Certificates Requiring Review and Approval - A Primer
The University System of Georgia institutions offer a variety of certificate programs. Many of these certificates are not associated with degrees, but are intended to be an award verifying the satisfactory completion of a prescribed program of study at the postsecondary educational level. An institution is required to obtain approval from the system office to establish, rename, discontinue, or terminate all pre-baccalaureate level certificate programs and all post-baccalaureate level certificates. These certificates require University System Office review and approval, and must meet all the criteria listed below:
Certificates proposed and offered by an institution will be consistent with the mission of the institution.
Certificates will be consistent with degree programs offered by the institution.
The institution offering the certificate will maintain enrollment and completion data as part of the students’ record.
The certificate is a stand-alone award, and its completion has meaning for students and adds value to their experience.
Certificates of fewer than 9 or greater than 59 semester credit hours will require additional justification for approval.
Pre-bachelor’s certificates will include core curriculum courses only if these courses are relevant to and necessary for completion of the certificate. Students must meet all learning support requirements before enrolling in core courses.
Certificates will not serve as a “backdoor” to admission to an institution.
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).
The definitions listed below describe the types of certificates requiring approval. These definitions are the same as those used in reporting data to the federal government. In the 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. All prerequisite courses and/or degrees must be specified for students.
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.