Requirements for the Certificates of Graduate Study

Certificates of Graduate Study provide opportunities for currently enrolled UVM graduate degree students to acquire an additional concentration of study and for post-baccalaureate certificate only students to prepare for further graduate study and/or develop their professional skills.

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

  1. A minimum of 15 graded credits of graduate-level course work is required. Some certificates require more than 15 credits. The courses must be in a defined subject area and approved for the specific certificate. At least 9 of the credits must be identified as core courses in the certificate curriculum, and the remaining courses 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 Certificate of Graduate Study program. Up to 6 credits (but not grades) from 5000- or 6000-level courses taken at UVM as a non-degree student may transfer into the certificate.
  3. Students who elect to pursue a Certificate of Graduate Study in conjunction with a master's or doctoral program must apply to the Certificate before registering for the final 9 credits needed for the Certificate. Students pursing a master's or doctoral degree must choose a Certificate of Graduate Study in a different discipline from the graduate degree.
  4. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 must be achieved in the certificate program. At least 9 credits of graded coursework 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 master’s or doctoral degree at UVM, and credits applied toward a graduate degree at UVM may be applied toward an appropriate Certificate of Graduate Study. Credits may overlap between one certificate and one degree. Credits taken for one Certificate of Graduate Study may not be used to fulfill the requirements for another Certificate of Graduate Study.
     

Requirements for the micro-Certificates of Graduate Study

The micro-Certificate of Graduate Study (mCGS) is similar in intent to the Certificate of Graduate Study but comprises fewer courses (9-14 credits). The goal of the mCGS is to provide students with the opportunity to take a smaller, more specific core set of courses that can either stand alone as an independent credential or be used towards the completion of a Certificate of Graduate Study.

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

  1. A minimum of 9 graded credits of graduate-level course work is required; however, a mCGS may require up to 14 credits. The courses must be in a defined subject area and approved for the specific certificate. At least 6 of the credits must be identified as core courses in the certificate curriculum, and the remaining courses must be chosen from a published and approved list of options for that 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. 3 to 5 credits (but not grades) from 5000- or 6000-level courses taken at UVM as a non-degree student may transfer into a micro-Certificate that requires 12-14 credits total.
  3. Students who elect to pursue a micro-Certificate of Graduate Study must apply to the mCGS before registering for the final 9 credits needed for the mCGS. Students pursing a master's or doctoral degree must choose a micro-Certificate of Graduate Study in a different discipline from the graduate degree.
  4. A minimum grade point average of 3.00 must be achieved in the mCGS.  
  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, and credits applied toward a graduate degree at UVM may be applied toward an appropriate micro-Certificate of Graduate Study. Credits may overlap between one micro-Certificate of Graduate Study, one Certificate of Graduate Study, and one degree. Credits taken for one micro-Certificate of Graduate Study may not be used to fulfill the requirements for another micro-Certificate of Graduate Study.