Developing Credit-Bearing Certificate Programs
Developing Credit-Bearing Certificate Programs
Policy Type: Administrative Policy
Date Adopted: February 15, 2023
Version: 2.0
Review Cycle: Every 2 years
Date Last Reviewed: May 22, 2025
Office Responsible: Office of the Provost
Approving Administrator: Vice Provost for Engaged Learning and Teaching Innovation
Policy Summary
This policy provides requirements for faculty who are developing credit-bearing certificate programs at the University of Michigan-Flint.
Scope
Applies to: All undergraduate and graduate certificate programs.
Policy Statement
A credit-bearing certificate at the University of Michigan-Flint is an award – requiring fewer credits than a Bachelor/Masters/Doctorate program – that appears on a student’s official transcript. The following items must be followed when developing credit-bearing certificate programs at the University of Michigan-Flint.
1. Purpose of Certificates
Certificates should provide students with a specialized set of courses that supplement a primary field of study, advance an area of expertise, or provide an interdisciplinary experience within a defined body of knowledge.
2. Catalog Description Requirements
Each certificate program should draft a short introductory paragraph that will be shared on its catalog page, which clearly provides:
- An overview of the certificate program
- Examples of how the certificate can support a career path
- The student populations that may earn the certificate
- E.g., “The public health certificate is open to all students, except those within the public health major.”
3. Learning Outcomes and Assessment
Each certificate program must:
- Clearly define outcomes that demonstrate what knowledge and skills students will gain as a result of successfully completing the program
- Ensure assessment processes that validate achievement of expected outcomes
4. Grade Requirements
While programs may have individual grade requirements, the university defines successful completion of a certificate program as:
- A minimum grade of C (2.0) earned in each course within an undergraduate certificate program
- A minimum grade of B (3.0) earned in each course within a graduate certificate program
5. Program Design and Scheduling
Certificate programs should be designed and courses scheduled in alignment with programmatic and student needs.
6. Credit Hour Requirements
Certificate programs, including prerequisites, must be between 9 and 18 credit hours, at least 9 of which must be taken at UM-Flint. Some post-graduate certificates, with accreditation requirements, may be excluded from this requirement at the discretion of the academic program.
7. Currency of Coursework
The university is committed to ensuring individuals earning certificates have a credential that is grounded in current knowledge and practice. Students pursuing a certificate who would like to count previously completed coursework older than 3 years must have it reviewed by the departmental/programmatic home of the certificate to determine previous course content alignment to current certificate requirements.
8. Double-Counting
- Undergraduate to Graduate: Students who receive credit for undergraduate courses cannot receive graduate credit for such cross-listed courses.
- Graduate Certificate with Graduate Degree: Graduate certificate programs may be taken separately or in conjunction with a graduate degree program, with credits from the certificate eligible to be used in the graduate degree program. Departments can determine which certificate credits, if any, can be used within a graduate degree program; such certificate credits can be used if the student has been admitted to the graduate degree program within seven years or corresponding to the time to degree requirements of the program when completing said courses.
- Graduate Degree to Graduate Certificate: Graduate courses taken as a degree-seeking student may be used within a graduate certificate program if the student is admitted to the certificate program and courses are completed within seven years or corresponding to the time to degree requirements of the program.
9. Stand-Alone Certificates
- Definition: Stand-alone certificates are designed for students not seeking a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.
- Completion Timeline: Students in a stand-alone certificate should be able to complete the certificate within 12-18 months. Individual plans of study can be negotiated at the discretion of the academic program, if needed.
- Financial Aid: Stand-alone certificates are not automatically eligible for federal financial aid but can become eligible through a separate application process. The academic program must contact the Office of Financial Aid to apply for federal financial aid eligibility for stand-alone certificates.
10. Stackable Credentials
These credentials are a part of an educational pathway where skills and accompaniments earned build on each other leading to the student earning a higher-level credential.
- To count toward a degree, a stand-alone certificate must be completed within five years of completing the degree. Any exception to the five years must be reviewed and determined by the departmental/programmatic home of the certificate.
- In cases where the same course is required among multiple certificates, its credits apply to the degree only once.
11. Approval Process
Certificate approval follows the standard university approval process for new minors.
Version History
| Date of Change | Version | Description of Change |
|---|---|---|
| February 15, 2023 | 1.0 | Adopted |
| May 22, 2025 | 2.0 | Adopted (Updated time requirements from five to seven years in sections 8b and 8c) |
For questions about developing credit-bearing certificate programs, please contact the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs in the Office of the Provost.