Graduate Certificate Programs

Part I – Overview: Certificate Description and Administration

Description

A certificate program is a sequence of courses that provides participants with specialized knowledge and skills for personal enrichment, professional advancement, or career change. Certificate programs may provide 

• a basic introduction to an established field of study 
• an interdisciplinary approach linking several fields 
• a concentrated focus on a sub-field. 

Certificate Administration

Administrative Home

An administrative home unit must be designated for a certificate program, even if a certificate is sponsored by more than one graduate program or academic department. For certificates sponsored by multiple institutions, a UWM administrative home must be designated for the UWM certificate. The administrative home unit will be responsible for prospective student inquiry, admissions, and certificate completion verification. 

Instructional Administrative Authority

The following types of decisions are restricted to graduate faculty, and to academic staff holding probationary or indefinite appointments: 

• Recommending student matriculation, continuation, and certificate completion verification 
• Determining certificate requirements, such as courses, internships, capstone experiences, minimum credits and grades. 

Advisory Committee

An advisory committee is strongly recommended for program administration and assessment.  The majority of the advisory committee must be graduate faculty.  

Certificate Director or Coordinator

At a minimum, a certificate program director or certificate coordinator must be designated.  The Graduate School recognizes this individual as the signature authority for (a) recommending admission and dismissal from the certificate program, (b) approval of transfer credit, and (c) verification of courses completed.   

If the certificate program has an advisory committee, the director should be ex officio on that committee. 

If the certificate program does not have an advisory board, the certificate director must be a member of the graduate faculty. 

Program Authorization

Requests will follow the Format for a Graduate Certificate Program Proposal (see Appendix A) and must be authorized as indicated on the current Academic Approval Matrix. 

Authorization for Program Modifications or Amendments

The administrative home unit must approve modifications or amendments to a certificate. The administrative home will consult with constituent units and certificate advisory committee before submitting changes to a certificate for further approvals through governance processes, as per the Academic Approval Matrix. The college (or college-level entity) in which the administrative home resides has approval authority over recommended changes. For a certificate that spans multiple colleges, any changes must be approved by all colleges who co-sponsor the certificate. 

Program Evaluation and Reauthorization

Certificate programs are approved for 10-year periods.  During the tenth year, a review will be conducted. When circumstances warrant, graduate certificate reviews may be combined with full graduate program reviews or follow-up reviews of the home department. The process and self-study requirements for certificate reviews is specified in Appendix B. 

A decision regarding certificate program reauthorization will be made by the GFC following the decennial evaluation. If a certificate program is not reauthorized, students currently enrolled in this certificate program may complete the program, subject to course availability. 

Part II – Certificate Program Design

Certificate Categories

There are 2 primary categories for certificate structure: 

1. Independent certificate (does not require simultaneous enrollment in a specific Graduate Degree Program, but can be pursued in isolation or concurrently with another certificate or degree).  
2. Certificate that requires simultaneous enrollment in a specific Graduate Degree Program. 

Certificate Offerings

Regardless of category, certificates may be offered by single or multiple programs within UWM or through multi-institutional collaborations. A graduate certificate that is designated as multi-institutional draws coursework and advisement from both UWM and one or more external partner institution(s). 

Curriculum

The curriculum for a graduate certificate should be organized into a structured progression or cohesive collection of courses. It is recommended that no more than 20% of the credits shall be in independent study or research.  A minimum of 15 and a maximum of 21 credits are recommended.  An integrating course or other capstone experience is also recommended. 

Transfer Credit

For certificate programs fully within UWM, no more than 20% of the required credits may be taken at an institution other than UWM.   

For multi-institutional certificate programs, transfer credits are inherent and essential, but the majority of credits (more than 50%) must be taken at UWM. 

All transfer credits are subject to Graduate School transfer policy and must be approved by the director of the respective certificate program. Certificate programs have the right to exclude transfer credits from the curriculum. 

Timeline

For those certificates that require simultaneous degree enrollment and are awarded concurrent with the degree, the time limit shall be the same as that of the degree program. All other certificates must be completed within 4 years of the start of the certificate program, even if a student is simultaneously enrolled in a graduate degree program.  

Timeline with concurrent certificates 

A maximum of two UWM graduate certificates may be pursued concurrently.  This does not change the time limit for completion of each certificate. 

