Jump to navigation

The University of Arizona Wordmark Line Logo White
Home
  • Degree Search
  • Financial Aid
  • Apply

Search form

  • Courses
    • Past Catalogs
    • Schedule of Classes
    • Dates & Deadlines
    • Course Descriptions
    • Registration
    • Key to Course Descriptions
  • Calendar
  • Academic Programs
    • Graduate Programs
    • Undergraduate Programs
  • Academic Support
    • Academic Advising Support
    • Academic Learning Support
    • Academic Technology Support
    • Academic Affairs
  • Policies
    • Undergraduate
    • Graduate
  • Questions
    • Contact Us
    • About the Catalog
    • FAQs
  • Archives

Undergraduate Certificate Definition and Guidelines

An undergraduate certificate is a programmatic or topically-linked series of courses, either from a single field or across disciplinary boundaries. The certificate provides a focused, structured and deeply interrelated set of courses that enhances the undergraduate experience in areas of deep disciplinary, interdisciplinary, regional or global interest, or which may be targeted toward a defined professional development need. Creating strongly relevant but academically rigorous undergraduate certificates present an opportunity to respond to the evolving environmental conditions in higher education and concurrent shifts in student needs. Interested applicants should check the list of current undergraduate certificates and contact the sponsoring academic unit for more information.

Guidelines

  1. Undergraduate certificates are available to degree seeking and certificate only seeking undergraduate students.
  2. Students who have been admitted to an undergraduate degree program may add a certificate before completing their degree requirements by contacting the offering unit and satisfying the admission requirements for the desired certificate.
  3. Applicants for certificates only must meet UA Undergraduate Admissions requirements and must have no less than a high school diploma, GED or the equivalent. The academic unit offering the certificate may set additional or more stringent admission criteria.
  4. The total number of units required for an undergraduate certificate may vary by academic discipline, but must require a minimum of nine (9) units of credit. At least six (6) units of credit must be upper division units of UA course work.
  5. All University policies apply, including academic, grading, admission, retention, contact hours, and faculty eligibility to teach.
  6. Offering units may determine whether course work taken to complete the certificate may also be applied to a degree program. There is no University maximum on the number of units completed for a certificate that may also apply toward a degree program.
  7. Offering units may determine whether course work taken at another institution may be applied to a certificate. A minimum of six (6) units used to satisfy certificate requirements must be taken in residence at the UA.
  8. Maximum duplicate units from a previously awarded degree program applicable to a certificate shall be no more than six (6) units.
  9. Course work taken more than four (4) years before admission to a certificate may not be applied.
  10. Time to complete the certificate shall not exceed four (4) years. The clock begins with the date of the earliest course work used for the certificate.
  11. Certificates may be structured as either discipline-specific or cross-disciplinary. Academic units applying for certificates must consult with and/or obtain support from related programs and departments to insure availability of courses required for the certificate, but offered by another department, and to avoid unnecessary duplication of content.
  12. Subplans/options may not be offered under an approved certificate.
  13. Certificates may be stand-alone or linked to an existing degree program.
  14. Certificates may be offered by an academic unit that does not currently offer a related degree program.
  15. Non-academic units may create certificates that are sponsored by an academic unit that undergoes an academic program review.
  16. Certificates should enhance existing programs, not take the place of them. Sufficient resources must exist to support the certificate without penalizing existing academic programs including subplans/options and minors.
  17. Officially approved certificates will be posted to UA transcripts. The sponsoring unit may provide a paper certificate document if desired; it must not resemble a UA diploma in any way.

For information about proposing a new undergraduate certificate - application procedures and approval process - as well as procedures for managing approved certificates, see the Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs site. 

Related Guidelines and Links

  • Curricular Affairs
  • Graduate Certificates

 

* Please note that sections titled Frequently Asked Questions, Related Guidelines and links, Related Policies, Information for Advisors and Revision History are provided solely for the convenience of users and are not part of the official University policy.

Menu

  • All Policies
  • Graduate Policies
  • Undergraduate Policies
  • Definitions of Key Terms

Policy Types

  • Academic Program Policies
  • Academic Standing and Progress Policies
  • Admissions Policies
  • Course Policies
  • Credit Options and Policies
  • General Education Policies
  • Grade Policies
  • Registration Policies and Procedures
  • Student Conduct and Rights
  • Transfer Credit Policies
  • Tuition and Fee Policies
  • Courses
  • Academic Calendars
  • Academic Support
  • Academic Programs
  • Policies
  • Questions

The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 | Email: catalog@arizona.edu | Phone: (520) 621-2211


Information for
  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni & Donors
  • Corporations & Businesses
  • Parents & Visitors

Campuses & Colleges
  • Graduate College
  • Law
  • Medicine
  • Pharmacy
  • UAOnline
  • UA South


Resources
  • A-Z Index
  • Calendars
  • Campus Map
  • Phonebook
  • UANews
  • Weather
Connect
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIN
  • YouTube
  • Twitter

© 2018 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of The University of Arizona.