Graduate School
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Policy - 1L14
A post-baccalaureate certificate is an
organized program of study requiring at least 18 semester hours
of graduate credit which leads to a specific set of skills or
knowledge. A certificate confirms that a student has mastery of
the content of a clearly defined sub-field of an academic major
field of study. A certificate provides in-depth training, but
not to the breadth of a graduate degree. The completion of a
certificate is noted on a student's transcript and is part of
the University's official graduate offerings.
- Proposals to create post-baccalaureate certificates must
originate with the graduate faculty. Proposals must be
submitted through the regular academic approval channels and
ultimately to the IBHE for approval. Certificates that are
part of an existing graduate program must submit a Form 91A,
Request for Change in Academic Program, as a Reasonable and
Moderate Extension (RME). Certificate programs that are
independent of existing graduate programs must submit a Form
92A, Request for a New Academic Program.
- Certificate programs require a minimum of 18 semester
hours of graduate credit, at least half of which must be
500-level courses. No more than 3 of these required hours can
be in independent readings, directed research, practicum, or
other similar courses. No substitution or waiver of courses
and of completion requirements is permissible for a
certificate program.
- Two or more certificate programs may include no more than
one-third of the required hours in common. When two or more
certificate programs share common courses, a student may
count those hours toward completion for each of those
programs.
- All University policies, including those related to
admission, retention, eligibility for fellowships and
assistantships, contact hours, course formats, and
eligibility of faculty to teach courses, apply to certificate
programs.
- In order to begin a certificate program, a student must
be admitted to the Graduate School as a classified graduate
student. The program faculty may add additional admission
requirements, such as course prerequisites. The program
faculty must approve the admission of all students into the
certificate program.
- Each certificate program will determine the amount of
time a student has to complete the program. However, time
limits may not extend beyond 6 years.
- A GPA of 3.0 in all graduate coursework is required for
awarding a certificate. Faculty may add additional
requirements.
- Courses taken in a certificate program may also be
counted toward the completion of a graduate
degree.
- The administration of a certificate program rests with
the faculty of the program. The graduate program director and
the school/college dean are responsible for certifying
completion of the program. When a certificate program is
interdisciplinary, the faculty must designate a graduate
program and school/college as its responsible administrative
unit.
- Certificate programs are reviewed as part of the regular
program process. At the time of the program review, the
certificate program may be reauthorized.
- The University will be responsible for preparing the
actual certificate.
Approved by
Provost effective 12/2/99
This policy was issued
on March 10, 2000.
Document Reference:
1L14
Origin: PVC 12/2/99
