Graduate Certificates

General University Requirements (GURs) for all graduate certificates are as follows:

1. A student must be admitted to the certificate program and establish an approved graduate studies plan (GSP). Students must fulfill all GURs, college requirements and certificate program requirements.
2. No fewer than 12 nor more than 29 credits may be required for any graduate certificate.
3. The student must complete all requirements established by individual programs, as specified in the current UAA Catalog.
4. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 (B) must be earned in courses identified on the official GSP.
5. Only 400- and 600-level courses approved by the student’s graduate certificate advisor/committee and the dean or designee, may be counted toward graduate certificate requirements.
6. In 400-level courses, a minimum grade of B is required for the course to count toward the certificate program requirements.
7. Courses at the 500 level are for professional development and are not applicable toward any certificate, even by petition.
8. In 600-level courses, a grade of C is minimally acceptable, provided the student maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.00 (B) in all courses applicable to the graduate certificate program. At least two-thirds of the credits required for the certificate must be taken at the graduate level (600). For performance comparison only, in 600-level courses, a grade of P (pass) is equivalent to a minimum grade of B, but does not enter into the GPA calculation.
9. Up to one-third of the semester credits used to complete the requirements of a graduate certificate may be transferred to UAA from an institutionally accredited institution. Acceptance of transfer credit toward program requirements is at the discretion of the individual program.
10. At least one third of the credits used to satisfy graduate certificate requirements must be UAA resident credit completed after acceptance into the program.
11. Courses taken by credit by examination or graded credit/no credit (CR/NC) do not count toward graduate certificate requirements. They may, however, be used to satisfy prerequisites or to establish competency in a subject, thus allowing the advisor or committee to waive certain courses in an established program, as long as the total credits in the graduate certificate program remain the same.
12. All credits counted toward the graduate certificate, including transfer credits, must be earned within the consecutive seven-year period prior to graduation.
13. If the requirements for a graduate certificate are not met within seven years of formal acceptance into the program, admission expires and the student must reapply for admission and meet the admission requirements in effect at that time (see Catalog Year in Graduate Certificate Policies).