University System of Georgia institutions offer a variety of certificate programs, in alignment with Section 2.3.8 in the Academic Affairs Handbook.

Key Terms:

Certificates can be classified by the award type, level of coursework, and the number of credits required.

In terms of award type, a certificate can be considered either an embedded certificate or a standalone certificate.

• Standalone Certificate:  A certificate that a student can solely pursue, separate from any other academic programs.  A student can declare this certificate and/ or graduate from this certificate as they would a degree/major.
• Embedded Certificate:  A certificate consisting of a subset of courses required as part of a degree/major where students in the specified degree/major are awarded the certificate upon graduating in that degree/major. Students do not enroll in this type of certificate; they enroll in the associated degree/major.

For example, students in a Bachelor of Arts in English program may be required as part of their BA English to take the necessary coursework to also receive a professional writing certificate upon graduation.  If this certificate is only awarded the BA English students and those students will automatically receive the certificate upon graduate, it is an embedded certificate. However, if this certificate is also available to students in other program (e.g., Bachelor of Business Administration) who can elect whether or not to pursue the certificate, then it becomes a standalone certificate. 

In the following definitions, pre-baccalaureate (undergraduate), post-baccalaureate (graduate), post-master’s, and post-first professional, refer to the level of courses in the curriculum, not the qualifications or background of the student.

• Pre-Baccalaureate (Undergraduate) Certificates
  • Fewer than 30 semester credit hours (less than one year). The degree acronym is CER0.
  • From 30 to 59 semester credit hours (at least one year, but less than two). The degree acronym is CER1.
• Post-Baccalaureate (Graduate) Certificates
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate – a certificate beyond the bachelor’s degree that does not meet the requirements for a master’s degree. The degree acronym is CERG.
  • Post-Master’s Certificate – a certificate beyond the master’s degree that does not meet the requirements for a doctoral degree. The degree acronym is CERM.
  • Post-First Professional Certificate – a certificate beyond the first professional degree. The degree acronym is CERP.

Additional terms related to the maintenance of certificates include the following.

• SharePoint:  A website used by institutions to submit notifications and requests related to Academic Program Proposals.  Provosts designate certain institutional representatives, typically those who oversee the institution’s curriculum process, to access this site.
• Degrees and Majors Authorized (DMA):  The database maintained by the USO of all academic programs (degrees, majors, and certificates) each institution is authorized to offer.

Certificate Development:

Standalone certificates required University System Office (USO) review and approval.  Institutions must submit requests to create, modify, deactivate, or terminate standalone certificates via SharePoint.  The review and approval process typically takes up to one month.  Once approval, standalone certificates will be added to the list of authorized programs an institution can offer in the DMA.  Embedded certificates do not require approval or even notification to the USO; embedded certificates do not appear in the DMA.

The following guidelines are provided to assist institutions with the development of any certificate programs.

• Certificates proposed and offered by an institution should be consistent with the mission of the institution.
• Certificates shall be consistent with degree programs offered by the institution.
• Certificates should be 9 or more semester-credit hours, but no more than 59 semester-credit hours.
• Certificates require that students meet the admission requirements of the institution and that the courses offered will not exceed the level of courses offered by the institution (e.g., a two-year institution may not award a graduate certificate).