3.1 Context for Graduate Certificates
In Spring, 2004 the Graduate School proposed significant
changes to the policies and procedures for Graduate
Certificates. The Graduate Studies Committee and Faculty
Senate approved these changes. Prior to these changes,
students had to be full-time graduate students, admitted
formally through the Graduate School after recommendation
from a department, and in good academic standing to
enroll in certificate courses. This prevented departments
from using graduate certificates in innovative
applications and precluded the use of graduate
certificates to allow non-traditional graduate students
an opportunity to gain expertise in an area to advance
their career or as an entry point to graduate
school.
With the approved changes, students can be admitted as
"graduate certificate students" (details found in section
3.4). Once admitted as a part-time graduate certificate
student, the student can take graduate certificate
courses and/or graduate courses but must maintain a 3.0
gpa. These changes obviously allow a non-traditional
student a point-of-access to graduate school under
conditions where both they, and the academic department,
can determine the students suitability for formal
graduate admission. Upon recommendation from the
department, it is possible for the student to be formally
admitted to the Graduate School and pursue an advanced
degree.
[Note: Full-time, regular graduate students can pursue and complete Graduate Certificates.]
Students progressing from a Graduate Certificate Student to a Graduate Student will desire to apply course work from their certificate studies to their degree program. This is possible, but the academic department must declare which courses they wish to apply for the advanced degree upon application to the Graduate School. All course work will be examined by the Graduate School and approved or disapproved. There are no limits on the number of credits that can apply for an advanced degree.
3.2 Reasons to consider developing Graduate Certificate Programs
- Certificate programs often provide a more flexible response to an emerging societal need for specialized education.
- Certificate programs may provide an alternative access path to graduate education, especially for the working professional or for persons who have been out of school for some time.
- Certificate programs may serve as a recruitment method for students who first enroll in a certificate program, and then, upon successful completion, decide that they wish to continue with a related degree program.
- Certificate programs may provide an opportunity for a discipline, or an interdisciplinary group, to take their first steps in offering graduate-level programming.
- Certificate programs provide the opportunity for students to develop an expertise that may help in career advancement or changing careers.
- Certificate programs allow faculty the opportunity to assess student performance at the graduate level prior to formally admitting them to a Masters or PhD program.
- Certificate programs, when constructed properly, will develop a new revenue stream for the university and faculty.
3.3 Graduate Certificate Requirements
Formal graduate certificates convey that students have developed mastery of course material. Requirements for the Graduate Certificate vary with Department or Program. They typically consist of 9 to 12 credits of graded coursework. To qualify as a formal graduate certificate program, the program must conform to existing Graduate School academic standards and to existing policies outlined for graduate degree programs, including the following:
- Graduate certificate programs must have admission standards that are similar to related graduate degree programs.
- Graduate certificate programs must use approved undergraduate or graduate coursework, with no more than one-third of the coursework being at the undergraduate level.
- Student may be admitted to the Graduate School as a Not-Advanced-Degree-Candidate (NADC) and have completed all appropriate prerequisite classes to take graduate coursework.
- Students pursuing a graduate certificate may only accumulate 6 credits toward a master’s degree and 9 credits towards a Ph.D. degree.
- Courses graded S/F cannot be used toward major or supporting work for any degree program.
- Requirements regarding WSU tenured/tenure-track status and critical mass are the same as those required for degree programs.
- A certificate fee of $25 dollars is assessed at the time of completion of the certificate.
3.4 To qualify as a part-time certificate student, a prospective student must
- Have a bachelor's degree from an accredited post-secondary institution,
- Meet all prerequisite course requirements or be able to demonstrate equivalent knowledge and understanding for courses prior to enrollment,
- Be part-time student,
- Enroll in eligible courses on a space-available basis,
- Complete the Graduate School application form prior to enrollment in their first course, indicating their intention to be classified as a part-time, certificate student and their area of study,
- Be admitted, upon recommendation from the academic unit, to the Graduate School as a certificate student.
- Pay existing graduate tuition and fees.
- Students on academic probation and students suspended from the university for any reason are not eligible to enroll in certificate courses.
- Because the certificate programs are designed for part-time study without formal admission to a degree program, international students in the US on student visas are not eligible to enroll solely in certificate courses.
3.5 Students enrolled in certificate programs
- Are expected to meet all course requirements, to fully participate in all course activities, and to complete all assignments, exams, projects, and other requirements to earn credit and a grade.
- Maintain minimum GPA requirements (>3.0) while enrolled as a part-time certificate student
- May use such university services as the library, computing, and bookstore
- Are not eligible for all services provided to degree students who pay comprehensive fees, i.e. enrolling in independent study, research and project course credit, research/dissertation credits, final examinations and/or similar course work designed for degree-seeking students (i.e. 600, 700, 702, or 800 credits).
- Are not eligible for graduate assistantships, fellowships, or scholarships.
- May obtain federal and state aid if eligible.
3.6 Design and Implementation of Certificate Programs
All graduate certificate programs will represent the graduate-level offerings of Washington State University. Each academic college and department/program is responsible for deciding their level of participation in graduate certificate programs and for designating the courses available to certificate students. Academic units may use whatever criteria they choose to make such determinations. As with all courses, the faculty reserves the right to exclude any student from a course when the student lacks sufficient background or preparation for the course. The Graduate School will monitor all certificate students to ensure that a minimum GPA of 3.0 is maintained. If a student fails to maintain a 3.0 GPA, they will be dismissed from the university and are not eligible to enroll in graduate courses or graduate certificate courses. Course work taken within certificate programs will be recorded and transcripted as would courses taken by regularly admitted graduate students. Recognition of completion of the certificate program will be handled via the student making an application for graduation and the Graduate School verifying that the program has been completed.
3.7 Pursuing Formal Admission to Graduate School
A certificate student may elect to apply for formal admission to the Graduate School and pursue an advanced degree. Certificate students who decide to pursue a graduate degree from Washington State University must apply to the Graduate School as a continuing student (e.g. no WSU transcript or fee is required. A determination of the applicability of any of the courses and credits earned while a certificate student will be made at the time of admission at the discretion of the academic department or graduate program where the degree is sought by the student filing a Program of Study as part of the admission material. Department-approved courses will be stipulated as such on the student’s Program of Study when it is submitted and will be reviewed by the Graduate School at that time. It is expected that a core disciplinary curriculum will be present on this Program of Study.
Course work taken as a certificate student may be reviewed as part of the admission-review process, but does not afford any preferential consideration for admittance to a graduate program. The faculty in the graduate program will continue to have the authority to deny admission to any student.