Establishing certificate programs

Graduate certificate programs are created within the structure of the Graduate School and students may be awarded these certificates upon completion of well-defined programs of coursework. The graduate certificate is not defined as a degree by the Graduate School; rather, it is a collection of courses that gives the student a record of coherent academic accomplishment in a given discipline or set of related disciplines. In addition, while a graduate certificate may be used to support a student’s application for admission to a graduate degree program, the certificate itself is not considered to be a prerequisite and does not guarantee entry.

Graduate certificate programs are typically categorized as one of two different types. The first, Graduate Certificates, are the current certificates presented at university graduation ceremonies. The second, Specialty Graduate Certificates, are developed to meet other specific market needs and packaged for various groups in the community. Specialty certificates may involve fewer credits and participants may or may not march at graduation.

Intrinsic courses that are part of the graduate degree program might be used in total or in part for the certificate programs, while specialty courses may be developed that are different from current offerings. Hybrid courses would be a mix of both intrinsic and specialty or advanced types.

Supporting innovation and discipline in course and certificate design is important and the Graduate School encourages new ways of thinking about combining courses, weighting components and developing interdisciplinary offerings. It is vital that all courses be reviewed and approved by Graduate Programs and Courses Committee and University Graduate Council for Graduate and Graduate Specialty.

Process of approval for new graduate certificate programs

Proposals for new graduate certificate programs are created and submitted by constituent graduate faculty. They must be accompanied by endorsements from the department heads and deans of the schools in which the contributing coursework is housed, as well as from those academic units whose students or programs could be impacted by the creation of the new graduate certificate. New graduate certificate programs in areas where joint graduate programs are conducted with other universities will normally be endorsed by the collaborating departments at the other institutions. The University Graduate Council Programs and Courses Committee considers all graduate certificate programs proposals for academic merit. Those meeting the Graduate School’s criteria are then recommended to the University Graduate Council and dean for approval.

Criteria for approval

The principles applied to the assessment of the academic quality of proposals for new graduate certificate programs include:

1. The proposed sequence of coursework must offer a clear and appropriate educational objective at the graduate level. All coursework must be at the graduate and/or professional level as defined by the department or school.

2. The proposed program must achieve its educational objective in an efficient and well-defined manner.

3. A demonstrated need for the program must exist, whether defined in terms of external markets, such as an external demand for the skills associated with such a certificate, or internal academic needs, such as the need for a critical mass of students in a given discipline.

4. An appropriate number of credit hours must comprise the certificate program. The number of graduate credit hours must not be less than nine, with the upper limits to be determined by the department and school offering the certificate.

5. The University Graduate Studies Curriculum Approval form must be completed with appropriate documentation included.

Student eligibility and admission criteria

The prerequisites and general criteria of eligibility for admission to any graduate certificate program include:

1. An earned baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university is required.

2. The minimum grade point average, TOEFL and other standardized test scores, whether or not certificate courses may be counted towards the related master’s degree program, and other similar application criteria as defined by the program.

3. Graduate students who are currently enrolled in a graduate program of study leading to a degree, who wish to pursue a simultaneous graduate certificate, either within or outside the current department or school, must inform all appropriate department and school officials of their intent to seek the graduate certificate(s). A separate application may be required to accompany this notification as determined by the department and school.

4. Students of any status, other than degree-seeking, who are currently enrolled in the Graduate School and wish to pursue approved graduate certificates must apply for admission to such programs as determined by the department or school offering the certificate. Students who are seeking a certificate and are not currently enrolled in a master’s or post-master’s program will be admitted as “Certificate Graduate” students, as defined by the University Graduate Council.

5. Credit hours towards any certificate program may be accepted as transfer credit for degree programs with the approval of the department and school.

6. Students pursuing a graduate certificate will be required to meet the same academic requirements as those defined for degree-seeking students.

A Certificate Graduate student may enroll on either a part-time or a full-time basis, as determined by the certificate program coordinator.

Certificate programs review

All graduate certificate programs will be reviewed within the course of regular graduate program assessment and review, as defined by the University Graduate Council.