A graduate certificate program is a linked series of credit bearing graduate courses that constitutes a coherent body of study and culminates in a capstone or equivalent unifying experience. Graduate certificates are intended to enhance the education of matriculated graduate or professional students beyond their regular course of study, or to provide students access to graduate education as a standalone credential or as a stacked credential that can lead to a graduate degree. Graduate certificates are not open to undergraduate students. See Policy 1.4 for policies on stackable graduate certificates and the stacked graduate degree program.
Completed graduate certificates are recorded on the student’s UW transcript. Note, however, that matriculated graduate and graduate non-matriculated (GNM) students may also pursue approved UW certificates that are not recorded on the UW transcript, for example certificates offered by UW Continuum College. These non-transcripted certificates are distinct from graduate certificates and are not under purview of the Graduate School.
1.2.1 Requirements
Requirements for the certificate must include a minimum of 15 credits, nine of which must be earned in courses numbered 500 and above, and nine of which must be from numerically graded courses. The curriculum must constitute a coherent body of study that culminates in a capstone or equivalent unifying experience.
Graduate certificate requirements normally consist primarily of graduate-level coursework at the 500 level. Courses at the 300 level and 400 level may be part of a student’s course of study and applied toward graduate certificate requirements when acceptable to the student’s graduate program and the Graduate School. Any 300- or 400-level course applied towards graduate degree requirements must be confirmed by the Graduate Faculty of the unit to have a level of rigor and depth appropriate to the graduate program and to have a subject matter closely aligned with the degree program’s outcomes. Coursework at the 300 level may not be applied towards the minimum 9 graded credits.
A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 is required for courses applied to a graduate certificate, and a minimum of 2.7 is required in each course that is counted toward a graduate certificate. Courses at the 300 level are not included in the calculation of grade-point average (GPA).
1.2.1.1 Credit sharing
There are no restrictions on credit sharing between a graduate certificate and a graduate degree program. However, the culminating experiences of each certificate and degree must be distinct.
No credit sharing is allowed between graduate certificates.
1.2.1.2 Transfer credits
Graduate Certificate coursework should reflect specialized curriculum that is specific to the University of Washington. With the approval of a student’s graduate program, a maximum of 6 applicable Graduate Non- Matriculated (GNM) or transfer credits may be applied towards a graduate certificate (for information on GNM credit eligibility towards stacked master’s degrees see Policy 1.4 or Policy 3.3).
With the approval of a student’s graduate program and the Graduate School, up to 6 credits of 400-level or 500-level coursework, taken as a senior while an undergraduate at the University of Washington, may be applied towards graduate certificate requirements.
Credit taken while enrolled as a non-matriculated (NM) student or while matriculated as a post-baccalaureate student at the University of Washington may not be applied towards graduate certificate requirements. Credit by independent study or advanced credit examination is not transferable.
1.2.2 Review and Approval of Graduate Certificate Programs
The review of graduate certificate program proposals is similar to that of new graduate program proposals and is coordinated by the Office of Academic Affairs in the Graduate School. This process includes review by Academic Affairs and by the Graduate School Council. The approval of proposed graduate certificates resides with the Board of Regents. For details, see the Graduate School’s Graduate Certificate proposal page. In a proposal for a new graduate certificate, program faculty must clearly define and describe the program’s governance, budget, curriculum, admission standards, admission process, and minimum completion standards.
Similar to new graduate degree programs, new graduate certificate programs are initially authorized by the Board of Regents with provisional status. Such programs are to be reviewed at least every five years until the programs are granted continuing status. Continuing programs are reviewed at least every ten years.
Policy 1.2 created: March 2008. Revised: June 2012, July 2022
Policy 1.2.1 revised November 2023