A post-baccalaureate certificate program is for students who hold a bachelors degree but do not have graduate program status. Such certificates are to be undergraduate in nature and do not substitute for a Master's degree. These certificate programs serve mainly three groups of students:
- those who are changing fields and require the equivalent of the undergraduate program in a new discipline;
- those who wish to prepare themselves for entry into a graduate degree program; or
- those students who wish to develop skills or add a body of knowledge for personal development or career growth.
Academic Requirements
Open only to students with a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution Normally, students will be in a post-bachelors status at Wayne State University The certificate program should consist of at least 24 credit hours of university-level courses, of which usually a minimum of 18 credits must be taken at WSU. A minimum GPA of 2.5 must be achieved to obtain the certificate The program should utilize existing courses, facilities, and resources The certificate program will comprise only undergraduate-level (1000- through 6000-level) courses. Up to four 5000- and 6000-level courses may be designated for which the students in that course may elect to do the work required of graduate students. A student subsequently admitted to the Graduate School may petition to be allowed graduate credit for no more than two (6 to 8 credits) courses in which such election was made and passed with a grade of "B" or better. The petition must be approved by the department, school/college, and Graduate School. Review the Board of Governors' post-baccalaureate certificate program guidelines for additional information on academic requirements.
Program Proposal Approval Procedures
Program proposals should include the following sections and be sent to the Associate Provost for Academic Programs:
Certificate title, home unit, inception date and contact person for the program Description and background of the program Rationale and need for the program (e.g. student needs survey/job survey) Program learning objectives Admission requirements Curriculum requirements List of core and elective courses and their prerequisites Subject area code (SAC), number, title, and credit hours Program standards Program administration Program evaluation and assessment plans Academic oversight Advising Federal student aid eligibility and Gainful Employment** Budget and resource requirements Accreditation Proposed undergraduate bulletin copy For adding new Gainful Employment programs to the Program Participation Agreement (PPA) for Title IV student financial aid eligibility, WSU must submit:
An electronic application with Gainful Employment program details Accrediting agency approval Notice of Intent to Offer an Educational Program, describing How WSU determined the need for the program How the program was designed to meet market needs (focus on benefit to students/employers "" make a clear connection between the program, the job it prepares the student for, and the local, regional, or national market need for employees in that job.) Wage analysis conducted, including any Bureau of Labor Statistics data related to the program How the program was reviewed or approved by, or developed in conjunction with business advisory committees, program integrity boards, regulatory agencies, or businesses that would likely employ graduates of the program. Date of the first day of class Date requesting to begin Title IV disbursements to students Section L of the E-App containing original signature of the appropriate person