Part III – Articulations

Articulation between UWM and External Institution(s)

Multi-institutional certificates must designate a majority of credits to be taken at UWM.  

Articulation between UWM Graduate Certificate Programs

When two UWM certificates are pursued concurrently or sequentially, no more than 50% of required credits may be shared from one graduate certificate program to another, provided that both programs specify the courses as approved, required, or elective.  Programs that want to have an informal coordination between two or more UWM certificates would do so by arranging their requirements so they appropriately overlap, provided that the courses are listed as required courses for the certificate. 

Articulation between UWM Certificate and UWM Degree Programs

1. Credits and courses required for a UWM certificate may be shared toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions: 
   • All credits taken in completion of certificate requirements may be shared towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree.  (NOTE:  Students in Ph.D. programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements.) 
   • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit. 
2. Courses completed for a degree may be shared toward a subsequent certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements. 
3. A course taken as part of a certificate may be shared toward a degree, a 2^nd certificate, and/or a microcredential. 
4. Students may not earn both a certificate and a transcript-designated concentration in the same area. 

Articulation between a Multi-Institutional Certificate and a Degree Program

1. Credits and courses required for a multi-institutional certificate may be shared toward meeting UWM graduate degree requirements subject to the following restrictions: 
   • All credits will be subject to general transfer requirements, with the exception of a special articulation agreement that might allow more than 50% of transfer credits to be shared.  
   • All credits taken in completion of UWM certificate requirements may be shared towards a UWM graduate degree as long as they do not contribute more than 90% of the total credits needed to obtain the degree.  (NOTE:  Students in Ph.D. programs must still complete the minimum residency requirements.) 
   • Certificate courses used toward meeting degree requirements must be completed within the time limit for transfer credit. 
2. Courses completed for a UWM degree may be shared toward a subsequent inter-institutional/multi-institutional certificate, subject to all certificate policy requirements. 
3. A course taken as part of a certificate may be shared toward a degree, a 2^nd certificate, and/or a microcredential. 
4. Students may not earn both a certificate and a transcript-designated concentration in the same area. 

Part IV – Admission to and Completion of Certificates

Minimum Qualifications for Admission

1. Admission into a graduate certificate program requires a baccalaureate degree with a minimum 2.75 cumulative undergraduate grade point average, unless the applicant is also admitted to a graduate program with specific alternative admission requirements regarding grade point average. 
2. Certificate programs may require additional information or have additional criteria for admission. 

Admission to a Graduate Certificate

1. Admission to a graduate certificate program requires formal student application through the Graduate School admissions application system, including the required admissions application fee.  
2. Certificate programs will inform the Graduate School of their admission recommendation for an applicant.  The final admission decision is made by the Graduate School.  
3. Early application to the certificate program is recommended; late application is possible, but may incur delays for certificate conferral related to time required for credit tracking. 

Plan of Study

A Plan of Study for the graduate certificate is highly recommended for each enrolled student to clarify which courses meet credit requirements and certificate-degree articulations. This practice will also help reduce delays in processing certificate completion.  

Certificate Completion

1. Certificate completion requires formal student application through the Graduate School completion application system, including the required completion application fee.  
2. The certificate program director must verify each student’s completion of the required credits and courses. 

Criteria for Certificate Conferral

Conferral or awarding of a graduate certificate requires:  

• That certificate requirements were met within the allotted time limit 
• Minimum 3.00 overall grade point average (without rounding) 
• Minimum 3.00 grade point average in certificate courses (without rounding) 

Certificate completion will be posted on a student’s official transcript in line with UWM’s official conferral dates, and an official paper certificate will be sent to the student from the Graduate School. 

Certificates Approved before Semester I, 2002-03

Twelve-credit certificates that were approved by the GFC, the Graduate School, and the Provost prior to fall 2002 (implementation date of the original certificate policy – GFC document 877) will be allowed to remain at twelve credits. 

• Appendix A - Format for a Graduate Certificate Program Proposal
• Appendix B - Review of Certificate Programs
• Appendix C - The Internal Review Team (IRT) Template Report to the Graduate Program Review Committee

September 20, 2018

No. 3206

March 14, 2019

No. 3206R1

November 17, 2022

No. 3206R2

May 9, 2023

No. 3206R3