Graduate certificates are coursework-based programs built around a defined area of specialization. They are designed to provide in-depth knowledge to students, deliver a credential with clear professional or disciplinary value, and may serve as a pathway to a graduate degree (master’s or doctoral degree).
Certificate Structure: An Overview
- Graduate certificates require a minimum of 9 and a maximum of 15 graduate credits in credit-bearing, traditionally graded courses which are 500 to 700-level.
- Courses must be taken at Colorado State University; transfer credits are not allowed.
- Course substitutions are not permitted.
- Certificate programs follow a specified curriculum; more information can be found in the Graduate and Professional Bulletin.
New certificates must be approved through the curricular process and in the Curriculum Management System (CIM).
Graduate certificate admissions information
Eligibility
- Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree from an regionally accredited institution. However, CSU undergraduates may take graduate certificate coursework that can later be applied towards a graduate certificate once the bachelor’s degree has been awarded (more info below).
- Individual departments may set additional admission requirements.
Current CSU Student Eligibility
- Current CSU undergraduates should apply during the same semester in which they complete their final required certificate course.
- Current CSU graduate students pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree must apply for a graduate certificate, as it will not be automatically awarded if coursework is completed before applying for the certificate.
International Students Eligibility
- Due to federal visa regulations, international students cannot participate in Residential Instruction graduate certificates unless they are already enrolled in a residential instruction degree program at CSU. Students should contact the Office of International Programs with questions.
- Online and distance graduate certificates are open to international students regardless of location.
Application Process
- Application fee: $60 (for both domestic and international students)
- Requirements: Find graduate certificate application requirements here, including a bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree. Departments may request additional information.
- English proficiency: international students are required to prove English proficiency by completing the TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, PTE, or be waived. The same English proficiency requirements for a degree program apply to a graduate certificate program.
Graduate certificate requirements
To earn a graduate certificate, students must:
- Complete the required coursework (9-15 graduate credits)
All coursework must be taken at CSU. Transfer credits from another institution and course substitutions are not allowed, as graduate certificates are designed as a coherent academic experience that has a stand-alone professional or marketable value based on the approved curriculum.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000 across all graduate certificate coursework.
- Earn the required minimum grade in each course, based on student status:
- Current graduate students and admitted certificate students must earn a grade of “C” or better in each course, while maintaining the 3.000 GPA.
- Undergraduate students taking graduate-level coursework must earn a grade of “B” or better for the coursework to count toward a graduate certificate and/or a graduate degree program. Learn more about double-counting coursework as an undergraduate.
- Complete all certificate coursework within 10 years.
Graduate-level coursework completed more than ten years prior cannot be applied toward a graduate certificate or a graduate degree program. - A student may not take a course more than twice during the graduate certificate process to improve their grade or their overall GPA for the graduate certificate. Both the original and repeated grades are used in GPA calculations.
Applying graduate certificate coursework towards a master’s or doctoral degree
Some graduate certificate coursework may be applied toward a master’s or doctoral degree, provided:
- The courses meet the curricular requirements of the degree program, and
- are approved by the Graduate School and the student’s advisor as part of their program of study.
- Minimum grade requirements vary depending on admission status:
- Before admission to a graduate degree program:
Students who earn a grade of C in a certificate course before being admitted to a graduate degree program may not apply that coursework toward a graduate degree. Only courses completed with a grade of B or better are eligible to count later toward a degree program. - After admission to a graduate degree program:
Students who earn a grade of C in a certificate course after being admitted to a graduate degree program may apply that coursework toward their graduate degree, however they must still maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000.
- Before admission to a graduate degree program:
Graduate certificate completion and conferral
Graduate students may take a few semesters off during their certificate studies, but will need to reapply for the graduate certificate when they are ready to return.
Graduate certificates will be awarded during the same dates that degrees are awarded, at the end of each term.
Once the graduate certificate is complete, the student will receive an official certificate. All graduate certificates will be titled and recorded as “Graduate Certificate in (name of certificate program)” on the transcript upon completion of the graduate certificate requirements.
Additionally, an official graduate certificate will be printed by the Registrar’s office and made available to the student in the same manner that degrees are distributed.
The graduate certificate does not confer a professional title or designation, and the graduate certificate recipient should not use a professional title or designation for completing the graduate certificate.
Earning a graduate certificate as an Undergraduate
Undergraduates who meet requirements are awarded the graduate certificate the semester after bachelor’s completion.
Earning a graduate certificate after dismissal from a graduate program
When a student is concurrently enrolled in a graduate degree program and a graduate certificate, and is subsequently dismissed from the graduate degree program, they may continue pursuing the certificate.
When students are dismissed from their graduate degree program:
- A registration hold is placed on their student record. If the student intends to continue with their graduate certificate, they must request that the hold be removed.
- To do this, they must sign a form letter provided by the Graduate School that indicates they acknowledge they have been dismissed from their graduate degree program and that their graduate certificate coursework work will not apply toward their degree programs’ GPAs due to their dismissed status.
- A copy of the letter will be provided to the students’ department.
- Their class code will be changed from master’s or doctoral to Graduate – Non-Degree.
- Graduate certificate coursework cannot be used to improve the students’ GPAs for readmission into the Graduate Degree program.
Financial aid and employment
Assistantships
Per the Graduate and Professional Bulletin, certificate-only students are not eligible for graduate assistantships.
Financial Aid
Students may be eligible for financial aid. Please contact the Hub for questions about specific certificates.