Talk:Graduate certificate

What is a graduate certificate?

United States:

• "Graduate certificates are intended to meet the supplemental post-baccalaureate education needs of professionals. A graduate certificate program is a set of courses that provides in-depth knowledge in a subject matter." Graduate Certificate Programs
• "Students can generally earn a graduate certificate by taking four to six courses in a variety of fields, says Deirdre Mageean, dean-in-residence at the Council of Graduate Schools." Consider Graduate Certificates to Save Time, Money
• "The graduate certificate programs, ranging from 12 to 21 credit hours, are designed to allow students to take courses in an area of specialization, enhancing their academic and professional experience." Graduate Certificate Programs / Academics & Research / The Graduate School / FSU - Florida State University The Graduate School
• "Thus, the WGSS Feminist Graduate Certificate can be earned by students enrolled in a Graduate Degree Program, or as a stand-alone certificate for those who have completed their undergraduate degree." Graduate Certificate | Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies
• "The program is designed for students who have earned a bachelor's degree and who wish to obtain a foundation for a career in real estate, as well as for those who hold a graduate degree but seek education in a new career area or specialization within the industry." Graduate Certificate in Real Estate

United Kingdom:

• "The Certificate is normally completed after two years of part-time study, though there is an option to complete after one year. Participants attend seven core and two optional courses (the latter selected from a possible five), present three observed teaching sessions, and complete a critical portfolio of up to 7,500 words. Those who complete all these elements will receive a Certificate equivalent to level three of an undergraduate degree at Honours level." King's College London, OLI --24.97.201.230 (talk) 16:13, 18 April 2014 (UTC)

Merge

Suggest merging Postgraduate certificate in to this page and including information on all types of this certificate, as the level it is offered varies by country. — xaosflux ^Talk 02:14, 7 December 2014 (UTC)

I work with resumes and often deal with the question of listing credentials after one's name. A graduate certificate is quite different from a post-graduate certificate in the sense that post-graduate certificates are earned after one graduates from a degree program. A graduate certificate sounds like it is a terminal credential of some kind. I'd like to see the topics kept separate. Juliaerickson (talk) 16:13, 3 December 2015 (UTC)

@Juliaerickson:, I think these differences are country specific? These credentials appear to be much less standard then bachelor's degrees cross countries. — xaosflux ^Talk 01:36, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

@Xaosflux:, you are absolutely correct. Post-graduate certificates are more common in the UK, Canada, Hong Kong and other countries. In the US, we are just starting to see PGCs as an alternative to a Masters degree. My main point is when I searched for Post-Graduate Certificate, it wouldn't have occurred to me to search for Graduate Certificate. Juliaerickson (talk) 14:51, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

Gotcha! In the event these do get merged, just the content will be on one page, all of the titles will be maintained as redirects. I may work on a mockup later this month, will ping you then. — xaosflux ^Talk 16:36, 4 December 2015 (UTC)

Sources to incorporate

Washington post