ 100 | Economic Justice & Advocacy | 1 |
BCOM 210 | Introduction to Professional Development | 3 |
CRJ 367 | Victim Advocacy | 3 |
Required Elective - 3 hours | ||
Students must choose one course. | ||
SOC 664 | Social Entrepreneurship and Grassroots Social Action | 3 |
SOC 680 | Nonprofit Organizations | 3 |
Course No. | Fall | Intersession | Spring | Summer |
---|---|---|---|---|
CRJ 100 | Online | On-campus | ||
BCOM 210 | On-campus, Online | Online | On-campus, Online | Online |
CRJ 367 | Online | Online | On-campus | |
SOC 664 | Online | Online | ||
SOC 680 | Online | Online |
Based on 2023 and 2024 schedule, subject to change.
To obtain this certificate, students must submit the Intent to Complete a Certificate (PDF) form and return to the Department of Applied Business Studies. All courses applied toward the certificate must be taken for credit. Upon confirmation of completion of certificate requirements, students will receive a certificate in the mail in 2-4 weeks.
The Community Scholarship Program seeks to provide financial support and resources to community members who aspire to create sustainable solutions and services that will contribute to the economic empowerment of GBV survivors. By fostering entrepreneurship, skill-building, and employment opportunities, we aim to support survivors to regain their independence, restore their dignity, and rebuild their lives.
Selected applicants will receive:
- Financial assistance of $700 for each recipient to support tuition, fees, and skills development.
- Mentorship and guidance from experts in entrepreneurship, economic empowerment, and social innovation.
- Access to a network of like-minded individuals, organizations, and resources.
- Opportunities to showcase their project to potential investors and partners.
Eligibility criteria:
- Applicants should strongly commit to victim advocacy.
- Applicants must demonstrate the potential for sustainable impact and scalability of their project or idea.
FHSU offers many related programs to a Certificate in Economic Justice & Advocacy, such as:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Talent Development
- Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice
- Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology
- Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
- Bachelor’s Degree in Corporate Communication
- Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management
Tuition: The Best Value in Higher Education Anywhere
Fort Hays State University prides itself on quality education at an affordable cost. Students can expect to pay approximately $1,878.00* (on-campus) or $2,427.60* (online) to complete this certificate.
*Estimated cost based on 10 credit hours at the undergraduate resident/regional tuition rate ($187.80/credit hour) for on-campus courses, or the FHSU Online undergraduate tuition rate ($242.76/credit hour) for online courses. Actual price may vary. Tuition and Fees are subject to change with annual approval by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Ready for the next step?
Our faculty would be excited to talk to you about the Economic Justice and Advocacy certificate program, and how it can help you with your future.
Department of Applied Business Studies
FHSU's Department of Applied Business Studies offers well-rounded degree programs that lead to careers in business, encompassing work in a varierty of areas such as:
- education
- marketing
- tourism and hospitality management
- small and large businesses
- sports
- non-profits
Whether on campus or online, you will gain everyday practical business insights and knowledge that maintains your relevancy in an evolving field, and prepares you for the future-forward decision making the world needs.
Eta Sigma Delta
Tourism and Hospitality Management honors society for high-achieving students. Eta Sigma Delta members pledge to uphold the six points of honor – creativity, diversity-equity-inclusion, ethics, excellence, leadership, and service. Member activities include:
- yearly trip to NYC
- service projects
- guest speaker events
- tours
THM Travel Club
The THM Travel Club is open to all majors and supports educational and meaningful domestic and international travel experiences for students. Members of the THM Travel Club gain vital experience in:
- travel planning
- budgeting
- organizing
- fundraising
Collegiate DECA
Open to all FHSU students, the primary focus of Collegiate DECA is to promote an understanding of Marketing, Communications, Tourism, and Entrepreneurship industries and prepare our members for future leadership roles through professional development, philanthropy, business simulations, and competitions.
Criminal Justice Programs
FHSU's Criminal Justice Programs will prepare you for a rewarding career in law enforcement, corrections, or the legal system with innovative online and on-campus programs. We challenge students to learn the theory behind criminal justice practices that must adapt to rapidly accelerating change—at local, state, national, and global levels.
Our criminal justice graduates lead as well as serve, and they perform with competence, innovation, and integrity. The quality of protection and security tomorrow begins with purposeful preparation today.
Criminal Justice Club
Criminal Justice Programs sponsor the Criminal Justice Club to support the camaraderie between faculty and students. The club meets weekly, and activities vary by semester based on student interest. Volunteer options are available through local groups such as:
Delta Tau Omega
The FHSU Chapter of the American Criminal Justice Association. Members of this organization participate in national conferences and compete for scholarships.
Many of our students want to gain experience in a legal or law enforcement setting. Seeing justice in action gives you valuable insight into your future career and your responsibility as a citizen. Our faculty will help you find an internship that fits your interests.
Recently, students have interned with the following organizations:
- Hays Police Department
- Kansas City FBI Field Office
- State of Kansas Community Corrections
- Dodge City Community College Criminal Justice Program
National De-escalation Training Center
Fort Hays State University’s Criminal Justice Program and University Police joined the National De-escalation Training Center (NDTC) in August 2020 as Region 2 Central Region Training Center. As a regional center, FHSU facilitates the only Level 3 de-escalation training available in the United States.
- Level 1 training includes traditional techniques of procedural justice.
- Level 2 provides basic crisis intervention.
- Level 3 augments traditional de-escalation and crisis intervention with rapid personality identification.
The NDTC De-escalation: Principles & Practice course is evidence-based and has increased officer confidence in utilizing de-escalation skills in working with the public.
FHSU facilitates NDTC’s three training modalities, including an 8-hour online training, two-day face-to-face training, and a 40-hour train-the-trainer program. Due to FHSU’s $2.75 million federal grant funding, the face-to-face trainings can be provided at no cost to agencies. Scholarships may be available for agencies to train officers in the online course.
NDTC training is approved by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community-Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and certified by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST).
Center for Empowering Victims of Gender-based Violence
The Center for Empowering Victims of Gender-based Violence is a regional hub of collaborative research and service, housed in Criminal Justice Programs at Fort Hays State University.
The Center for Empowering Victims of Gender-based Violence aims to reduce the constraints facing survivors, to promote the freedom of economic independence, and to empower survivors to seize opportunity freely. The center commits to providing sustainable support and improvement to help survivors to break the cycle of violence and transform themselves from victims/survivors to social entrepreneurs.
The Center facilitates cross-disciplinary research focusing on the causes and control of gender-based violence in rural areas.
The Center leads and facilitates collaborative networks for researchers to apply evidence-based approaches and to investigate best practices addressing gender-based violence in rural communities.
The Center establishes and develops academic-community collaborations through service-learning, research, assessment, and to create educational opportunities and policy recommendations that enhance the wellbeing of rural communities.