Details of Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program Administration in the Graduate School

The following administrative procedures for postbaccalaureate certificates offered by the Graduate School complement the Graduate School's 1998 policy statement, "Graduate School Policy Governing Post-baccalaureate Certificate Programs," as revised April 23, 2001. (Faculty who are developing proposals for new Graduate School certificate programs will also find helpful the all-University guidelines on certificate programs )

1. Admission.

Post-baccalaureate certificate programs are included on the Graduate School admissions application and are subject to the standard application deadlines and fees. The Graduate School will process applications to certificate programs in the same way it processes other admissions applications. The recommendation to admit or reject should be made by the certificate program graduate faculty according to the procedure specified at the time of program approval. Graduate School admissions standards apply.

Currently enrolled master's and doctoral students who wish to pursue a certificate program must file a Change of Status form, either to add the certificate program or to change their degree objective from a master's or doctoral degree to a certificate. The standard $40 COS fee applies.

Students who begin in a certificate program and subsequently wish to pursue a Graduate School degree must meet the separate admission standards of the degree program to which they are seeking admission.

2. Adviser Assignment.

Certificate program students are advised to program completion by an adviser who may be the DGS or may be another member of the program's graduate faculty. The initial adviser is identified at the point of admission. The Graduate School will consider the DGS to be the student's initial adviser, if no adviser is indicated upon admission. The student's adviser-of-record is identified on the student's program form and officially assigned when the student files this form.

3. GPA for Satisfactory Progress.

Certificate program students must satisfy the Graduate School's minimum GPA requirement of 2.80 (on a 4.00 scale) for satisfactory progress. Programs may establish a higher GPA minimum for this purpose.

4. Proportion of Coursework Graded A/F.

The proportion of A/F-graded course credits offered toward a certificate is at the certificate program's discretion. The certificate program is responsible for monitoring fulfillment of its grading requirement.

5. Eligible Coursework.

As with degree programs administered through the Graduate School, only courses at the 4xxx-level and above may count toward certificate completion. At least 50 percent of the coursework offered toward a certificate must be at the 5xxx-level or above. The certificate program will be responsible for monitoring fulfillment of this requirement. The Graduate School will monitor fulfillment of its minimum credit requirement for a post-baccalaureate certificate (12 course credits), and adherence to its policies with respect to transferred and/or double-counted course credits. Courses applied toward certificate completion must have been taught by a member of the graduate faculty, or by someone authorized by the relevant program faculty to teach the particular course(s), in accordance with the criteria of the program's Policy and Review Council.

6. Transfer of Credit.

Certificate students must complete at least 60 percent of certificate program coursework as registered University of Minnesota Graduate School students.

7. Double-Counting.

Only 3 course credits may be double-counted between two certificate programs; however, no restrictions apply in the case of double-counting between a certificate program and a master's or doctoral degree program. A larger number of course credits may be double-counted between certificate programs in the case of officially approved joint programs.

8. Program Filing.

Certificate program students should file an official program of study (Graduate School Post-Baccalaureate [GSPBC] Program Form) signed by their adviser and DGS, in their first semester of study. The GSPBC Program Form is available from the Graduate School, 316 Johnston Hall.

9. Final Examination for Program Completion.

Certificate programs are considered to be "coursework-only" programs. No final written or oral examination is required for certificate program completion. Examination, project, or internship requirements, if any, are internal to the certificate program, which is also responsible for monitoring their fulfillment. If the certificate program requires a final exam, only those faculty members who hold membership or Affiliate Membership in the program are eligible to determine whether the student has passed.

The Graduate School Post-Baccalaureate Certificate (GSPBC) Final Report Form is issued to the student in the Graduation Packet. Only the signature of the certificate program DGS is required on this form. If a certificate program requires a final exam or other non-coursework activity, the signature of the DGS on the "final report form" will indicate that all such certificate program requirements have been successfully completed.

10. Registration Requirement.

As with all other Graduate School students, certificate program students must at minimum register in the Graduate School every fall and every spring term in order to maintain their active status.

11. Time Limit for Certificate Completion.

Certificate program requirements must be completed and the certificate awarded within four years from the date of certificate program admission. Programs may stipulate an accelerated time-to-completion at the time of program approval. An individual student may petition for an extension of time for completion under the usual Graduate School procedures.

All coursework included on the certificate program form, including transfer coursework, must have been taken within seven years of the student's planned completion date. The graduate faculty in a specific program may set a more stringent requirement.

For students pursuing a master's or doctoral degree through the Graduate School concurrently with a certificate, the four-year limit applies to certificate program completion; however, the separate time limits for the master's and doctoral degrees will apply with respect to completion of these degrees (i.e., seven years for the master's and five years after passing the prelim oral exam for the doctorate).

12. Monthly Graduation.

Certificate program students may graduate in any month. Standard Graduate School deadlines for filing the Application for Degree Form apply.

13. Commencement.

Certificate program students participate in the Graduate School's fall and spring commencement ceremonies. Standard Graduate School deadlines for submitting the Commencement Attendance Approval Form apply.

14. Transcript Description.

The certificate program name and date of degree clearance will appear on the transcript as follows:

• DEGREE: Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
• CONFERRED: appropriate date
• COLLEGE: Graduate School
• PLAN: name of the approved GSPBC major

15. Student Support.

Certificate program students who are concurrently pursuing a master's or doctoral degree through the Graduate School are eligible for graduate assistant funding and other forms of graduate student support.

Students who are only pursuing a certificate are not eligible for the Graduate School's limited block grant or interdisciplinary program funding, or for first-year Fellowships; however, certificate-only students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens may qualify for federal and state financial aid. For detailed information, students should consult the Office of Student Finance. International students should contact International Student and Scholar Services (http://www.isss.umn.edu/) for information about financial aid opportunities.

16. Visa Requirements.

Programs are encouraged to consult International Student and Scholar Services (http://www.isss.umn.edu ) about visa issues relative to study toward a postbaccalaureate certificate.