Certificate Programs
Effective May 2025, the term “certificate” is reserved exclusively for academic credentials formally approved by the UNC-Chapel Hill Graduate School’s Administrative Board. Any recognition issued for non-credit bearing or non-transcriptable programs — such as participation in badges, bootcamps, community programs, or workshops — must use alternative terminology and may not be referred to as certificates under any circumstance.
Beginning with Spring 2025 completions, all certificates are recorded as approved academic plans in ConnectCarolina and issued centrally by the University Registrar’s Office. Units are not permitted to independently print and issue certificates, even informal versions or those lacking university seals or signatures.
An academic credit bearing certificate is a formal program of courses and other related experiences in a field of specialization. In some disciplines, a certificate is akin to a professional credential, while in others, a certificate is recognition of competence in a given skill, practice, or field of study. The campus encourages interdisciplinary and inter-institutional certificate programs where appropriate. Like a degree, a certificate program is offered by a host academic school, department, or curriculum and is related to academic areas of study. The host may offer a certificate program residentially or online. Certificates at UNC-CH are only offered at the graduate and professional level. All academic credit certificate programs, regardless of intended audience, are governed by The Graduate School
.
List of Approved Certificate Programs
The list of approved certificate programs at UNC-Chapel Hill is maintained in the Graduate Catalog. This list will be updated periodically and at a minimum annually as new certificates are approved.
Certificate Program Development and Approvals
The Graduate School maintains Certificate Guidelines for the process of development, review, and approval of new certificate programs.
Upon approval of a new certificate program, The Graduate School collaborates with the Office of the University Registrar to establish coding for identification of each certificate.
Certificate Administration and Oversight
All certificate programs are supported through The Graduate School, including admissions and enrolled student services. University academic regulations apply to certificate programs, including the academic calendar, class registration windows, course drop/add deadlines, grading scales, withdrawal and leave of absence processes, and other similar administrative activities.
Students pursuing certificate programs will predominantly follow admissions and academic regulations and processes in line with their admitted status and home academic unit. Degree seeking graduate and professional students will follow academic policies as outlined in their academic degree programs. The primary reference is the Graduate School Handbook or associated handbooks about requirements and regulations specific to their academic programs. Non-degree seeking graduate and professional students also principally follow the Graduate School Handbook or associated handbooks about requirements and regulations specific to the host academic program.
In addition to the policies and processes of the student’s academic programs, the following regulations apply specifically to certificate programs.
- Transfer Credit - Students must complete certificate requirements with UNC-Chapel Hill coursework. Course credits transferred from outside UNC-Chapel Hill are not applicable to certificate programs. An exception is made for courses taken through inter-institutional registration if the courses appear on the UNC-CH transcript. In rare instances when a student can document the course is duplicated and can demonstrate the same course objectives were met, a certificate director can make an exception allowing a transfer course to meet a certificate requirement (i.e., course content and/or credit hours).
- Academic Eligibility - Non-degree certificate students will become academically ineligible if they earn a failing grade (i.e., F, XF, F*) or if they receive 30% of total credit hours of Low Pass (L) grades. Degree seeking graduate and professional students can apply classes as credit toward certificates only if meeting these same thresholds. Reinstatement with an academic plan is then an option. See academic eligibility standards.
- Pass/Fail Grading - Students cannot opt to put courses on the Pass/Fail grading basis and have earned hours count toward a certificate credential.
- Progression - Once admitted to a certificate program, successful progress towards completion must be made. For non-degree seeking students, the majority of registered course work each term should directly apply towards the certificate.
Certificate Completions and Time Limits
Successful completion of a certificate program is similar to degree completion. Upon fulfilling all requirements for a certificate program, the University Registrar’s Office issues the certificate and the award of a certificate is noted on the student’s academic transcript.
Certificate programs require fewer courses and can be completed in less time than a degree, but no more than five years.
Graduate and professional students typically complete certificates prior to or in conjunction with their degree. In some certificate programs, if the certificate is not completed at the time of graduation, the student may have the option to complete the certificate as a non-degree certificate student.
Non-degree graduate or professional students who have completed a certificate program may subsequently apply for a graduate or professional degree program. As a part of the admission application process, the student identifies courses from the certificate program for internal transfer to the degree program upon admission. The student’s director of graduate studies and the director of the certificate program sponsoring unit have discretion in allowing course credits within these guidelines.