Undergraduate Certificate Program Procedures

Op3.04-53 Undergraduate Certificate Program Procedures

General certificate policies

Certificates and options

A university undergraduate certificate generally requires 12-18 credit hours. The certificate document given to a student who earns a university certificate will contain the title of the certificate but not any option/emphasis.

Certificate usage

A certificate may not be used in lieu of a minor (or second major) to satisfy the needs of a non-comprehensive major.

Certificate pursuit and aid eligibility

Students may pursue a certificate and a degree concurrently or independently. Certificates and degrees can be awarded concurrently or independently.

Students should contact the office of student financial aid to determine if enrollment in pursuit of a certificate is eligible for financial aid since some certificates are eligible and others are not.

Undergraduate students who are seeking a degree and wish to add a certificate should contact either the office of the registrar or the Academic Advising and Transfer Center to declare the certificate. If the certificate has admission requirements, the student initially will be put into a pre-admission certificate code. Once the certificate’s admission requirements are met, the department will submit an Admission to Degree Program to the office of the registrar to have the student’s status moved from pre-admission to admission.

Certificate student classification

Undergraduate students who wish to pursue a certificate must be admitted to the university under a degree-seeking classification even in cases where the student is only pursuing a certificate.

Certificate time limit

Credit for courses completed in the undergraduate certificate more than eight years before the student’s date of certificate awarding may be disallowed by the certificate department.

General certificate requirements

Catalog of certificate requirements

Students shall satisfy the certificate requirements in effect upon the original semester of certificate declaration unless the certificate has admission requirements, in which case the student shall satisfy the requirements in effect upon the semester of certificate admission.

Credit hours and GPA

All undergraduate certificates generally require a minimum of 12 credit hours. Students pursuing an undergraduate certificate must attain at least a 2.00 GPA on all courses utilized in the certificate programs. Departments may establish higher minimum GPA’s as outlined in the university catalogs.

Residence requirement

Undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 6 credits of upper or lower division credits in the certificate in courses administered by the Springfield campus.

Certificate exceptions

Students who wish to appeal for exceptions to the general certificate requirements should submit an appeal to the Degrees Committee. The procedure for submitting an appeal is maintained by the office of the provost.