Undergraduate & Graduate Certificates

Individuals who do not want to complete an associate's or bachelor's program but wish to acquire some job skills should consider completing a vocational certificate. Such certificates are offered at both 2-year community colleges and 4-year colleges. Undergraduate and graduate level certificates are also available for students of all ages, education levels and backgrounds. Certificate programs at the post-graduate level are designed to help aspiring professionals, teachers and educators acquire new knowledge and update their skills. Certificates are also great way to acquire additional industry credentials.

Undergraduate Certificates

Students enrolled in undergraduate certificate programs will develop marketable job skills. These programs do not take as long to complete as traditional college degree and programs; most undergraduate certificates can be completed in anywhere from a couple months to a year. In addition to campus-based certificates, many colleges now offer online undergraduate certificates. Most companies view an undergraduate certificate earned online and a certificate earned at a campus as completely equal. In fact, many companies now train their employees using completely online educational systems.

Most undergraduate certificate programs require that students have a high school diploma or equivalent before enrolling. Credit earned in certain ceritificate programs can be applied to other college degrees. While an undergraduate certificate is great preparation for a career, some professions require that workers also meet certain licensing requirements.

Earning an undergraduate certificate in addition to a four-year undergraduate degree, adds an additional level of expertise to the student's resume. Some students opt to earn an undergraduate degree and certificate at the same time.

Graduate Certificates

Working professionals who want to learn new skills, prepare for a new careers, or position themselves for a promotion should consider earning a graduate certificate. A graduate certificate helps professionals distinguish themselves as experts in their field.

Many companies are now encouraging their employees to pursue a graduate certificate. Some companies will even pay for their employees' tuition expenses. To accommodate the busy schedules of working professionals, many colleges and universities now offer online graduate certificates, which allow for much more flexible scheduling. Graduate certificates are certainly challenging, and professionals with full-time jobs who enroll in online programs may feel overwhelmed. The advantage of online programs, however, is that coursework can be completed whenever the student has free time.

Information Technology Certificates

Since technology plays an important role just about every career field and industry, individuals who complete IT certifications will positions themselves for a myriad of career advancement and promotion opportunities. Some of the more popular IT certificates including programming, web development, and database management.

Since information technology certificates are most popular among working IT professionals, many colleges offers online certificate programs that allow students to complete their certificate at their own pace, whenever and wherever they want. IT certificates are an excellent way for aspiring professionals-working inside and outside the IT industry-to learn new skills and update their knowledge. With the rapid pace of technological change, IT certificates are becoming a very popular way for professionals to stay current and on top of their game.

Undergraduate & Graduate Certificates

Featured Certificate Programs