Requirements for the Certificate and micro-Certificate of Graduate Study

Requirements for the Certificate of Graduate Study (CGS)

Certificates of Graduate Study provide opportunities for students currently enrolled in a UVM graduate degree program and /or for Non-Degree students to engage in in-depth understanding of a particular area of interest. Certificates of Graduate Study help students prepare for further graduate study and/or develop their professional skills. The awarding of a Certificate of Graduate Studies will be annotated on the official transcript of a student who successfully meets the requirements set forth for the Certificate.

The general requirements for a Certificate of Graduate study at UVM are:

  1. Certificates of graduate study require a minimum of 10 graded credits at the graduate-level. The credits must be in a defined subject area and approved for the specific certificate. A CGS may include requirements for non-course educational activities, such as workshops or projects. At least 6 of the credits must be identified as core requirements in the curriculum, and the remaining credits must be chosen from a published and approved list of options for that certificate.
  2. All credits must be completed at UVM within a 5-year period. Graduate credits taken at other institutions may not transfer into a UVM CGS program. Certificate students who are enrolled in a UVM degree program may transfer up to 4 credits (but not grades) from 5000- or 6000-level courses taken at UVM as a non-degree student into the Certificate.
  3. Students who elect to pursue a CGS in conjunction with a master's or doctoral program must apply to the Certificate before registering for the final 4 graded credits needed for the Certificate. Students pursing a master's or doctoral degree must choose a CGS in a discipline different from that of their graduate degree program.
  4. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 must be achieved in the certificate program. At least 4 graded credits taken after admission to the certificate program are required to calculate the Certificate of Graduate Study GPA.
  5. Credits used for a Certificate of Graduate Study may be applied toward an appropriate graduate degree at UVM. Credits may overlap between 1 certificate and 1 degree program. Credits taken for 1 Certificate of Graduate Study may not be used to fulfill the requirements of another Certificate of Graduate Study.

Requirements for the micro-Certificate of Graduate Study (mCGS)

Micro-Certificates of Graduate Study indicate familiarity with a specific topic or area. Micro-Certificates may be offered to students currently enrolled in a UVM graduate degree program and / or to Non-Degree students. Micro-Certificates are intended to be flexible and adaptive and to meet the evolving demands of enrollees and other stakeholders. The awarding of a micro-Certificate of Graduate Study will be annotated on the official transcript of a student who successfully meets the requirements set forth for the mCGS.

The general requirements for a micro-Certificate of Graduate study at UVM are:

  1. A micro-Certificate of Graduate Study is comprised of between 4 and 9 credits of which no fewer than 4 must be graded. The credits must be in a defined subject area and approved for the specific micro-Certificate. Micro-Certificates of Graduate Study may include requirements for non-course educational activities, such as workshops or projects. All credits must be chosen from a published and approved list of options for the Micro-Certificate.
  2. All credits must be completed at UVM within a 3-year period. Graduate credits taken at other institutions may not transfer into a UVM micro-Certificate of Graduate Study program. Micro-Certificate students who are enrolled in a UVM degree program may transfer up to 3 credits (but not grades) from 5000- or 6000-level courses taken at UVM as a Non-Degree student into a Micro-Certificate that requires at least 7 credits total.
  3. Students who elect to pursue a micro-Certificate of Graduate Study must apply to the micro-Certificate before registering for the final 3 credits needed for the mCGS. Students enrolled in a UVM graduate degree program must choose micro-Certificates of Graduate Study in areas beyond their degree program.
  4. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 must be achieved in the micro-Certificate of Graduate Study.
  5. Credits used for a micro-Certificate of Graduate Study may be applied toward an appropriate Certificate of Graduate Study, master's degree, or doctoral degree at UVM. Credits may overlap between 1 micro-Certificate of Graduate Study, 1 Certificate of Graduate Study, and 1 degree. Credits taken for 1 Micro-Certificate of Graduate Study may not be used to fulfill the requirements of another micro-Certificate of Graduate Study.