Graduate certificates can be obtained concurrently with a graduate degree or as a separate graduate program. A graduate certificate requires fewer credits and is more limited in scope than a master's degree. Students may be interested in a graduate certificate to enhance a specific skill set. Many students seeking certificates use them to further their career, find a new job, or meet state or national licensing requirements.
A current listing and brief description of graduate certificate programs may be found online. For more information on graduate certificate admissions, see the Certificate Admissions page.
Certificate-specific requirements, including required courses, are listed on the certificate's degree schedule. For general information about graduate certificate requirements, including details on credit minimums, transfers, and double counting, see University Senate Policy 411.1. For information about accelerated certificates, see Policy 35-21.
Completing a Graduate Certificate
To demonstrate that they have fulfilled the requirements of a certificate program, students must submit the appropriate degree schedule to the Graduate School. Michigan Tech degree-seeking graduate students who wish to earn a graduate certificate must be enrolled in a degree program in the semester they wish to complete their graduate certificate. Non-degree seeking students interested in obtaining a graduate certificate must apply using the online application prior to submitting a degree schedule.
All graduate students must complete basic responsible conduct of research training within their first two semesters at Michigan Tech, or a registration hold will be placed on the student's account. Students may not graduate if the training is not complete.